Life on the Land

If there’s anyone who understands the diversity of women who love the land, it’s today’s guest, Victoria Carey. V, as she’s known by those who work with her, has been in the media game for more than two decades, including 11 years as the editor in chief of Country Style, and is now at the editorial helm of Graziher Magazine.

Yet a life in journalism almost didn’t happen – with a teenage horse-mad Victoria so nearly signing up to work in a racing stable.

Emily Herbert interviewed V the day after she put the latest issue of Graziher to bed and the jubilation and satisfaction at seeing another gorgeous copy of the magazine on its way to the printers was obvious in her voice.

And what a magnificent segue to announce that the Spring issue of Graziher is now on sale! It’s an absolute corker of an edition to celebrate our bimonthly launch, with compelling stories of Australian women spanning the width and length of the country. In this issue, we really draw our attention to Women across the Ages - and the articles borne from it are stunning – from Stephanie Trethewey’s letter to her baby daughter Evie to the inspiring eighty-something matriarch still checking her Merinos every day.

You can subscribe online at graziher.com.au and have the magazine turn up in your mailbox six times a year – what a treat.

If there’s anyone who understands the diversity of women who love the land, it’s today’s guest – Victoria Carey. V, as she’s known by those who work with her, has been in the media game for more than two decades – including 11 years as the editor in chief of Country Style - and is now at the editorial helm of Graziher Magazine.

Yet a life in journalism almost didn’t happen – with a teenage horse-mad Victoria so nearly signing up to work in a racing stable.

I interviewed V the day after she put the latest issue of Graziher to bed – and the jubilation and satisfaction at seeing another gorgeous copy of the magazine on its way to the printers was obvious in her voice.

The latest edition of Graziher is on sale today! Jump online and secure your copy before it sells out. graziher.com.au.

There's a word for the period of time it takes to grow and raise a baby, Matrescence. The physical, emotional hormonal and social transition to become a mother.

The overwhelming love, the uneasy trepidation or sometimes downright fear, sadness, guilt and anxiety, the joys and the crushing lows. The exhaustion and at times, the loneliness and boredom. It's also a time that can be heighten when living in the bush with its own specific challenges and delights.

Caroline Maxwell has been a guiding hand along the Matrescence journey for hundreds of mothers. The mum of four is a midwife and lactation consultant working from Narromine in the central west of New South Wales and she travels far and wide around the state to see women when they need her most. Driving hundred of hours on dirt roads, navigating floodwaters and once even sourcing a plane to get to a new mum on a remote station.

Today’s guest gets imposter syndrome when she talks about her role in agriculture and rural Australia. Sammie O’Brien presents Channel 7’s Queensland Weekender and Creek to Coast and she is known and loved by country and city people all over.

Sammie lives a double life spending half the week in Brisbane and half the week on her cattle farm in Torrone, halfway between Brisbane and Warwick. She’s also a Mum to young Lenny, a farm owner and cattle producer (with a herd of 80 breeding cattle) as well.

Most importantly, she's a great friend of Graziher’s and we will be working with Sammy in the future (make sure you stay in touch with our socials or Friday newsletter to stay up to date.)

The latest edition of the Graziher magazine will be making its way to the printers soon; make sure you don't miss our by subscribing or pre-purchasing your copy on our website graziher.com.au.

West Australian Bec Bignell is a passionate film-maker and producer who’s determined to get the ‘real’ regional, rural and remote Australia on screens everywhere.

She wants more films shot in rural Australia.

She wants crews to spend more time learning about rural Australia, by living there.

She wants more rural Australians employed in the film industry, especially if they are filming in town.

And she wants film crews to remain invested in these communities long after filming is done.

Given the conviction of this conversation, we have a feeling Bec will succeed.

Her film, Homespun (filmed on her family's sheep and grain farm at Kojonup) is a prime example of what can be achieved and the kind of nuanced stories we need to be telling. Keep an eye out for its release later in 2022.

