Cream of the Crop, a conference for dairy farming women, will return in 2023 and is set to become an annual event.
Organisers of last year’s successful debut event have announced it will return in March.
The conference is an opportunity for women in the dairy industry to come together to learn, connect and reflect.
Cream of the Crop was the brainchild of south-west Victorian dairy farmers Chloe Brown, Lucy Collins and Renata Cumming, and was attended by about 100 people in February 2022 in Port Campbell.
The committee has since expanded with the addition of Jess Brown who adds a wealth of financial and dairy knowledge.
“After strong attendance and overwhelmingly positive feedback, we are thrilled to make this conference an annual event and planning is well under way for [the 2023] conference,” Ms Cumming said.
Early-bird tickets have been released for the March 1 and 2 event, with the first day held in the Koroit Theatre, followed by an evening networking event in Warrnambool and a half-day tour in the surrounding region.
The program will give attendees the opportunity to be challenged and inspired by speakers, panels, workshops, and farm and factory tours; as well as being able to network with like-minded people in the industry.
The conference is open to farmers and service providers of all ages and stages, and the organisers encourage both group and individual registrations.
A 2022 event attendee and DemoDAIRY Foundation scholarship recipient, Emily Walsh, described Cream of the Crop as empowering.
“Sitting in a room full of successful women was the start of an already fantastic event,” Ms Walsh said.
“Every word spoken by the speakers had me truly engaged in what they had to say, each linking in with one another and each extremely passionate about their line of work.
“It’s the type of event that makes you feel both proud of yourself and proud of being a part of the dairy industry, whichever form that may be.”
Cream of the Crop welcomes registrations and sponsorship inquiries. More information can be found at: www.creamofthecropau.com