"Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy and successful New Year to all Women in Ag! Together we will transform the most important industry in the world - for a sustainable future. I can't wait to continue working towards this goal in 2024!
From India with love"
“I would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas from my farm to yours. The past 12 months have been a real test on our resilience and determination and I’m proud to be standing shoulder to shoulder with you having withstood the year and we look forward to taking on the challenges that 2024 will bring us. Stay strong, stay safe and embrace the Christmas festivities with your loved ones be they 2 legged or 4. Remember we are all in this together and kindness is a great asset!”
“Wishing everybody a warm, heartful and joyful New Year. May there be peace among all living beings and may we live in harmony with Mother earth.”
”The first year as a dairy farmer has been an exciting journey. I have read that this has been the worst year of many farmers' multi-year careers. In a way it feels a bit relieving, admittedly a tough start but maybe it doesn't get much worse than this?
It feels good that we found good staff and built a strong team on the farm. It has also been fun to be able to influence your living environment in a very concrete way, a new animal stable for heifers and calves are one of the investments that have been made. Nice to get all the animals home to the farm and to develop production to become more resource-saving, but of course boring timing with interest rates and other things. A few hectares of forest have been taken down to become arable land, an intervention that may look dramatic but is very easy to fix if one day in the future we decide that forest is probably a better fit than arable land on the site. Right now, the land is mostly used to produce feed.
Like so many others, we had a dry early summer. No rain between May 17 and June 17, the second harvest basically failed completely and it was sometimes stressful to have the animals on pasture. The pastures went from green to yellow-brown and there was a lot of movement of animals. On top of that, we had a milk price that dropped sharply as the bank raised interest rates. The autumn was wet, but we got both the third and fourth harvest.
In August we had our second child, a very welcome addition to the family, has limited my opportunities to be active on the farm. At the beginning of the year I was involved in the barn, this summer it was only daily supervision of the pastures.
What I will take with me as a memory from this year is probably the whole year actually. From working with dairy cows for a week in total in my entire life to running a dairy business with my husband. It has been more work than I could have imagined even though you know that dairy farmers work hard, at the same time it feels like a fun journey that has only just begun.”
“I wish everyone a wonderful winter solstice - my favourite day in December, summer is getting closer again! - a merry Christmas and a great start into the new year!"
"My Dear colleagues from Women in Ag Community,
As we approach the end of this year, I find myself reflecting on the myriad challenges and triumphs that have defined our collective journey. In a world marked by uncertainties, our shared commitment to values like 'Zero Hunger' and 'Good Health & Wellbeing' stands as a beacon of hope.
These values are not just ideals but integral components of the UN's 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Agenda. They speak to the essence of addressing critical issues such as food safety, nutrition, and healthcare access. Despite concerted efforts since 2015, substantial gaps persist. Global hunger remains a pressing concern, exacerbated by a surge in inflation across all countries between February and May 2023, with some grappling with double-digit inflation.
In the face of these challenges, the urgency of our collective mission becomes even more apparent. 'Zero Hunger' and 'Good Health & Wellbeing' are not mere aspirations but crucial imperatives for a sustainable and equitable future. As we extend our warmest wishes for the holiday season, let us also renew our commitment to these fundamental goals.
The road ahead is challenging, but our dedication to making a positive impact remains unwavering. In a world that is navigating uncharted territory, we must continue to advocate, innovate, and collaborate. Together, let us strive to create a planet resilient enough to sustain us until 2050 and beyond.
“Wishing you a Merry Christmas filled with warmth, reflection, and a renewed sense of purpose. May the coming year bring us closer to realizing our shared vision for a healthier, hunger-free world”
“Warm Christmas greetings to all the great women in agriculture who manage to conjure up a great festive season for the family alongside their job. Keep up the good work!”
Dear mothers,
daughters,
sisters,
farmers,
entrepreneurs,
and all the incredible women who are shaping the landscape of agriculture,
I congratulate you on the upcoming holidays and I wish that your crops may be as bountiful as your laughter,
your livestock always be in a cooperative mood,
your farming skills be as sharp as your wheat.
We are all here together to break stereotypes and plow through the fields of success with style.
Let's keep blooming, ladies!