International Rural Women's Day: Beverley Forrester

1. How has your rural upbringing and background shaped the person you are and the path you have taken?

I grew up with an intergenerational interest and involvement in rural artisan crafts, including embroidery, patchwork and basketry. I was taught to knit, crochet and tat by my maternal grandmother and mother.

Growing up on a farm also taught me to use initiative, make decisions, solve problems, get up early, do a job and finish it. There were plenty of fun times too, including pony club, hunting and netball. Team sports taught me commitment and how to be a team player.

My parents always encouraged me to think an idea through, make sure it was cost-effective, budget and save.

A cousin of mine, an accountant in Oxfordshire, England, once gave me some advice that has always stayed with me: if your market is on the opposite side of the world, you cannot sit at home and expect sales. Take your product to the market.

2. What are some of the biggest lessons you have learned through your career and business journey?

People want to hear the story and the journey, the good, the bad, the challenges and the achievements. They want honesty. They also want to hear about the enjoyment of making and producing a product, as well as those quieter moments when you can measure success.

I am now one of eight designers in the world invited to participate in international fashion parades, with Paris next, although it is at my own cost and requires about two years’ warning!

I also always learn from people during question time when I give talks. Their questions often spark new ideas in my mind.

3. How have you seen the role of women in rural communities and agriculture change over the years?

I have always been involved in rural organisations. I belonged to Country Girls NZ from 1973 and we still meet annually, often at weddings and other occasions. Then came Young Farmers and later Federated Farmers.

I was often the only woman at Field Days, but it was never really an issue. The men were very accepting, particularly after I became a widow and was obviously keen to keep learning and updating my knowledge of agricultural technology and farming methods. I was a farmer with dogs, just the same as they were.

Now, often around 50 per cent of attendees are women.

I have been a guest speaker at the NZ Federated Farmers Conference, including taking part in a wool panel alongside male panellists. I also sit on two boards where I am the only woman among all men.

4. How important is community to you?

Community involvement is vital. Often you discover informally that someone has skills or experience that another person may not have.

I am extremely active in my community and I am always listening. I enjoy talking with local people and networking, and there are some incredibly skilled people living in rural communities.

But I do not need to be “the leader” of every group or the person making the decisions. I want balance and I want to simply be me, although I am always more than happy to help.

I am very much a “cup half full” person, not half empty.

As my international profile has increased, I have worked hard to retain my local involvement. I still enjoy helping on the white elephant stall at the street fair, doing a sausage sizzle for local fundraising or helping with our village van. I enjoy being a “normal person”.

5. You have travelled widely and connected with rural women around the world. What have those experiences taught you?

I have been fortunate to be involved with Rural Women New Zealand and, with my sister, the Associated Country Women of the World. Across the organisation there are around nine million members in 52 countries.

I have attended three world conferences and have been a speaker at South Pacific area conferences.

Women across the world face many of the same challenges, particularly around marketing and selling products, despite very different customs, cultures, backgrounds, financial circumstances and religions or faiths.

I have travelled to 59 countries and spoken at international conferences in Israel, Paris and Milan. Those experiences have ranged from sitting in the street gutter talking with a toothless man outside an opera house, to helping a woman who had suffered a stroke after church in a Rarotongan village, to helping a farmer in Oxfordshire tag and tail lambs while discussing his rather complicated way of completing what seemed a simple task. We ended up doing it together using a Kiwi method!

Rural women are natural networkers and sharers of experience.

I now work voluntarily as a business mentor in New Zealand and love it. I have worked with people in hospitality, printing, horticulture and new wool ventures. I am always learning myself and making new friends along the way.

6. If you could change one thing for rural women tomorrow, what would it be?

I would encourage and empower every rural woman to believe she has value and can always contribute something to her community. Identify something you can help with and get involved.

Two of us established the first toy library in New Zealand in 1973, initially for disabled children. Toy libraries are now nationwide. Two of us also established the Adult Literacy Programme in Ashburton.

I have always had an interest in and advocated for rural issues, and I believe the different experiences and skills we gather throughout life can all be used to make a contribution.

7. What is your superpower?

My superpower is probably the same as every rural woman’s: multitasking.

I try to be attentive at all times, to observe and, most importantly, to listen rather than talk.

When a situation or crisis arises, I can “spin on my heel”, reassess it, change direction and act. I always try to consider other people and the potential effect a decision may have on them.

I get very embarrassed about my achievements and the awards that have been bestowed on me. I see much of it as recognising an opportunity and taking it.

It is always important to remember my roots, acknowledge my past and remember the community where I live and of which I am a part. I also believe in acknowledging the helpers and the whole team behind any achievement.

As I say:

“No sheep, no wool. No wool, no business. Look after the sheep.”

And:

“Every team needs a leader, but every leader needs a team.”