Rural Women New Zealand’s popular podcast, Black Heels and Tractor Wheels, is back for a seventh season, with the first episode available from today.

“This season features stories from seven amazing rural women and touches on topics from juggling rural life and parenthood, depression and anxiety, leadership, career development, pathways to farm management and succession planning, right through to the challenges of everyday life on the Chatham Islands!” Podcast co-hosts Claire Williamson and Emma Higgins say.

“The Podcast aims is to showcase the diverse range of rural women today and provide inspiration for other women as they go about living, working and raising a family in our rural communities.

“The Podcast format works well for women busy on the farm, in their businesses and looking after the kids,” Claire and Emma say.

“Episodes can be listened to at any time and provide another valuable means of community and connection.”

The new season features interviews with:

• Claire Edwards, co-founder of The Tora Collective sustainable fishing business

• Mel Bennett, Young Grower of the Year 2021  

• Penny Clark-Hall, social licence consultant and raising a family at Kaiwara Farm in North Canterbury

• Sandra Matthews, Board Chair of Rural Women NZ and Chair of Rural Communities Trust

• Greer Patterson, Chatham Islander

• Heather McKay, Rural Women NZ’s Inaugural Associate Board Member and Environment and Sustainability Manager in the critical minerals sector

• Sandra Alfeld from Glenhope Station near Hanmer Springs and National Partnerships Manager for Meat The Need and Feed Out.

With Black Heels and Tractor Wheels having been around for three years, Claire and Emma are now experienced podcasters, having completed more than 60 episodes together.

“We must admit it’s a little bit easier doing it now than when we first started! We’ve learnt on the job and every season we have got better at asking the right questions and teasing out interesting stuff from our subjects.”

Claire is a RWNZ Board member while Emma is a former RWNZ Board member and founder of Tasman Rural Women.

“We must give a big shout out to NZME for providing us with studio time to record this season’s episodes, and particularly Rowena Duncum who voluntarily gave her time to produce them,”

Emma says. “Without this kind of support, it would be incredibly difficult to make the podcast and celebrate the lives and careers of New Zealand’s incredible rural women.”

Black Heels and Tractor Wheels is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and iHeart Radio.