I'm often asked by other women why I created the George the Farmer brand focusing on a male instead of a female. To be honest, it can sometimes feel like a bit of a criticism, so today, I thought I'd share my reasoning.
Back in 2012, I was lying on my bed one afternoon with my eldest son, George, who was two at the time, stretching out my big pregnant belly—very full, as I was expecting his twin brothers. I was trying to find some fun farming apps or books to keep George entertained when his brothers arrived. He was absolutely obsessed with the farm, and any chance he had to tag along with my husband, Justin, he’d jump at it.
L-R circa 2012: Me before giving birth to the twins; Justin with George in the manitou on the farm; Justin and George having a drink after a day at the farm.
During my search, I only came across American or English books and apps, most of them featuring Old MacDonald types in daggy overalls, collecting eggs, and milking cows by hand. That wasn’t at all reflective of what happens on our farm or on others I knew. There was also no character telling real, sequential stories about modern life on the land and commercial agriculture. That’s when I realised I needed to create a character. Naturally, I named him after my inspiration—my firstborn, George!
L-R: The twins, Louis and Frank, arrived in September 2012. The pic to the left is a good indication as to why I was trying to find something to help entertain George! I had my hands full!
But growing up on a farm and living in a rural area with many female friends involved in agriculture, I knew I wanted women to have a strong presence in our stories.
That’s where Dr. Ruby comes in. Ruby Farmer is George’s brilliant agronomist wife (with a PhD), who also happens to be a farmer. Her character was inspired by my great friend, Dr. Catherine Kidman from Coonawarra, who holds a PhD in viticulture and was recently named Viticulturist of the Year. She’s pretty clever, to say the least! And funnily enough, Cath’s husband is also named George—he too inspired many of George the Farmer’s character traits.
L-R: Dr Catherine Kidman (Ruby’s inspiration) photo courtesy Treasury Wines; myself and Cath back in 2010; you may recognise George Kidman from our George the Farmer video on wool and shearing!
Dr. Ruby saves the day in many of our stories and even takes the lead in some, like Ruby and the Dairy Dilemma and The Island of Big Ideas. And when Ruby doesn’t appear, another strong female in agriculture does—like Susan, the gun shearer from New Zealand, or Jo, the beekeeper. I created the George the Farmer brand not only to educate about farming, food, and fibre, but to champion women in agriculture and highlight the fact that women make up 50% of the agricultural workforce. Even though George is the face of the brand, strong women in agriculture are always front and centre in our stories and videos.
2014: George Kain finally with his hands on a copy of our first picture storybook, 'George the Farmer Plants a Wheat Crop' — two years after conceptualising the idea with him.
George the Farmer is a 100% female-led and owned brand. I hope if you're a fan, you see and appreciate our strong female characters. I'm also happy to report that George, Frank and Louis, now aged 14, 12 and 12 all still LOVE the farm!
If you've enjoyed this little insight and would like to receive more background on the brand, I'd love to hear from you!