FIVE MINUTES WITH...
In my work and life, I often come across incredible rural women and would love to write their stories - but have no outlet for them.
I decided to launch the Five Minutes With...project as my way of connecting rural women, and sharing their inspiring stories. My goal is to create the kind of content I love to read - and hope you will too.
Are you interested in collaborating on a Five Minutes With...profile? Drop me an email.
FIVE MINUTES WITH...
Anastasia Tristram
From life as an army medic to raising two young children and farming alongside her husband on his family’s sheep and beef farm in Central Hawke’s Bay, Anastasia Tristram is a master juggler.
She and husband Hayden started Floating Peaks (so named because the farm often sits high above the clouds in the mornings, the peaks of the hills floating in the distance) when Anastasia was pregnant with their first child Ariella, as a side project.
Since its inception, the business has grown and now sells a range of innovative products from seed pots to weed matting and pole protectors, all proudly made with wool, of course. What’s more, every single item is handmade made by the couple in the front room of their home – jokingly referred to as ‘the sweatshop’. Unsurprisingly, she admits that this may not be feasible to continue forever, as demand increases, and they are looking at out-sourcing.
Anastasia has also been a tireless cheerleader for wool and its many virtues, even creating a free wool in school educational resource for students, The Wool Journey, tracing the wool from sheep’s back through the supply chain to become a Floating Peaks seed pot (did I mention she’s also a teacher, teaching at the local high school three days a week? I’m tired just thinking about it).
FIVE MINUTES WITH...
Becks Smith
Becks Smith is on a mission to demystify the world of sustainability and bring a positive mindset to how we approach the daunting topic of sustainability on farm.
Sustainability is a loaded word that can mean many different things to different people. Becks founded social enterprise, The Whole Story, to help navigate sustainability in the agriculture sector in a way that is aspirational, equitable and practical. In her own words, she’s an agriculture sustainability coach.
As a farmer, vet and mum to three young girls, Becks admits life is organised chaos but she has a talent for communicating on sustainability in a way that is relatable and tangible to farmers – after all, she’s in the trenches with us.
FIVE MINUTES WITH...
Eljay Anderson
Eljay Anderson’s own struggles with body image and self-love led her to form the Rural Health Collective, allowing her to follow her passion for empowering other rural women.
From her home in Te Akau, Waikato, she helps rural women to improve the fitness of their mind, body and soul through strength training, nutrition and mindset work.
“Rural Health Collective was born from my own personal journey. I want to be able to help other women realise their true potential.”
After suffering through her teens and twenties with body image and self-love issues, the pivotal moment came when she looked in the mirror one day and knew something had to change. She joined the gym and made changes to her diet. Once she “realised the power of grasping the barbell” she knew she’d found what she wanted to do in life.
Initially, this qualified personal trainer started Eljay for Fitness to help other women gain confidence through movement. She recently rebranded as Rural Health Collective to reach a wider audience and reflect her biggest passion, helping rural women.
FIVE MINUTES WITH...
Alex Morrissey
Once was a city girl, turned organic regenerative grower of goodness, Alex Morrissey began Little Farms from a desire to create a more sustainable food system.
Initially, she began her garden when she was unable to source locally grown food. Many of her friends are also organic growers, and were struggling to sell their produce, and so the Little Farms collaborative venture was born. “We believe the future of farms is ‘lots of little’.”
Today, the business involves up to seven little farms contributing to deliver a year-round, seasonal, weekly organic farm box around the Wairarapa. Pick up is also available in Wellington.
But Alex hasn’t always been a grower. A city girl living in Wellington, she fell in love with a farmer and moved to the country to be with him. She went to work on an organic vegetable farm down the road, thinking it was just a job. “I discovered I loved being outdoors with my hands in the dirt, growing food. It unlocked a part of me I didn’t even know existed.”
FIVE MINUTES WITH...
Miki Coulston
Miki Coulston never imagined herself running a clothing business, but her new label Country & Me was born from a fruitless search for comfortable, durable but stylish leggings.
Spotting a gap in the market, and a need of her own, Miki set about building a great product around an awesome community of like-minded rural lasses, in an industry she is passionate about. The result is Country & Me – good gear for good women.
