“SHE just jumps in and helps where ever she can and she is an integral part of the business,” said Clancy Michael, when describing the work his wife Jan does on the family farm at Mingenew.
“All ladies in farming are a big part of the business and Jan, well, she is the boss.”
“Granny” as they call her on the two-way, being a grandmother to her eldest son Daniel and his wife Corrina’s children, has stepped up this year to drive the chaser bin for the first few weeks of harvest.
With another full-time worker on leave for four weeks Jan had no dramas putting her hand up to get back in the chaser bin seat she left about two years ago.
Clancy said Jan will work part time on the chaser bin this year and always continues to help them out.
Clancy and Jan work with Daniel, Corrina and their full-time worker Richie Marsland, who is an important part of their operation.
Jan also receives some friendly banter from Clancy, Richie and Daniel across the two-way, as she chases for two headers, which encourages her to do the best she can.
Before Daniel returned home to the farm and full-time employees took over ,Jan found herself doing a lot more than driving the chaser bin and was heavily invested in farming operations.
But now happily retired to book work and part-time paddock work, she said a lot of things have changed in the past few years including the introduction of automatic scales in the chaser and tracks to help better their CTF system.
Jan took the first day of harvest to jump back into the seat and learn the new ropes.
“You better drive faster than that Granny,” Daniel joked as the family worked together to get through the 2018 harvest.
Clancy took a more serious note and described how proud he was of his wife for being active on the farm.
“It’s not every day that a woman, just comes out of the house and jumps on machinery and does what ever she can to make it work,” he said.
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“I am so proud of her and her ability to still be out here in the dust and flies driving around.”
Coming into harvest everyone has a role and everyone shares their roles – Clancy is also hoping to spend a bit of time on the header this year.
