51AVÊÓƵ

From leading organisations to changing policy and being a voice for farming, there are many women out there who have paved the way for others and made real changes to the sector.Ìý

Here are just six who have changed farming for the better.

Caroline Drummond

The late Caroline Drummond was the driving force behind Leaf and a sustainable farming pioneer.Ìý

Passionate about telling farming's story to the public, as chief executive Caroline led Leaf from its inception in 1991, growing it into an organisation that is respected globally.

Leaf's shining event is Open 51AVÊÓƵSunday, where farmers across the country open the farm gates to the public to show consumers what really goes on in agriculture.Ìý

Caroline was also instrumental in developing a UK-based farm assurance scheme, the Leaf Marque initiative, which recognises and labels fresh produce, meat and arable crops that are grown to approved environmental standards and is now widely adopted by retailers.

"CarolineÌýwas a true force of nature, a visionaryÌýand a tireless advocate for sustainableÌýagriculture. She channelled her formidableÌýenergy into reshaping the way farmingÌýworks with nature, not against it.

Ìý"For more than 30 years as chiefÌýexecutive, she transformed Leaf from a boldÌýand ambitious idea into a globally respectedÌýorganisation rooted in science, innovation,Ìýand practical, farmer-led progress.

"Her leadership combined strategicÌýclarity with unwavering determination,Ìýensuring that sustainability was notÌýjust an aspiration, but somethingÌýmeasurable, achievable and groundedÌýin real farming practice.

"Beyond her professionalÌýachievements, Caroline was warm,Ìýgenerous, and deeply supportive – sheÌýalways made time to ask how you were,Ìýto listen carefully and to discuss ideas.

She had a remarkable ability toÌýconnect people."

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Baroness Minette Batters

A tenant farmer from Wiltshire, Baroness Minette Batters has many accolades under her belt from over the years.Ìý

Having co-founded Ladies in Beef, a female-led organisation to champion cattle farmers, she helped to organise the nationally recognised campaign Great British Beef Week.Ìý

Elected as vice-president of the NFU from 2014 to 2018, she was then voted president of the organisation in 2018 – the first female to run the organisation.Ìý

Baroness Batters represented the industry during times of great change, helping to agree the NFU's 2040 net zero target and navigating the sector as the country left the European Union.

She is now a crossbench peer in the House of Lords, and her most recent appointment saw her produce theÌýFarming Profitability Review, which aims to create resilient farming businesses in what is a turbulent time for agriculture.Ìý

Abi Reader

A voice for Welsh agriculture, Abi Reader is a dairy farmer from the Vale of Glamorgan.

As founder of Cows on Tour, an initiative to help educate school children about farming, Abi received an MBE for her dedication and contribution to the sector.Ìý

From 2019 to 2020 she served as NFU Cymru Dairy Board Chair, and earlier this year she became the first female president of NFU Cymru.Ìý

Other accolades include being named Wales Woman Farmer of the Year and being the recipient of the British Farming Awards' Hero award.Ìý

Katie Rose Davies, who also won Wales Woman Farmer of the Year, says Abi shows ‘true leadership'.Ìý

She says: "In farming, it is not just about managing the land; it is about finding your voice. Abi proves that resilience and authenticity are a farmer's best tools, showing us how to keep one hand on the farm gate and the other on the pulse of policy.

"She is a testament to the fact that our strongest advocates are those who remain grounded in their roots. She inspires a new generation to lead with purpose, proving that we can honour our agricultural heritage while boldly claiming our place at the decision-making table."

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Christine Tacon

Christine Tacon is a farming force to be reckoned with, but she actually started out as an engineer before moving into marketing and working with organisations such as Mars, Vodafone, and what is now known as Fonterra.

She has held various roles at board level including member nominated director of the Co-op Group, which was elected by its members to represent them, and chair of Red Tractor at a time when the assurance team was under the spotlight.Ìý

The list goes on: chair of the BBC Rural Affairs Committee; chair of MDS, a management training scheme for the food and fresh produce industry; and she was the Groceries Code Adjudicator, all while founding the Women in Food and Farming Network.Ìý

In 2004, she was awarded a CBE in honour of her services to the industry.

Lady Eve Balfour

Born in 1898, the late Lady Eve Balfour paved the way for organic farming and was an early adopter of farming for soil health.Ìý

Born to aristocratic parents, Lady Balfour was one of the first women to study agriculture at university, graduating from what is now known as the University of Reading, having expressed an interest in farming at the tender age of 12.

In her early 20s, along with her sister, she bought a farm. In 1939, she undertook the pioneering Haughley Experiment, a side-by-side experiment that compared the impacts of chemical-based farming versus organic.Ìý

Lady Balfour went on to write multiple books about organic farming and co-founded the Soil Association.Ìý

Caroline Millar

Caroline Millar is a driving force behind Scottish Agritourism, aimed at helping Scottish farm businesses thrive, and for the past six years she has worked hard to develop the organisation.Ìý

As a farmer herself, Caroline farms in Dundee and produces beef, lamb, and malting barley, and she also runs the five-star farm diversification The Hideaway Experience.

Her passion for encouraging people to enjoy all the countryside has to offer resulted in her taking on the Enterprise Rural Leadership Programme, and alongside three others she helped to develop ‘Go Rural', an initiative to help those in urban areas get into the countryside and on farms.Ìý

She also undertook a Nuffield Scholarship to study agritourism across 10 countries and was awarded the Bullock Award in 2021 for her research.Ìý

Caroline has also previously served as a director and chair of the Oxford Farming Conference.

• On March 8, Farmers Guardian will be launching its 100 Women in Agriculture initiative. To find out more, please visit the hub