New Mayo initiative celebrating women in farming

MAKING Farms Work for Women, a new north Mayo initiative supporting women farmers with practical solutions, skills and confidence, will officially launch with a community event on Sunday, June 7, at the Kennedy Glasgow Centre from 2 to 4 p.m.

Making Farms Work for Women, funded through the European Innovation Partnership (EIP) co-funded by the European Commission and the Department of Agriculture, is based in north Mayo, brought to life by a passionate group of eight farmers, advisors, educators and community members who share one common belief: That farming should work equally well for women.

The initiative has been developed in response to the real barriers many women still face in farming. From tools and machinery designed for larger farms to the physical demands of livestock handling, the balancing of farm work with family responsibilities and the lack of confidence that can come from years on the margins of agricultural life, the project is focused on practical, lasting solutions.

Over the next three years, Making Farms Work for Women will work alongside 60 women farmers across north Mayo to better understand what is getting in the way and help fix it. This will be done through hands-on workshops, farm visits and practical training.

The project will focus on improving access to more suitable tools and equipment, building confidence in livestock handling and creating a more inclusive and sustainable future for women in farming. Outreach programmes will also bring children and parents together to learn about farm safety in a welcoming and engaging way, with school visits in the local area already underway.

Rather than delivering a programme from the outside, the team behind the initiative is rooted in the local community itself. The project is led by people who understand the reality of farming life in north Mayo and are committed to finding solutions that are practical, affordable and built to last.

The official launch on June 7 will be a family-friendly afternoon of food, music and community, with entertainment, a kids’ corner and face painting. Attendees will also hear from Claire Brennan, project lead, who will formally launch the initiative and share more about the thinking behind it, along with voices from participant farmers involved in the project.

Organisers say the event is a chance not only to celebrate the start of the initiative, but to invite the wider community into the conversation around the future of farming and the role women play within it.

Because when farms work for women, they work better for everyone.

Families are welcome to attend the launch and attendance is free. You can register here.