In celebration of International Day of Rural Women, we sat down with Claire Loveridge, who is Elders’ District Wool Manager working across South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula.
For her whole life, Claire Loveridge has been immersed in agriculture, having grown up on a sheep and cattle farm in the United Kingdom.
“One of my very first jobs after leaving school was picking wool for a local contractor, and that led to travelling to Norway, New Zealand and Australia rousabouting,” Claire said.
“Seven years ago, I was approached by Elders when I was classing wool in a local shed. I haven’t looked back!”
Now, Claire works as Elders’ District Wool Manager for clients from Cleve, to Streaky Bay and Wudinna and in between all the way to Port Lincoln, a role which is ever-changing.
“I work with my wonderful wool growers discussing wool preparation, classing strategies pre-shearing, and then conduct shearing call visits working with classers and shed staff,” she said.
“I also advise and pass on key information regarding test results and selling advice, to market my clients’ wool to the best possible standard.”
As many rural women know, balancing motherhood with work and life on the land can be a juggle. When Claire wanted to return to work full-time after having her son, she said both Elders and her clients have been nothing but supportive.
“My son Huntley comes to work with me some days, whether calling in to shearing sheds or clients’ homes for meetings, it’s just what we do to make the juggle work,” Claire said.
“Being a mum is the hardest job in the world but it’s also the most rewarding. I love that my son has already had so much exposure to how farms operate and met some incredible hardworking people.
“Sometimes my clients are even disappointed if I don’t bring Huntley along for the day!”
Claire said she is continually inspired by the resilience and perseverance of her Eyre Peninsula clients.
“I love this role, and I am so proud to have dedicated my working life to wool. It was such an easy transition from working in sheds – now I work for the shed and the woolgrower,” she said.
“Elders and the network across the whole of the Eyre Peninsula support me to no end. It doesn’t matter if you’re a ‘woolly’, merchandise salesperson or agronomist, we are all working for the same families, trying our hardest to support them and do our very best for them.
“It is lovely to know we all share the laughter as well as the struggles; doing the best we can with this rollercoaster that’s called farming.”