The range includes her signature leggings, fleece lined headbands and singlets, and she has plans to extend it to base layer tops and bike shorts in summer.
She and her husband manage the iconic Puketiti Station at Te Puia Springs, north of Gisborne, where they are raising their young family. Having had varied roles in the ag sector, including jobs shepherding, working on a cattle station in Australia and operating her own crutching trailer, Miki became a stay-at-home mum after the move to Puketiti. Not content with chasing a busy toddler around, she quietly set about designing her first product, purpose-built leggings, and launched the business earlier this year.
FIVE MINUTES WITH...
Annabelle Chilwell
The hunt for the perfect dog bed for partner Billy’s working dogs led Annabelle Chilwell to start her business Natural Hound.
Offering durable and sustainable dog beds and coats for the discerning hound, made with all natural materials – canvas and wool – Annabelle has found a market for not only the loyal working dog, but pets of all shapes and sizes.
Originally from a small town south of Perth, Australia, Annabelle ventured across the ditch in 2013 and studied a Bachelor of Commerce in Agriculture at Lincoln University. She fell in love with the hills, and has never left. Having spent her whole time in New Zealand living in the South Island, she and Billy recently made the move North, to Waipukurau, Central Hawke’s Bay.
Like many farmers, Billy’s working dogs play a vital role in helping him do his job as a farmer, and he wanted to care for them as best he could. Not impressed with the beds on offer, they decided to create their own.
FIVE MINUTES WITH...
Kate Briant
The magic of nurturing a tiny speck of dust seed to a beautiful bloom, ready to pick, brings Kate Briant joy.
Kate, AKA The Rural Florist, lives on an orchard 15 minutes from Gisborne with her husband Blake and their young children, George, 2, and Emily, 4 months. Her fresh and dried flower creations are in hot demand, and her talent for hilarious Instagram reels alone is worth following.
Growing up on a sheep, beef and Angus stud farm, followed by a career in horticulture, sparked a life-long love of growing and producing. Time spent working in a kiwifruit nursery kindled an interest in cultivation, and Kate soon developed an impressive garden of her own – largely grown from seed or cuttings.
People often commented on her gorgeous garden, and when she got married and started a family, Kate spotted a niche for flower subscriptions that she thought could work perfectly alongside her new role as a mother. As well as subscriptions for fresh blooms, she has a stand at Makaraka Veges, takes online orders for bouquets, does weddings and events, and sells dried flower creations.
FIVE MINUTES WITH...
Kate Cullwick
Kate Cullwick and her sister Prue are linen lovers with big hearts. Their delicious range of fine French Flax linen is luxurious, with an affordable price tag.
The sisters founded Foxtrot Home with the aim of making fine European linen affordable, down under. Their online offering features beautiful duvet covers, quilts, sheets and pillowcases, sure to add style and comfort to your bedroom. Recent additions to the range include snuggly sleepwear and cosy wool throws and baby blankets – made from lamb’s wool from Kate’s farm.
In our final Five Minutes With for 2022 I couldn’t think of a better person to profile than Kate, who is mum of two, based on a sheep and beef farm in Central Hawke’s Bay. She and Foxtrot recently took out the ‘Best Emerging Business 2022’ at the NZI Rural Women’s Business Awards.
Kate and Prue are also wonderful advocates for mental health awareness, and normalising conversations around our health and wellbeing.
FIVE MINUTES WITH...
Kate Macdonald
Kate Macdonald is reinventing the classic Kiwi staple, the homespun jersey, and elevating it to a luxury fashion item that can take you anywhere, from the beach to the bar, and everywhere in between.
Many of us know wool is cool, but Kate has taken the bull by the horns in her mission to elevate strong wool from being pigeon-holed to carpet and upholstery fabric, embracing new ways to utilise the crossbred clip.
She and her two siblings are the fifth generation of the Macdonald family to farm Davaar Station, 20 minutes from Te Anau. A beautiful heritage property spanning 1100 hectares and running sheep and cattle, Kate feels a strong connection to the land, which has been in her family for over 100 years.
