Dairy Women Ireland to hold inaugural conference
The conference is a networking, educational opportunity for dairy women across Ireland.
Dairy Women Ireland is to hold its inaugural conference as a formal launch of the group next month.
The group’s mission is to connect and empower women in the dairy industry, through having an educational and support network.
Speaking at the National Dairy Show over the weekend, co-chair of Dairy Women Ireland and Co Meath farmer Ciara Lynch said that this initiative has been in the works for around a year and a half.
“We’ve had a few small local events, it’s something that’s come about quite organically,” Ms Lynch said.
“It’s a networking, educational opportunity for dairy women across Ireland regardless of how involved you are [in the farm].
“It’s offering them an opportunity to get to know like-minded, positive women who want to further their education.”
She highlighted the importance of encouraging women to identify “that you are a dairy farmer, that you are contributing towards your farm business, and to give them the language, tools, and skillset to give them the confidence in order to go to a discussion group or come to a conference like this”.
Speaking on the importance of farmers in spreading the message of how food is produced and what farm life is like, she said it is “just as much our responsibility as our herds”.
“It does start with the kids,” Ms Lynch said.
“We have such a responsibility to teach them or show them there’s a career in agriculture for women, but also the importance of where food comes from.”
Dairy Women Ireland’s conference will take place on Saturday, November 26, at the TUS Thurles Campus in Co Tipperary.
