The Country Web Annual - August 2016

Our 63rd issue of 'The Country Web' explores the theme transitioning and features stories from rural women about how they have 'moved' from one 'place' to another and taken on new challenges. We have stories about career and life changes, family, work, retirement, and approaching life with a totally new way of thinking. If you are on the ‘cusp’ of your own transition we hope these stories will inspire you to embrace those changes.

Here are some of the articles in this edition:

• Growing primary industries: Meet 2016 NSW-ACT RIRDC Rural Women's Award winner Sophie Hansen and finalists; Hannah Wandel, Fiona Mead and Aimee Snowden. Recognised for their potential to make significant contributions to rural industries and communities across NSW and the ACT, our four award recipients join an esteemed group of women who continue to lead the way and drive positive
  change for primary industries.
• 5 Must have's for your networking toolkit: The power of a great network can't be underestimated—especially when it results in new clients, the next job, or new opportunity.
• Women in focus: Top 5 tips for successful crowdfunding: Kasia Gospos is one incredibly courageous woman. As we are increasingly encouraged to step out of our comfort zones to seek out new experiences, Kasia took a leap of faith from a great height and landed firmly on her feet. In this article she shares with us her Leaders in Heels journey, from her humble beginnings as a blogger to collaborating with designers and publishers to make a positive and unique impact on the
  complex issue of gender equality.
• Managing life transitions: Change is an inevitable part of life; however, sometimes we don't see the broader impact of life transitions until we are trying to deal with the consequences. Melinda Philips from Good Grief Ltd provides advice on useful points to consider when managing the changes and losses that come with life transitions.
• Local is Lovely: St Joseph's kitchen garden: St Joseph's is a small school in the Central Western town of Molong. And its new kitchen garden is nourishing its 50-plus students on every level. Jane Shannon, the woman who drove the whole thing, provides some fantastic advice on how you can do something similar at your school.
• Communities in focus - Positive Farming Footprints: Effective communication can lift a business from good to great. While not everyone is a great communicator, there are strategies
  that can be put in place by a family to improve their communication skills.
• Families in recovery: Are you struggling with a loved one's use of alcohol or other drugs? Do you want to live without the chaos? Anne Leigh from Families in Recovery shares her strategies for dealing with the situation in a healthy and productive way.
• Men's Matters - How to avoid being a victim of change: Adjusting to the pace of change in modern life can be very challenging. Many involuntary changes are foisted on us with the potential
  to produce all sorts of reactions in us. We may find ourselves feeling powerless, angry, anxious, perhaps mentally overloaded and even somewhat 'paralysed'.
• Money: Life transitions and your finances: During our lifetime many aspects of our lives will change, bringing highs and lows of certainty and uncertainty, comfort and fear of the unknown. There are many agents of change—graduating from high school or university, getting married, having children, changing careers, death of a partner or divorce and retirement. Whether these transitions are expected or out of the blue, each one has the potential to change our lives as we know them.
• Women's Health - 3 steps to treating perimenopause: If 50 is the new 40 and 40 is the new 20, then perimenopause seems to be the new PMS. It's very common and affects women between the ages of 35 to 50 generally, and we are seeing it starting to happen on a more. Naturopath Jeff Butterworth has over 20 years' experience specialising in treating hormonal disorders. In this article he shares his top tips for treating perimenopause naturally.

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• How are you going? What can you do? poster

Call for stories

The 2017 annual issue of The Country Web will explore the theme 'Connect and Collaborate'. We want to hear from you about creating meaningful connections, mentoring and sharing wisdom, books and people that have inspired you.

Contributions are required by 21 April 2017 for publication in August 2017.

Send your contribution to the RWN or post to:

The Editor - The Country Web
Rural Women's Network, NSW DPI
Locked Bag 21
Orange  NSW  2800