Davaar & Co was launched in February 2022, offering timeless wardrobe staples for the fashion-conscious punter, using 100% sheep wool fibres and made in New Zealand from start to finish.
They recently opened their flagship store, fittingly housed in the old shearer’s quarters on Davaar Station, which handily happens to sit on the State Highway between Te Anau and Mossburn.
FIVE MINUTES WITH...
Claire Williamson
Claire Williamson’s heart belongs in rural New Zealand. This live wire wears many hats, from her 9-5 as a mortgage broker, co-hosting the Rural Women NZ podcast Black Heels and Tractor Wheels, to her passion for creating delightfully colourful 100% wool coats under the label Velma and Beverley (named after her grandmothers).
She recently joined the board of Rural Women NZ, and governance and leadership in the primary sectors is where she sees her involvement in agriculture long-term.
I love her no nonsense, get shit done attitude, and how she’s successfully managed to add so many strings to her bow by saying yes to every opportunity. The future looks bright for our industry with people like Claire advocating for agriculture.
FIVE MINUTES WITH...
Sana Bain + Kristy Buckley
Gissy BFFs Sana Bain and Kristy Buckley are doing their bit for the environment, and now they aim to inspire others to adopt more environmentally sustainable, safe products in their homes.
In the first ever double-dose two-person interview in the series, I chatted to them about their new business, Bit by Bit, which features a beautifully crafted range of plant-based cleaning and body products, with essential oil signature scents, as well as delicious organic teas.
Selling online, with refillable options available, they recently opened their flagship store and refillery in the heart of Gisborne.
FIVE MINUTES WITH...
Laura Morrison
A way with words, an eye for art and deep-rooted love of the land converges for Laura Morrison, who is paving the way when it comes to telling the story of agriculture.
At The Gullies, the Rangitikei farm she and husband Richard and their two boys Henry and Fergus call home, she’s fostering a connection between art and agriculture.
The emphasis is on family, a farm built on heritage and focused on ethical livestock genetics. A place where art and agriculture meet.
FIVE MINUTES WITH...
Victoria Magazinovic
Introducing our first woman in agribusiness to feature in Five Minutes With…
Vic is smashing it in the world of agribusiness, with previous roles for Ballance and Pamu, she’s now Business Manager for Rooney Farms Ltd, based in Timaru. Read on to find out how someone with little farming experience before university wound up making ag her career, all done with a smile on her face and can-do attitude.
FIVE MINUTES WITH...
Jackie Elliott - Rural Women's Day
Jackie Elliott is the driving force behind the growing Rural Women’s Day organisation in Australia.
In our first profile featuring a woman from over the ditch I couldn’t think of a more inspiring person to interview for this series, and I thought why not release it on October 15 – Rural Women’s Day.
Not only does Jackie hold down a fulltime job, she is the one-woman-band behind Rural Women’s Day (which is a not for profit organisation), and co-host of Ducks on the Pond, a podcast for rural women.
Family connection is something Jackie values dearly, and also female connection. Three years ago she noted it was the UN’s International Day of Rural Women. She also noted there was nothing happening in her district to mark the day.
“It wasn’t being celebrated. I thought, nothing is happening, what am I going to do for next year? I had no prior event management experience, but I had a vision to bring women together to celebrate them, and to share inspirational stories.”
FIVE MINUTES WITH...
Jasmine Robertson - Ziba Creative
When Jasmine Robertson’s non horsey parents finally gave into her pleas for a horse, they got her a retired racehorse for her eighth birthday. Not the most conventional choice for a first mount, but it sparked her life-long passion for Thoroughbreds.
Founding her business, Ziba Creative, two years ago, Jasmine and her team have carved out a niche as the go-to specialist equine marketing agency for delivering campaigns with the wow factor.
The hashtag ‘dare to be different’ sums up the Ziba ethos, and Jasmine’s approach to life.
Now based in Cambridge, Jasmine grew up near Levin and was horse mad from day dot. She never suspected her passion for the animal would land her in the Thoroughbred industry, and take her all around the world.
Her career has taken her from England and Barcelona to working for the biggest auction house in Australia and back to New Zealand, in a range of marketing roles, including as marketing manager for Waikato Stud. Two years ago she took the leap of faith, resigned, and started her own agency.
