This Episode is Sponsored by: Creative Little Soul Yes, we invented the term “Bush Podpreneur.” But that’s because there’s a phenomenon that’s been happening in rural Australia that we need to recognise. “Bush Podpreneur” captures the way rural women are producing podcasts in entrepreneurial ways to build community,  social connections and even businesses and income. In this special episode, Kirsten Diprose is joined by guest co-host Dr Maria Rae, Senior Lecturer in Politics and Policy at Deakin University to unpack why and how rural women are starting their own podcasts and what it means ..read more

You’ll laugh so hard in this episode, you’ll wet yourself. But then, learn how you can fix that wee problem of yours too! Many of us probably never thought about our pelvic floor, until we had a baby. Perhaps you were sent home with exercises to tighten it up.But did you know, your pelvic floor can be too tight? Or that stress, hormonal changes, lifting heavy things, and even constipation can all potentially lead to pelvic floor issues? We meet Courtenay Polock (Wodonga, VIC), who is an accredited exercise physiologist, specialising in women's health. She launched Her Exercise Physiology, wh ..read more

Are we allowed to call it a 'crisis yet?"  As any Mum in rural and regional Australia and they can tell you stress and the cost of not having access to reliable childcare. Rural women are waiting months if they are 'lucky', but it is not unusual now to wait years for a place in childcare.  The Parenthood has released a report, called "Choiceless" which sheds light on the difficult experiences more than 150 women around the country have had. According to the report about 450  towns with a population under 3, 000 do not have centre based daycare.  This is affecting the ca ..read more

Do you own a small rural or regional business and feel bogged down or just completely overwhelmed by the thought of marketing? Do you use Facebook or Instagram, but aren't sure where to turn, to take your business to the next level and build your community? Top social media and marketing consultant, Jenn Donovan has recently released a book; Small town, Big impact: 107 Simple Marketing Strategies for Regional Business Success. Jenn is a country girl, who lives in Yarrawonga, NSW. So she actually understands rural and regional life.  In this episode, we discuss Why you should't be afrai ..read more

Is 'volunteerism dead...  or dying'? We know volunteer numbers in the city are dropping, but are our rural volunteers feeling burnt out too? And why is often the same few people doing all the hard work? Angie Nisbet, host and creator of "Married to the Land" podcast joins us for this special collaboration episode of Ducks on the Pond.  Angie lives in north-western QLD, 80 km south of Hughenden, where she's a rural mother, wife, grazier, podcast host... and dedicated community volunteer, including at the Fashions on the Field, at the Cloncurry Race Day. But, with many women now bala ..read more

Why do we have such a tough time acknowledging that death, is part of life? If you talk about death, you might be considered morbid, or worry that you'll upset someone. But is our fear of planning for death, actually preventing us from celebrating the life our loved ones lived? In this episode, we hear from two rural women who are changing the way we approach death, to better honour the lives of the deceased and help those left behind grieve: * Becky Barry - marriage celebrant turned funeral celebrant, from the Wimmera, VIC. Becky is breaking away from more traditional services to hel ..read more

Being outspoken in agriculture can mean taking on vegan activists, the Government and even other members of the agriculture industry.... all in one day. Gillian Fennell is a South Australian cattle farmer who is not afraid to call out misinformation and spin when it comes to  farming.  She has gained a significant following on social media for her ability to cut through the media noise. In this episode, Gillian discusses some of the major media debates in agriculture at the moment, including: * Hemp versus cotton * Whether eating meat is good or bad for the environment * The ethi ..read more

Have you ever felt like you missed the opportunity to chase your big life dream? Perhaps you feel like you're 'too old' now or the juggle of farming life or kids has made it impossible? This episode is about proving those beliefs wrong.  We meet two women who are building two creative careers, while living rurally and raising children. * Jasmine Mansbridge -  Artist based in Hamilton, VIC.  Jasmine is known for her striking geometric-style paintings, murals and sculptures. She now showcases her work all over Australia and overseas. Jasmine is also the mother of five and share ..read more

Have you ever felt like you missed the opportunity to chase your big life dream? Perhaps you feel like you're 'too old' now or the juggle of farming life or kids has made it impossible? This episode is about proving those beliefs wrong.  We meet two women who are building two creative careers, while living rurally and raising children. * Jasmine Mansbridge -  Artist based in Hamilton, VIC.  Jasmine is known for her striking geometric-style paintings, murals and sculptures. She now showcases her work all over Australia and overseas. Jasmine is also the mother of five and share ..read more

You can grow up in the country, or choose to live in the country... and still have an extraordinary life. Lisa Millar, host of ABC News Breakfast and former foreign correspondent is a perfect example of this. She began her life on a dairy farm in the small QLD town of Kilkivan. But she always had big ambitions to be a journalist and to travel the world. And turns out, she did precisely that. But her success hasn't always been easy. In this episode she talks about: * Some of the big stories she covered as a foreign correspondent, including the devastating and tragic Sandy Hook School Shooting i ..read more