The word farmer often conjures up an image of a bloke sitting on a tractor against a dusty backdrop, but behind the scenes are women pitching in and working hard to do their part.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Riverina women who live outside of Wagga share their thoughts on the drought, how they cope with it, their roles and what they wish people who don't live on farms knew.
Nicole Guy, 26, married a farmer almost five years ago and moved out to Matong.
"We have sheep and cropping," she said.
"With the drought, being new to farming myself, it has been a huge learning process for me but to see the boys and my mother-in-law.
"It has been challenging for them as it has been completely out of their control and everything you do, you do with risk."
Mrs Guy said her grandparents were on a farm, but they had irrigation and cattle.
"The complete opposite to dry land farming and sheep," she said.
"I work full-time as a registered nurse and, for us, that is a reliable steady income so for me that is how I can support and provide.
We have a one-and-a-half-year-old so juggling that as well can be hard."
Mrs Guy said the demands of drought, in terms of feeding shop, can add 20 work hours a week because there is no feed on the ground.
"The boys are working longer hours, seven days a week," she said.
"I am fairly new, but I think other people see farmings as having all this land, machinery but they don't understand the debt and things that come with that.
"Farmers don't have great cash flow and with the drought, it is even worse."
Mrs Guy said as a farmer's wife, she can be the man and the woman of the house because her husband might not have the time to worry about the home.
"It's an adjustment. I am very close to my immediate family and we do a lot together, but Travis isn't always able to come to those things," she said.
"So he misses out. It is nice to go to work with him sometimes. Kemba (the daughter) and I will jump on the tractor or chase the sheep around and pretend we know what we are doing.
"It is beautiful to be on the land."
Mrs Guy said although she is no expert when it comes to rain, she takes the small wins.
"It can be miserable when it is dry but you celebrate the little sprouts of grass," she said.
"I used to never check the weather, but now I find myself checking it all the time hoping for some rain. I am an amateur though when it comes to it.
"I feel a responsibility to stay positive and celebrate the wins because I can only imagine the pressure they have to make decisions."
Mrs Guy said it can be isolating, even though she loves living on a farm.
"In Matong we don't even have a store to buy milk and break so you're going to another town where you don't know people to buy supplies," she said.
"My mother-in-law is amazing though and provides so much support."
Pauline Skarlis lives in Grong Grong training horses and also works a fishery.
"Horses I have loved all my life since my first pony at four," she said.
"At 50 years of age, I thought I love the water so I used to drive past the fishery and went there knocked on the door said 'Hi I'm Paul. I'm big, strong and a vet nurse, you need me'.
"The owner called me later and said why don't you come on Tuesdays."
After the first Tuesday, Ms Skarlis soon built up to doing Wednesdays and Thursdays as well.
"I am a bit scared of fish, but on my first day they were harvesting so I had to physically hold and weigh them off so about the third one I was right," she said.
Ms Skarlis said throughout the drought it seems as though people who don't live on a farm are not aware of how bad it can be.
"Just two weeks I had a friend come down from the Central Coast and she was gobsmacked," she said.
"It's so dry you can't even put your washing on the line if the wind picks up otherwise it will need redoing.
"Unless we have rain then the horses have no pick so you have to buy more feed and it's just a big vicious cycle."
Ms Skarlis said she lives for the rain and her friend admitted those on the coast have no idea what the rural communities are dealing with.
"Now, I work at the fisheries to feed my horses," she said.
"I think women do just as much when it comes to contributing on the farm."
Trying to do everything, for the home and the farm can sometimes prove overwhelming and Ms Skarlis said she has to be careful to not let herself become overworked.
"I'll get on the tractor," she said.
"There are some things where I step aside and I'll go to the shops instead of trying to do both.
"Sometimes I feel guilty for going out and being social when there is work to do at home, but I tell myself I should put me first sometimes."
Being on the land, surrounded by peace and quiet is the perfect lifestyle for Ms Skarlis and she is determined to do her bit for the environment.
"I try to plant trees where I can and get my two sons involved," she said.
"It's alright to say we can't change it, but at the end of the day you should always try."
Wendi Guy, the mother-in-law of Nicole, was born and bred in Melbourne.
"I left school and went around Australia I became a horse trainer," he said.
"After a few years, I got bucked off and hurt my neck and I thought my dream was shattered. That led me to take employment with my husband who was a drover at the time so that is how we met.
"We did droving for the best part of 20 years and that was how we got enough money for a farm and we have been out in Matong since 1992."
Mrs Guy, with the help others, decided to put on a day to help her fellow rural women relax and socialise.
"We are in the midst of a bad drought and I just feel that the women do a lot," she said.
"When the men come home or need something done, then the women do it and get it done often while nurturing the kids as well."
Mrs Guy said she knows her fellow women of the land to be "gofors".
"A 'gofor' is someone who just goes for the job and gets it done," she said,
"If a part is needed, the girl will jump in the car and go get it. I love the isolation, some don't.
"It's tough when it doesn't rain because you see no return. We're a weird folk because we are all gamblers but we love it. We love our lifestyle."
Mrs Guy said she had one main driver to organise a rural women's well-being day
"It is the woman on the land who puts her life on hold because she is busy nurturing for other people," she said.
"While she is holding the glass for everyone else to drink from her cup becomes empty. I felt it was important to fill that glass.
"I would love to thank Lumela from Coolamon who put together these beautiful pamper boxes for the women, Lara Holding from Primary Health Network, the women from the Ganmain Sports Club for catering and all those who helped contribute to the day."
While you're with us, did you know that you can now receive updates straight to you inbox each day at 6am from the Daily Advertiser? To make sure you're up to date with all the Wagga news sign up here.