WA Young Achiever Awards Agriculture Award finalist Katrina Sasse is a passionate advocate for female farmers, particularly farmers’ daughters.
A 2017 Nuffield Scholarship winner, Katrina (29) received the award to investigate how daughters of farmers can become farmers in their own right or be actively involved in decision making in family farm business succession planning.
“As a growers daughter I have been part of the family business since an early age and have returned to work full time on the family property of 8,210 hectares in Canna after an initial career in Agribusiness Finance,” she said.
“In September 2016 I was awarded a Nuffield Scholarship to research the way forward for farmer’s daughters – strategies to encourage young women to return to the family farm to progress the business forward for the benefit of farming families and rural communities.
“I will be travelling to Europe, North America and Africa to interview female farmers to bring more information back on this topic for the benefit of the Australian agricultural sector to encourage more young women to get involved in family farm business and the progression of our rural communities and agricultural industries.
“The study will address important issues such as female alienation from family farm business succession, disinheritance and agriculture’s patriarchal culture.
“Challenges that I have personally felt with my own farm succession planning process, from being one of three daughters, seem to be widespread meaning that many young women are struggling to come to terms with which is the best way forward for themselves and others in their own farm succession plan.
“I believe we need to set the scene for female farmers in Australia to connect with role models around the world and promote the achievements of what women are doing on farms nowadays.”
Katrina said she was overwhelmed with the amount of interest in the findings of the study, and had been contacted by men and women from all agricultural professions.
“Their interest has shown me that the study will benefit a wide range of people not only just women from all over rural Australia,” she said.
The achievements of Katrina and the remaining three individuals will be acknowledged at the presentation dinner on Friday 12 May, with the category winner to be announced that night.
One of the eight category winners will then be selected as the Western Australian Young Achiever of the Year and will win an additional $2,000 and a state trophy.
Tickets to the presentation dinner in the Golden Ballroom at the Pan Pacific Perth are available through www.wayaa17.eventbrite.com.au and must be purchased by 28 April.