FIVE MINUTES WITH...
Kate Ivey - DediKate
From running boot camps for locals on her front lawn to becoming an online fitness sensation, Kate Ivey is inspiring thousands of people to move their bodies and embrace a holistic view of health and wellbeing.
The busy mum of three has built an online empire with her DediKate platform, all from the family’s farm near Twizel, proving location is no barrier to success.
DediKate is an online health and fitness community and app for busy women. They have members throughout New Zealand, and recently launched in Australia.
DediKate stemmed from Kate’s own experiences, particularly fluctuations in weight and self-confidence after having children. Living on a sheep, beef and deer farm near stunning Aoraki, Mount Cook with her husband Mark and three children Olivia, 11, Gus, 9, and Immy, 6, Kate knew that any meaningful changes to the way she approached exercise had to be sustainable.
Kate’s story of business growth, and making it happen with a young family, are truly inspiring and show that with grit, determination and thinking outside the square, anything is possible.
FIVE MINUTES WITH...
Harriet Bremner - The Raw Truth
Speaking from the heart about her experience in suddenly losing her partner, James, in a farm accident, Harriet Bremner is helping to normalise the often confronting subject of dealing with grief and trauma, as well as raising awareness about safety on farm.
Through her blog The Raw Truth and series of Gurt and Pops children’s books, Harriet has found a meaningful way to channel her feelings, and help others at the same time.
Now living on Jericho Station beside the picturesque Fiordland National Park, she is an author, speaker and advocate for health and safety on farms, focusing on a practical approach that will save lives.
Harriet is currently studying towards her private pilot’s license, enjoys getting out and about helping on the farm, and likes nothing better than galloping around the hunt field on her horse in winter.
She recently launched her podcast, The Raw Truth, sharing authentic stories to normalise conversations around grief, trauma and mental health. You can listen here: https://farmersweekly.co.nz/podcasts
FIVE MINUTES WITH...
Trudy Hales - Kereru Goods
From indoor plants to hides and cushions made with products sourced from their own farm, Trudy Hales has an astute eye for spotting a business opportunity to diversify on-farm income.
Mum of two, Trudy, and her husband Simon are sheep and beef farmers at Kereru Farm, Weber, and have won plaudits for their efforts in both farming and protecting and enhancing the environment.
In a classic story of self-confessed city girl meets rugged farmer, Trudy and Simon met on a radio station dating promotion, fell in love and Trudy soon found herself packing her bags for life in the country. Two little boys, Rocky and Alby, followed and the rest is history. But, like many rural women, Trudy found herself wanting to contribute, and to have something to call her own.
Her Kereru Goods brand is focused on a range of sheepskins, deer, goat, calf and cow hides and interiors (think cushions and furniture), largely sourced from their own farm.
FIVE MINUTES WITH...
Kate Cregoe - Kate Cregoe Design
Unique hand drawn illustrations lend an almost whimsical aspect to Kate Cregoe’s stunning design work. This young designer and illustrator is making a name for herself with her newly launched bespoke design studio.
Living in Mangamahu, Whanganui, where she and partner Grahame are leasing a block, Kate hasn’t let the remote location stop her from chasing her dreams. When the couple first moved to the property there was no internet and Kate made a daily trek to the top of a hill, where she had a tent set up, in order to hotspot her laptop and check emails.
Growing up on a sheep and beef farm in Hawke’s Bay, Kate says she has always been a bit of a free spirit, and loved roaming and exploring the hills. “I wasn’t the healthiest of kids and spent a lot of time helping dad on the farm and reading National Geographics and books – that got the ball rolling wanting to explore and create.”
FIVE MINUTES WITH...
Nicky Felton - Play Creative
Play by name, play by nature. Livewire Nicky Felton is one half of Play Creative, a creative studio specialising in story telling through video, which she founded with her fiancé Dan in 2015.
Nicky studied a Bachelor of Communications at Waikato University and tried her hand at a number of different 9-5 roles, including as marketing manager for the Avantidrome and eventing sport manager for ESNZ, which neatly married her love of high level sport with communications.
