• Home
  • Articles
    • Front Page
    • General Interest
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Snippets
  • Competitions
  • Our Community
    • Our People
    • Question of the Week
    • Be Seen
    • Jobs in The Central West
  • Features
    • Rural Round Up
    • Loving Local Living
    • Wellness Wise
    • My Place
    • Real Estate
    • Recipe of the Week
  • Sports
    • Canowindra Bowls Club
    • Canowindra Junior Rugby League
    • Canowindra Senior Rugby League
    • Cricket
    • Footy Tipping Competition
    • Golf
    • Rugby Union
    • Swimming Club
    • Touch Football Results
    • Tennis
    • Other
  • Contact Us
    • Contact Page
    • Advertise with Us
    • Testimonials
    • Subscribe to the Phoenix
    • Submit an Article
    • Previous Print Editions

The Canowindra Phoenix

Your free weekly guide to what's happening in and around Canowindra.

You are here: Home / Articles / Ellen Downes Announced As Agrifutures Rural Women’s Award Finalist

Ellen Downes Announced As Agrifutures Rural Women’s Award Finalist

22 May, 2019 By editor

Ellen Downes and her husband Stuart run a mixed farming enterprise just outside Canowindra. A wife and mother to their three young children, Ellen successfully juggles the farm with her career as a regionally based medical specialist, show enthusiast, and stud dairy cattle breeder.

Ellen’s life was thrown into chaos after the sudden death of her father in 2010, as the family grappled with forced succession. She says the experience made her determined to ensure the next generation of farming families have sound planning, robust business structures and inclusive collaboration processes in place, so theyare spared a similar situation.

To navigate issues and challenges within their own farm business, Ellen and Stuart became involved with AgEDGE – a not-forprofit group made up of farmers and other agribusiness people who meet quarterly to: review the performance of their business, set goals, and discuss current business challenges.

A unique platform AgEDGE helps members to successfully navigate the highs and lows of agriculture. More specifically it helps them understand their business better; get clarity around decision-making; set and achieve goals, both business and personal; and discuss current business challenges. “Being involved with AgEDGE has been invaluable for our business and our relationship.

We were coming to the business from different angles and with vastly different agriculture and life experiences. AgEDGE helped us pick the best of both worlds and combine that into a plan that sets out a future direction for us as a family and from a commercial perspective,” said Ellen.

“We now schedule fortnightly meetings with each other to reconnect with what is going on in the farm and monitor progress towards our goals. It allows us to have a better sense of what is going on in our lives and business and we generally feel less disjointed given everything we juggle,’’ said Ellen.

Ellen says as a woman one of the best things about AgEDGE is the way it includes the partner in the business, especially if the partner is not out in the paddock everyday physically working on the farm.

Through the award Ellen wants to provide the opportunity for people from all over Australia to become members of AgEDGE. In particular, she wants to open the door for women to become more actively involved in the farm business. As part of her award activities she plans to: develop a professional marketing video to explain the AgEDGE concept, in conjunction with the development of webinar and social media opportunities; provide more industry networking opportunities to determine how AgEDGE can continue to meet the needs of farming families into the future.

The NSW/ACT Agrifutures Rural Women’s Award winner will be announced at the Gala Dinner on 19 June at NSW Parliament House. The National finals and National winner will be announced in September in Canberra.

Filed Under: Articles, Front Page

More News

How To Save Water

12 December, 2019 By editor

Central Tablelands Water (CTW) residents are reminded of the Level 3 restrictions which came into … [Read More...]

Do You Have A Plan B?

12 December, 2019 By editor

Determined to do their bit to reduce drink driving across the Cabonne Council areas, The Canowindra … [Read More...]

Big Weekend In Canowindra!

12 December, 2019 By editor

With only 13 sleeps to go until Christmas Day, Canowindra is gearing up for a big weekend of … [Read More...]

More articles in this section

  • New Location For Soft Plastic Collection Bin
  • Pamper Packs Give Hope
  • Can You Help Zach?

More Food & Wine

The Bite…Coffee Culture

8 July, 2015 By editor

It is a fair generalisation that Australians are culturally obsessed with their coffee. Across the … [Read More...]

The Bite…Winter Warmers

10 June, 2015 By editor

Frosty mornings, Ugg boots and comfort food; these are the icons of winter, a season that … [Read More...]

In The Vines…Philip Shaw’s New Cellar Door

20 May, 2015 By editor

What a find in Orange! Located on Shiralee Road, which runs off Woodward Road, Philip Shaw is … [Read More...]

More articles in this section

  • The Bite…Orange Cafe Culture
  • A Japanese Twist On This Year’s Vintage
  • The Bite…Pizza Pioneers

More Sport

Canowindra Little Athletics

12 December, 2019 By editor

Nine athletes from Canowindra Little Athletics Centre recently embarked on a journey to Blacktown International Sports Park to participate in the Western Ranges Zone Track and Field Championships. Athletes were successful in qualifying for the Region 3 Track and Field Champion- ships that are to be held in Dubbo early next year in the following […]

Latest Print Edition

Click here to download the recent issue (567) of The Canowindra Phoenix (4mb PDF) 12th December 2019

AWARDED 2018 BEST BUSINESS IN CABONNE

Stay Connected

The Canowindra Phoenix would like to thank you, our Facebook friends, for your continued support and readership!

likeusonfacebook

Canowindra Booklet

Click here to download the 2018 Canowindra Booklet – Explore “The Place You Call Home” Like a Local

Central West Rural Round Up Booklet

Click here to download the Central West Rural Round Up Booklet

Search the Phoenix

Recent Articles

  • How To Save Water 12 December, 2019
  • LETTERS 12 December, 2019
  • Canowindra Little Athletics 12 December, 2019

Contact the Phoenix

Street Address:
84 Gaskill Street
Canowindra NSW 2804

Phone: (02) 6344 1846
Email: editor@canowindraphoenix.com.au or sales@canowindraphoenix.com.au

View our Privacy Policy.

Want to advertise with us?

Information on our Community Promotions.

Submit an Article

We are always looking for new articles of interest to the local community.

Please feel free to submit an article for possible inclusion in a future issue.

To submit an article, click here to use our online article submission form.

Receive The Phoenix via Email

* indicates required

Copyright © 2019 · Website setup and support: CompleteWPCare