More than 650 farming women left their wellies at home on Thursday and descended on Trim, Co Meath, for the annual Women and Agriculture Conference. The event, which took place in the Knightbrook Hotel, celebrates the role of women in agriculture in all forms.

Opening the conference, FBD chief executive Fiona Muldoon praised the delegates, and told them she “knows a thing or two about being a woman in a man’s world”. As the first female chief executive of FBD, it was fitting that this was her first public appearance in her new role.

“Irish farms have always had women in key roles. You are innovators and cheerleaders,” she said.

In his address, Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney urged the women present to rethink the traditional model of succession and to take a more active role on the farm.

“The majority of women here probably help with the accounts at home, but how many are involved in picking machinery or grain varieties? We may well see smarter decisions being made on farms if more women were included,” he said.

An on-the-couch session Matt Dempsey followed, with the former Irish Farmers Journal editor quizzing Mary Flahavan of Flahavan’s Oats, dairy farmer Ann Moore and Colette Twomey of Clonakilty Black Pudding. The female entrepreneurs explained how they dealt with the challenges of business, from succession to the illness.

“Any business that is standing still or treading water is actually going backwards,” said Colette, whose company is worth €14m.

The three women spoke from the heart, too. Ann Moore explained how her husband’s MS diagnosis has resulted in their 21-year-old son entering the business at a young age. Meanwhile, Colette told the audience that she had to deal with business queries on the day her husband passed away from motor neurone disease.

From moments of raucous laughter to tears, it was a day full of emotion. You could have heard a pin drop when Diane Banville spoke about the death of her husband, Kevin, due to a farm accident. As well as practical concerns in the aftermath of his death, the mother-of-two said she worries about her two young sons.

“They will always be the kids with no dad. How can you prepare them for that label?”

Maura Canning of IFA Farm Family asked the audience to think carefully about farm safety and to carry out audits on their farms.

The delegates were entertained by acts such as Mike Denver and Des Willoughby, while Kilkenny psychologist Dr Fergus Heffernan delivered a humorous yet important talk on mental health and anxiety. He said families need to be more honest with each other.

“We’re more interested in talking about the family next door instead of our own,” he said. “Ireland is a pretend world. We always pretend that everything is OK.”

Evelyn O’Rourke and keynote speaker Majella O’Donnell made very personal and emotional presentations on cancer and positivity. Majella spoke about her battle with depression and how having a positive mental attitude got her through some difficult periods.

“Stop saying why me – why not me? Your hardest times can lead to the best moments of your life,” she said. “Your life is a result of the choices you make.”

This is the second year that Trim has hosted the Women and Agriculture Conference. Next year’s venue is yet to be announced.