Carol Mudford is the 2025 NSW/ACT AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award State Winner and National Finalist. She’s also the cover star of the current issue of Graziher magazine.  

The AgriFutures award celebrates women who are making an impact on rural industries, businesses and communities, and aims to inspire the next generation of female leaders. 

The award shines a spotlight on some of the most inspirational, courageous, innovative and hardworking women out there, and celebrates all that rural Australia has to offer. 

Carol is a registered nurse, hailing from Gilgandra in New South Wales. She’s also spent years working in shearing sheds across the country — as a wool handler, shearer and, most recently, leading the charge in suicide prevention and mental health support, through her registered charity sHedway. 

Parts of this episode discusses suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, Lifeline is available 24/7. The number to call is 13 11 14.  

We’re wrapping up our Summer Series with a favourite episode from Sally- Graziher’s Advertising and Relationship Manager.

Sally is so impressed with the story of Jackie Elliott, the founder of Rural Women’s Day.

Rural Women’s Day Ltd is a registered not-for-profit and a bit of a household name for many in the bush, with events across Australia designed to connect country women with community, collaboration and celebration.

But the inaugural event in 2019 was meant to be a one off — curated by Jackie as something she herself was desperate for. Isolated and lonely, the then 25-year-old with no experience planning events did something very brave. She put herself out there — and watched the ripples expand throughout her community. 

Graziher’s Life on the Land Summer Series continues with co host Em Herbert’s favourite pick. It was her conversation with Jillian Kilby that bubbled to the surface.

Jillian is not afraid of the big decisions. As an engineer and farmer’s daughter from Coonamble, in the central west of New South Wales, Jillian has leant on her rural values right through her career.

This courage has seen her go against the grain most of her life and bounce from Coonamble to Sydney to Walgett to Silicon Valley and back to the Central West.

It takes a certain level of guts to dig deep and blow up your life and Jillian has done it not once, but twice on an extraordinary scale.

The spark that ignited the Graziher concept was founder Claire Dunne's frustration at not seeing enough farming women represented in the media. She didn't rest on her laurels, but created not just a media stable, but an ethos. A way rural women can not only see themselves represented, but their stories heard well beyond the farm gate.

It's Claire's turn to pick a favourite episode for our Summer Series and at the top of her list is Sammie O'Brien's conversation with Fiona Simson.

Fiona has become a household name in Australia, not least because of her role as the first ever female president of the National Farmers Federation, but for passion and grace while serving in the role. Fiona has orchestrated remarkable positive transformations for the Australian agricultural sector. Originally from a property just outside of Armadale in New South Wales, Fiona met her husband Ed in Sydney, before settling at his farm near Gunnedah. Fiona's grounded in affable nature positions her seamlessly as an industry leader, allowing young women around the country to envision a viable career in rural Australia and the agricultural realm.

Life on the Land's Summer Series continues with Graziher's Editor Victoria Carey digging into the archives for her pick, Maya Linnell. The bestselling Rural Romance, or RuRo author has an amazing story to tell. From a startling introduction into journalism following America’s September 11 attack, to realising her aspirations as a novelist at nearly 40 years old, Maya demonstrates there’s no time limit on achieving your dreams. In this episode Maya takes us through the arduous process of writing novels, spurred by her passions for baked goods, tending roses and a rural lifestyle.

Our Summer Series continues with a favourite pick from our podcast producer Jayne Cuddihy.

For Jayne, it’s the way people tell their stories that’s as fascinating as the events themselves. The way Western Australian artist Lori Pensini described getting interested and adept at art has lingered since the story first aired a couple of seasons ago. From the generous English aunt sending art materials in trunks to the remote station in the Kimberly, to Lori experimenting with different materials and having to deal with critters tramping over the wet paint in the night. Not to mention her own adventures with creatures on the back lawn at night while trying to escape the heat. And then of course how it all intertwined with Lori and her husband’s involvement with grazing and now regenerative practises. This is an entertaining listen!

We're highlighting some amazing Australian authors this summer and it just so happens Life on the Land's Sammie O'Brien's favourite interview for 2024 was acclaimed children's author Alison Lester.

If you haven't had the pleasure of reading Magic Beach or My Farm to yourself or a young person in your life, then you are missing out. But it was her long term work with indigenous communities that suprised and delighted Sammie.

Originally from a picturesque property near Foster in Victoria’s South Gippsland region, where the undulating hills converge with the vast expanse of the sea, Alison now calls Nar Nar Goon North, her home. An hour out of Melbourne in West Gippsland, she, her husband and their horses, revel in the serenity of their sprawling 10-acre property.

It's summer time! Which of course means the Graziher team pick a favourite Life on the Land podcast episode to reshare with you.

This week it's Amie's pick. Amie is one of the digital producers here at Graziher and has dug deep into the archives to Em Herbert's original conversation with Tracey Hayes three years ago.

This conversation resonated with Amie for many reasons, not least because of Tracey's extreme resilience, intelligence and tenacity — but because of the way she articulates her amazing story that includes everything from devastating grief, to taking on the Federal government as the first female CEO of the Northern Territory Cattleman's Association.

Don't forget there's an issue of Graziher magazine on sale now, with a special subscription offer– our annual Women on the Land diary packed with important country dates. Just go to graziher.com.au and we will send one out to you!⁠ Plus if you subscribe for 2 or 3 years, you’ll get a bonus pair of Greenwood Designs pearl earrings.

The sounds of an Australian summer- it can be the blast of a branding furnace, cricket on the radio, delighted giggles from children playing on the beach. Or if you are lucky, the bliss that comes from being absorbed in the pages of a new book. In today's Life on the Land podcast, Em Herbert chats with Clare Fletcher, the author of Five Bush Weddings and Love Match. Clare grew up in Queensland’s St George and while she’s based in the big smoke now, her books circle around one main theme – the Australian bush.

Clare's journey from journalism studies to published romantic comedy author is an interesting one. But she also talks about how she battles procrastination and perfectionism, what to do about the inner critic and her top reading recommendations for summer!

And if good reading is a New Year resolution for you, remember there is an issue of Graziher on sale with a special subscription offer – a Graziher Women on the Land diary packed with important country dates. Just go to graziher.com.au and we will send one out to you!

According to the Grattan Institute - statistically – those with a non-English language background have twice the chance at meeting grade level expectations for reading than those from regional and remote areas.

In this episode, Lucy Campbell tells Em Herbert how she is determined to turn the tables. The mum of two straddles two worlds – working for her city-based corporate job while living and working on the family farm in northwest New South Wales she shares with husband Tom and toddlers Libby and Jimmy. Lucy is passionate about every kid having a fighting chance to read well. Along with her business partner, Anna O’Connor, Lucy has launched a card game for families to get kids reading-ready before school - hiding the learning in the fun like hiding veggies in Bolognese!

For this season of Life on the Land, we're centring our stories around the extraordinary next generation of women on the land. These young women working across all sectors in the bush are changing the game. They’re disruptors, thought leaders and changemakers.