The sold-out conference took place at the Knightbrook Hotel in Trim, Co Meath, with Minsiter for Agriculture Simon Coveney and breast cancer campaigner Majella O’Donnell among the speakers.

"It’s not acceptable that we think farmers should be men,” said Minister Coveney, adding that women carry out 30% of work on farms, but only make 10% of the decisions.

He also called on farming families to "stop tragedies on farms" by keeping children away from machinery. "Things need to change," he added, hinting at changes in legislation to make 2015 a "watershed year" for farm safety.

A number of women who took their farm business to the next level or faced adversity are also present to share their inspirational stories with around 700 participants.

One of them is Diane Banville of the support group Embrace FARM, whose husband Kevin died in a farm accident in 2013. She brought the farm safety message home by telling the conference about the devastation caused to her family and to the farm by the fatality and stressed the importance of making a will and having life assurance, even at a young age.

Awards

Prior to the conference, the Women & Agriculture Awards ceremony took place in Trim on Wednesday night, with Irish Charolais Cattle Society secretary Nuala Hourihane winning a lifetime achievement award.

Listen to an interview with Nuala Hourihane in our podcast below.

Margaret Farrelly from Clonarn Clover, Co Meath, won the on-farm innovation award and Sabine Roslerm from Wells House and Gardens, Gorey, Co Wexford, won the agribusiness innovation award.

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Women and Agriculture Conference: full coverage from Irish Country Living