During the devastatingly dry spell of the 2017 to 2020 drought, Josie Zilm realised how the farming community pulling together can make a difference. Driven by the urgency of the situation, she delved headfirst into water advocacy.
“There is nothing like a crisis to get you in to gear. Paying $700/tonne for a load of fodder at the time motivated me to get involved with helping farmers access more water,” she said.
Josie joined the Latrobe River Irrigators group and successfully lobbied the Victorian Government to repurpose 16 gigalitres of water from coal power generation to share among irrigators, traditional owners and the environment.
“I’m really proud of this work that was driven by a passionate group of farmers and supported by our local Members of Parliament, Southern Rural Water, and the local press,” she said.
Throughout this challenging period Josie recalls networking with many people, leading her to recognise the potential for positive change she could make within the industry.
“I learned a lot and the networks I gained gave me the skills and confidence to take the next step in my career.”
Fast forward to today with a growing farming enterprise in Gippsland, Josie serves as the Agribusiness Executive at NAB.
“Australian farmers are the best in the business, and I am proud to have a role to support the future growth, resilience and diversity of our industry,” she said
Josie is passionate about actively promoting gender equality in the workplace and believes organisations need to link gender inclusion to the overall performance of the business.
“The Workplace Gender Equality Agency reports that workplace gender equality is associated with improved productivity, economic growth, organisational performance, increased reputation, along with the ability to attract talent and retain employees,” she said
Whilst recent agriculture studies have shown better gender balance, Josie believes we need to do more.
“Leadership positions and female representation around the board table is around 30 percent,” she said.
Actively engaged in networking and mentoring, particularly with women, she is always keen to learn about their career paths, technical expertise, and share insights.
“I am always humbled to be asked to support someone in their career journey and I get a kick out of seeing them take on a new role,” she said.
Josie has experienced a diverse agricultural career. She loves hosting farm walks and working with other farmers to discuss finances and help them capitalise on industry opportunities that lie ahead.
Josie’s advice for women looking to enter or work in the agriculture industry is to be curious, be a connector and ask a lot of questions.
“Shadow someone who is doing something different to get some experience or help them on a project.
“We are working in a greater number of roles across our career than ever before and quite often the career path might not be linear – don’ t be afraid to go sideways.”