Dongara’s Joy Sherlock reflects on her journey as a finalist in this year’s AfgriFutures Rural Women's Awards

Joy Sherlock has big plans to use her platform as a finalist in this year’s Rural Women’s Awards to spread her love of agricultural data with more farmers to turbocharge their sustainability and profitability in the “most challenging times yet”.

Dongara resident Ms Sherlock was one of three finalists in this year’s AgriFutures Rural Women’s Awards after being recognised for her ability to face adversity head-on and her love of farming.

Ms Sherlock was named co-runner up — sharing the title with Narrikup’s Kate Mitchell — at a special ceremony on March 16, sharing the stage with Ms Mitchell and winner Michelle Moriarty.

Eaton social worker Ms Moriarty was awarded the $15,000 bursary to further her goal of boosting support for widowed men and women living in regional and rural Western Australia, and will go on to compete in the national awards later this year.

Speaking at the awards, flanked by her family, Ms Sherlock said she had gained “so much” from the experience of being a finalist.

“These two ladies . . . we have made a great connection and network, and it is great to make connections with like-minded women,” she said.

It has been a long journey for Ms Sherlock, who has spent 24 years in the agriculture industry in various mixed farming enterprises.

She started out as a machinery operator in her early career before working as a farm advisor and agronomist and professional facilitator in other roles, using her Bachelor of Business degree from Curtin University.

For the past 13 years, she has run her own consulting business called Valle Agribusiness and Environmental Services — offering agronomic services, water testing and management.

“I am really lucky, I love my job in agriculture,” she said.

“I am already working with farmers that are very resilient and adaptable.”

Despite this, Ms Sherlock said she believed the current working environment was one of the most challenging in farmers’ global history, with raging debate about carbon neutrality, social license, and ongoing impacts of worldwide events.

She joked her favourite two words were “baseline data”.

“I work directly with farmers to make sure they have appropriate soil monitoring programs in place,” she said.

“We are collecting data to help them make better decisions moving forward.

“I really believe farmers don’t know what they are working with, it is very hard for them to properly manage their operations.”

Ms Sherlock was recognised for her ability to face adversity after finding out she was a finalist in the Rural Women’s Awards following the 25th operation on her knees.

Ms Sherlock has osteochondritis dissecans in both knees, a joint condition which significantly affects her mobility.

Despite a massive 24 surgeries to both knees, she remains in a great deal of pain with mobility limitations.

“When this all happened, I was recovering from the 25th operation on my knee . . . since I was 18 I have been dealing with what you would call a disability,” she said.

“Last year, it hit me like a tonne of bricks . . . so to be involved (with the Rural Women’s Awards) and to meet two inspirational ladies and to have some recognition for what I am doing is just amazing.”