Plants, place, space, escape; everything about gardens and gardening, it’s all a balm for our guest today Cassandra Hooke who lives, and gardens, on the Hay Plains in the New South Wales Western Riverina.

You might know Cass as @outbackgardens on Instagram where she documents the growth of her newly established garden on the Plains in nothing more than a friendly and helpful nature.

If you’ve read the Autumn issue of Graziher you’ll also know Cass, from her beautiful article written by Victoria Carey and photographed by Emma Cross.

How this all came to be, is not what you think. As with any person’s story there are roots and twists and turns that have led Cass to value the effects of gardening and nurturing plants and growing a place way more than this nature lover ever expected.

Torie Finnane was a midwife, one of the best they say.

As a person she was infectious, drawing people into her metaphorical embrace.

Through her work delivering babies she touched the lives of so many mother’s in huge ways.

This story is heart breaking because Torie died.

She tragically lost her life just days after giving birth to her third child when she contracted bacterial meningitis.

And even though she’s not physically here - this embrace, this touch that I mentioned lives on.

It’s something her friends and family, especially her husband Liam Finnane actively keep alive though the Torie Finnane Foundation for women and babies, which was set up in her memory one year ago.

And so today, for the first time on Life on the Land we’re speaking with a male – Liam Finnane – Torie’s husband.

Sandra Scott isn’t your average retiree. The 81-year-old co-owns Australia’s most isolated pub - the Mt Dare Hotel - alongside her husband, Graham.

The pair threw in the farming game seven years ago, after 45-years on the land in Victoria. Instead of putting their feet up, the dynamic duo decided on a desert change – and have never looked back. Sandy says moving to the hotel – which is on the Western edge of the Simpson Desert in South Australia, just 10km south of the Northern Territory border – is the best thing they’ve ever done.

When they’re not serving ice cold beers to or what Sandy calls “the best coffee in hundreds of kilometres” to travellers, Sandy and Graham are the first responders to those who’ve come a cropper in the desert – rescuing intrepid adventurers who find their vehicles are no match for the Aussie outback.

Our host Emily Herbert doesn't usually think about what she will eat during the day, because she don’t have to. She knows there will be food in her fridge, her freezer or her pantry.

Because of this, she says she's one of the richest people in the world. And realising recently just how many Australians are going hungry, or with little access to fresh, quality food, was a big reality and privilege check for Emily.

This episode is a little different as we have two stories for you in one podcast. One is with South Australian lamb producer Robyn Verrall and the other is with country music singer and proud Bidjari woman, Jessica Wishart who is based in Alice Springs.

These women come from different backgrounds but they have a common goal — to tackle food and in particular meat insecurity — in remote Aboriginal communities. Together, they founded Kere to Country, one of Australia’s only Aboriginal led and run meat distribution companies — delivering bulk meat packages on country, with affordable, interest-free payment plans.

First we spoke to Jessica, who is an award-winning country music artist. Her love of singing, and song writing, was ingrained in Jessica when she was a little girl growing up in Alice Springs.

If you are interested in helping donate meat or money to Kere to Country you can contact Jessica or Robyn via the Kere to Country website.

We’re breaking from normal transmission this week – to bring you a special episode for Mothers Day in Australia – to mark the wonderful women who made us who we are, who held our hands while young and old and even in spirit, who let things slip, pass a knowing wink over the dinner table, fold our clothes, make our meals, exercise in the early hours so they can give more of themselves to us. Mothers are all the things – tough and gentle all at once – leading a role that way more powerful and far reaching than any single woman we’ve celebrated on this podcast before.

Mrs Abbey, Pauline, is also our guest today, mother to 12 children and is pure dedication personified.

And as a parting note we'd like to say, Happy Mothers Day today – to those who are trying so hard to become mums, to those who have lost their mums, who don’t speak with their mum’s, who miss their mums and to the mum’s who’re blazing the trial for a new kind of motherhood and those who are in the thick of being mum’s day in day out - and if you find it hard to thank you Mum – maybe you could share this episode her – and let the words speak for themselves.