Pein: As encouragers, young farmers break down traditional roles
Graz (OTS) – On the occasion of the upcoming International Women’s Day, Vice President Maria Pein the local farmers “not to hide their achievements, their skills and their competencies under a bushel and to show them confidently within agriculture and in public.” After all, women farmers often create new business bases and are on the farms for at least half of the farm’s success jointly responsible. Without equality, there is a risk that the farms will get into trouble due to the multiple burdens on farmers. The Vice President emphasizes: “This negotiation of equal roles and self-empowerment is often not easy, requires courage and tenacity, is certainly associated with setbacks, but is extremely important in achieving equality.” Young female farmers in particular, who are often career changers, are particularly important in this regard Encouragers because they resolutely break down and shake off traditional role stereotypes in agriculture.
Push factors: Farmers and women need relief and good rural infrastructure. In order to provide farmers and rural women with good support on their path to greater equality, upgrading rural areas is particularly important. “The farmers and women need reliable institutional relief when it comes to childcare and elderly care; they also need to have a well-functioning digital infrastructure with fast internet, good medical care, including in the form of medical centers, social offers as well as educational and further training opportunities,” emphasizes Vice President Maria Pain. And further: “These prerequisites are essential for well-educated women to return to the farm and ‘stay on the land’. I would like women to be heard even better by the municipalities in this regard.”
State farmer Viktoria Brandner: Social security must not be left behind. As part of the autumn campaign, the farmers’ women’s organization is making social security for farmers’ women the topic this year under the motto “Suddenly a farmer’s wife – what now?” State farmer Viktoria Brandner says: “In the event of a stroke of fate, nothing is worse than realizing that the social safety net is partially or even completely missing. We want to address young farmers and career changers in particular at numerous events and discuss legal and social law regulations together.” In addition, a brochure will summarize the legal and social law regulations and pressure points and list contact points and contact persons. In the spirit of empowerment, the farmers’ organization advocates for more women in farming committees. Brandner: “We demand that the agricultural committees be made up of 30 percent women.” Around 30,000 women practice the profession of farmer in Styria, around 38 percent of whom are also farm managers.
Starter: farm takeover and agricultural educator with power. Elisabeth Fehler (26), Untergiem 24, 8330 Feldbach: Empowerment is not just a keyword for Elisabeth Huhner, who will take over her parents’ farm in August 2024, but a must for the young generation of farmers. In order to be able to continue the direct marketing operation, which is focused on animal husbandry with Mangalitza pigs, laying hens, goats and bread grain cultivation, and to expand it to include new mainstays, she is redesigning the rules of the game on the farm. In addition to appreciative cooperation between young and old, what is important to her is an appropriate work-life balance with free time and vacation “to clear your head again,” which, however, requires replacement workers. She also attaches particular importance to her mental and physical health and will continue to educate herself in these areas. For them, fast internet, good training and further education opportunities and good medical care are also crucial for a good quality of life and successful business. Elisabeth Huhner expects relief from the bulge of bureaucracy, which exceeds the time limits due to detailed recording requirements and the many controls. The young farm owner, for whom “being a farmer is very fulfilling,” plans to open the farm doors to the population. On the one hand, she wants to correct the distorted images about agriculture through open doors – she will show students and families on her fields how agriculture works in reality. She will also invite interested parties to produce food or meat products together and thus illustrate the value of food and transparency.
Returnee and bridge builder with a double degree, Beate Horvatek (33), Thonebenstraße 20, 8102 Semriach, breaks down clichés. She has two studies – University of Natural Resources and a teaching degree in Geography and Croatian – behind her, works as a teacher and runs a farm with suckler cows, goats, laying hens, geese and direct marketing. “As a manager, I can be my own boss,” says the mother of a daughter who consciously decided to become a farmer at Schusterhanshof. Through empowerment, she breaks down conventional stereotypes and receives active support from the mayor of her community. It is the driving force when it comes to getting relief from household management, even if this is often met with astonished faces in the surrounding area. Beate Horvatek is active in three clubs in the community, but does not let herself be dissuaded from her commitment as a farmer and teacher, even if she is repeatedly confronted with questions such as “Why are you doing this to yourself?” On the contrary: the Powerwoman wants farmers to value their achievements and skills, to show them more, and thus to become more visible and heard. Beate Horvatek is currently building an animal welfare stable for her cattle, goats and pigs as well as a processing room to show kindergarten children, students and families how yoghurt, cheese and meat products are made and how bread is baked. In the future, she will offer breakfast to smaller groups of holiday guests and day guests, thus building a bridge between agriculture and society and at the same time passing on her nutritional knowledge. Horvatek says: “I want the population to reconnect with agriculture.”
Returnee with urbanity and agriculture in her luggage. Martina Kiefer (30), Dietmansdorf 2, 8543 St. Martin im Sulmtal. “I originally come from an organic dairy farm in Murau. Almost ten years ago I went to Vienna to study at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, where I graduated with a degree in agricultural and food economics. Parallel to my studies, I had jobs as a press spokesperson for the farmers’ interest group and later as head of the service at the largest agricultural newspaper in Austria. Despite attractive job offers and a large circle of friends in Vienna, I decided to return to the country. The decisive factor for this was, on the one hand, my husband, with whom I live and work on an agricultural and forestry farm in the Sulmtal. On the other hand, it is the direct public train connections to Graz, the possibility of working from home at work and a respectful family and village community that welcomed me very warmly.” And further: “I am overjoyed to be living on a farm with my husband today and together to realize projects in agriculture.”
Career changer and farm manager, Jenifer Pöschl (32), Hoheneggerhof,
Holzmannsdorfberg 20, 8323 St. Marein/Graz. As a qualified nurse, nutrition educator and nutrition trainer, Jeni Pöschl consciously chose agriculture in order to pass on the benefits of regional and seasonal food to the population. The lack of appreciation, the dependence on the weather and the low product prices despite the enormous amount of work are particularly big challenges for her as a farmer. “I would like to see more appreciation for our food and hope that this will increase its value and that fair prices will be paid,” says Pöschl. And further: “We need an appropriate income in order to make a living as a family business.” The economic pressure and hard work in agriculture are too great. In order to be able to better cope with the challenges, Jeni Pöschl believes that exchanges with professional colleagues are very important: “Regular exchange helps us to look positively into the future.” (Conclusion)
Questions & Contact:
Mag. Rosemarie Wilhelm, rosemarie.wilhelm@lk-stmk.at, 0316/8050-1280, 0664/1836360
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