Friday, 30 October 2015 12:16

Co-founder retires... again

Written by  Pam Tipa
Hilary Webber (left) with DWN chair Justine Kidd. Hilary Webber (left) with DWN chair Justine Kidd.

Dairy Women's Network (DWN) needs to keep working closely with partners such as DairyNZ, Agri Womens Development Trust, beef farmers and AgITO, says its retiring trustee, Hilary Webber.

"All of us need to work together for the betterment of dairy woman and for the betterment of the New Zealand dairy industry to make it, firstly, more profitable – which we need at the moment and, secondly, more sustainable,"

Webber, a co-founder of DWN, was presented with a Certificate of Leadership and Service; she rejoined the board in 2013.

Trustee Cathy Brown says that in 1998 Webber, with other Waikato dairy women, had a dream to set up a professional body for dairy women.

They decided to use technology to link women and the first e-digest was established. "This was before rural broadband so that was no mean feat."

"DWN has grown from a Waikato group to a national organisation with over 8000. We are a world leader for women in dairy. We will always hear a voice which says 'think bigger, learn more'," Brown said.

That e-digest connection built relationships throughout NZ as women built their knowledge. It was a vital platform for learning from others and Webber actively shared her knowledge.

"I remember the hot conversations when Fonterra was formed; in fact I think we learnt more from those conversations than from the industry."

Webber became the founding chair in 2002 and the organisation was able to get funding to hire the first general manager, Linda Clark. On this platform Dairy Days were extended throughout the country.

"Hilary was passionate about continued learning and supporting women to be the best they could be for the business of dairy and she is very keen to continue that way with the regional groups in the area," Brown said.

Webber says the dream of a network for dairy women started for her as she visited farms as a director of Dairy Group.

"I saw women on farms in the early 1990s carrying buckets, doing the accounts, many of them in cowsheds milking, doing the office work and the cow records.... But when you went to dairy company meetings they weren't there," she said.

"They were the invisible, silent force of our industry. When I look back from 2015 to the early 1990s, what a wonderful change we've had. We have women now starting to come into the boardrooms in numbers."

More like this

Strong uptake of good wintering practices

DairyNZ has seen a significant increase in the number of farmers improving their wintering practices, which results in a higher standard of animal care and environmental protection.

Better animal genetic gain system

A governance group has been formed, following extensive sector consultation, to implement the recommendations from the Industry Working Group's (IWG) final report and is said to be forming a 'road map' for improving New Zealand's animal genetic gain system.

OSPRI's costly software upgrade

Animal disease management agency OSPRI has announced sweeping governance changes as it seeks to recover from the expensive failure of a major software project.

Featured

Massey Research Field Day attracts huge interest

More than 200 people turned out on Thursday, November 21 to see what progress has been made on one of NZ's biggest and most comprehensive agriculture research programmes on regenerative agriculture.

Expo set to wow again

Stellar speakers, top-notch trade sites, innovation, technology and connections are all on offer at the 2025 East Coast Farming Expo being once again hosted in Wairoa in February.

A year of global challenges

As a guest of the Italian Trade Association, Rural News Group Machinery Editor Mark Daniel took the opportunity to make an early November dash to Bologna to the 46th EIMA exhibition.

National

OSPRI's costly software upgrade

Animal disease management agency OSPRI has announced sweeping governance changes as it seeks to recover from the expensive failure of…

Machinery & Products

BA Pumps expand

Cambridge based BA Pumps & Sprayers, specialists in New Zealand-made spraying equipment, has acquired Tokoroa Engineering’s product range, including the…

Entries open for innovation award

Fieldays and its renowned Innovation Awards are celebrating their 57th year, marking a longstanding tradition in the agricultural calendar, with…

» Latest Print Issues Online

Milking It

Chinese strategy

OPINION: Fonterra may have sold its dairy farms in China but the appetite for collaboration with the country remains strong.

Not fair

OPINION: The Listener's latest piece on winter grazing among Southland dairy farmers leaves much to be desired.

» Connect with Dairy News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter