It was a harsh day for getting on the tools, but a workshop on mechanics this week was a good chance for women from the Tamworth region to get off the farm - while still learning a skill needed on it.
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The Women in Agriculture (WAGs) event was held on a cold Wednesday at Dungowan, facilitated by North West Local Land Services.
Tamworth area mechanic Joel Mace took the attendees through the maintenance and basic repairs of side-by-sides, lawnmowers, tractors, farm utes, quad bikes, and small engines such as generators and pumps.
About 20 women headed out to Jacqui Gidley-Baird's property for the Mechanics 101 workshop, which will also be held in North Star on Monday, and in Walgett on Tuesday.
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WAGs facilitator Sally Balmain said the women had "all levels of experience [from] ladies who were already doing quite a bit of work on maintaining their own machinery, to some ladies that weren't even sure what the battery was".
Some of the farmers ran the place on their own, while some had partners who worked away much of the time, so "if they can't get the side-by-side to start, they're it".
The WAGs program began in mid-2017 as a "technical upskilling and networking program", and the program has covered topics including working dogs.
Miss Balmain said there had "been a little bit of a break given the poor seasonal conditions".
"We try to meet every other month, but there's been a bit of a hiatus at the start of the year, in light of how time-poor everyone in agriculture is," she said.
She said the women were enthusiastic to keep furthering their skills, but it was also evident they were "pretty tired and their lives would be a lot easier if the seasons were a bit kinder".
"Everyone is really fatigued, I think, and it's been a really long summer, it's turned cold now and it's looking like it's going to be a really long, long winter."
Miss Balmain said the workshops would be the final events in the two-year WAGs pilot program, which has been running with funding from within the LLS and from the local Regional Landcare Facilitator Network.
"I'm hopeful we'll get the nod to do it again, but we'll just have to wait and see."
- People are welcome to register for the North Star or Walgett sessions, even on the day if needed - call Kate Pearce: 0429 900 329