The NRAC Project looked to creating programs that suited women’s needs, acknowledged their contribution in farm management and supported their ongoing learning. Key areas which demonstrate immediate on-farm benefits were highlighted to develop the training and workshop programs.

Amongst these were: a)   legislative compliance b)   farm safety c)   reduced input costs. And more broadly in natural resource management benefits in: a)   water quality b)   drainage and c)   pollution management.
In addressing these key areas the following workshops and training programs were developed:

Chemical Compliance and Reporting ~ Website Workshop
The training and workshops component of The NRAC Project saw the development of workshops to identify the core information and service needs of rural women to support their involvement in on-farm chemical management. The conclusions from the workshops have been reflected in the construction of this website.

Rural Women's Level 2 Chemical Training and Health ~ With A Twist!

"....it is so important that rural women be informed about the use of chemicals on farms or in the garden. Women are often working with their husbands collecting chemicals in town for the farm. They need to be aware of safety issues and accident procedures." Widgelli irrigation farmer, Gerardine Hill.

In collaboration with FarmCare Training Pty Ltd, a practical hands-on and accredited training course was developed. The “Accredited Chemical Training, Compliance and Health for Rural Women - with a Twist!” day was held in May 2008. The workshop was attended by fifteen rural women. The day was conducted in the leafy grounds of a local art gallery in Griffith and included a focus on health and OHS, recognising that many women work physically within their farming enterprises and are encouraged to maintain good health to prevent injury. Further information on training courses is provided on our Links page.

“Completing a chemical course gives women the awareness to ensure the  whole family uses chemicals safely, whether it is inside eradicating a fly or on a crop eradicating 500 acres of weeds.” Coleambally rice farmer, Therese Chauncy.

Interactive Training
As the project evolved, a partnership between Murrumbidgee Horticulture Council Inc, Natural Resources Advisory Council, NSW Farmers’ Association and Murrumbidgee Irrigation’s MIA EnviroWise program resulted in interactive training for rural participants. The result of this partnership gives regional areas access to multiple interactive sites, ongoing training opportunities and information. Funding continues to be available for this training… to find out more contact us.

In June 2008, seven rural participants from Canberra, Coleambally, Griffith, Warburn, Merriwagga and Sydney areas gathered – online – for a ‘Quickchecks – healthy land, healthy farms, healthy business’ interactive training day.

Following the installation of software prior to the interactive training day, participants were guided through the ‘Quickchecks’ manual and completed practical on-farm exercises before returning to the ‘interactive’ classroom to report their findings to the course facilitator. Further training continued as a group, with the exploration of sites of interest guided by the facilitator.

The combination of male and female participants provided a wide range of knowledge both in farming and IT. Course evaluations were extremely positive and participants commented that the training was "informative" and they "felt actively involved”.

Below: Malcolm Brown progressing through the interactive training day beginning with online training in his 'interactive classroom' to completing practical work in the field.

"For compliance purposes, all chemicals must be stored and well labelled with good record keeping. We should not be complacent with chemicals in the garden. Some of these chemicals pose a threat to the applicator, children, visitors and animals." Widgelli irrigation farmer, Gerardine Hill.