But there was always a niggle that the conventional path wasn’t for her. “I had always wanted to start my own business – as a kid I used to breed guinea pigs and sell them to the local pet shop”. It seemed that Nicky’s entrepreneurial bent was not to be tamed.
FIVE MINUTES WITH...
Philippa Cameron - What's For Smoko
Ever wondered what on earth to make for smoko? Chances are smoko queen Philippa Cameron can help you out.
Philippa is the cook at Otematata Station, a 40,000 hectare property in the Waitaki Valley. She and husband Joe, along with their daughters Flora, 6, and Evelyn, 4, are the fifth generation of Joe’s family to farm there.
FIVE MINUTES WITH...
Madison Coulter - Madison Coulter Fine Arts
Close encounters with bears were not out of the ordinary for Madison Coulter as a child.
Growing up at Toad River on the Alaska Highway, Canada, with parents who were outfitters (which basically means they took guided hunts for us uninitiated Kiwis) provided a ready source of inspiration for Madison, who has always drawn.
Self-taught, hunters started commissioning her at the age of 10, one giving her $200 to draw his stone sheep – an elite horned ram, notoriously difficult to hunt. She went on to exhibit at large trade shows in America, where her parents promoted their hunting business, before moving to New Zealand at the age of 18 to work as a cook for an outfitter.
FIVE MINUTES WITH...
Emily Daly - Hekeao Feed Co.
If these boots were made for walking, then Emily Daly’s cowboy boots are headed in the right direction.
I was dead set on interviewing Emily after admiring her positive, fun-loving attitude, and ability to create her dream life here in New Zealand – one where she looks out the window of her home and sees her horses. Originally from Boston, USA, this barrel racing cowgirl now calls NZ home, and she reckons she’s never leaving.
With a diverse background, including time as a vet nurse, managing a PGG Wrightson branch, and now working as a Territory Manager for an animal health company, Emily is also queen of the side hustle – she has so many things on the go it makes my head spin, including starting her own horse feed company with a friend - Hekeao Feed Co. - where she does the marketing and social media, and a small equine business, ECD Equine.
FIVE MINUTES WITH...
Sophie Hurley - Honest Wolf
A desire to create something that would allow Sophie Hurley to be involved in the family farming business, while working from home and raising a young family, was the catalyst for Honest Wolf.
Launched in 2020 by Sophie and her husband, Sam, the business is utilising wool from their own Papanui Estate, a sheep and beef breeding operation at Hunterville, to make a range of beautiful products from wool caps to weekender bags.
Like many rural women, Sophie wanted to bring something to the table, without physically being involved in day-to-day farming. She had skills from her career, particularly in marketing and sales, and wanted to create something that she could control, while still affording the freedom and flexibility to spend time with the couple’s young son, Harry (16 months). I talked to Sophie about launching a business, and what she’s learned along the way.
FIVE MINUTES WITH...
Becks Tosswill - Farmers Daughter Design
Becks Tosswill is a creative wizard. When it comes to working her magic and breathing life into branding, Becks has a gift.
Along with her husband Richard, this mum of three farms Te Awaawa, a sheep and beef hill country farm, at Gladstone in the Wairarapa. Her home-based design studio has clients around the country, employing a team of four remote contractors and, in 2020, she won the Creative Arts section at the NZI Rural Women New Zealand business awards.
Increasingly, Becks is exploring how her two worlds can meet, using her creative skills to connect with and help other rural women who want to forge their own path in the agricultural sector. We sat down to talk about how this evolution happened, and what ‘good’ branding really looks like.
FIVE MINUTES WITH...
Charlotte Heald - Holistic Health Coach
Self-care is a buzz term that seems to be everywhere these days – but what does it really mean? What Norsewood dairy farmer, mum of three and holistic health coach Charlotte Heald doesn’t know about putting yourself first probably isn’t worth knowing.
Charlotte’s own battle with rheumatoid arthritis and her single-minded determination to heal and get back to doing the things she loves is truly inspirational.
A former nurse and certified health coach, Charlotte is all about helping rural women create empowered, sustainable lifestyles - and that’s something I can 100% get on board with.
FIVE MINUTES WITH...
Laura Koot - Real Country
