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The Conversation

Factual: Life Stories

Two women from different parts of the world share the stories of their lives

Two women from different parts of the world, united by a common passion, experience or expertise, share the stories of their lives.

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The Conversation: 12/10/2015 02:32 GMT: Farmers: Jóhanna Bergmann Þorvaldsdóttir and Rashida Khan

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Johanna Thorvaldsdottir and Rashida Khan

12/10/2015 02:32 GMT

12/10/2015 02:32 GMT: Farmers: Jóhanna Bergmann Þorvaldsdóttir and Rashida Khan

Farmers: Jóhanna Bergmann Þorvaldsdóttir and Rashida Khan

BBC World Service - The Conversation, Farmers: Jóhanna Bergmann Þorvaldsdóttir and Rashida Khan

Two women from Iceland and Australia discuss farming's toughest challenges

Saving the Icelandic goat from extinction and raising cattle in the remote Australian outback

Jóhanna Bergmann Þorvaldsdóttir grew up on an Icelandic farm that has been in her family for three generations. She has always loved Icelandic goats - a rare and beautiful breed - and when she took over the family farm she decided to concentrate on raising them. Iceland did not have a big market for goat products but Jóhanna slowly built a customer base for her goats milk, cheese, wool and meat. After the country entered a financial crisis in 2008, Jóhanna ended up in danger of having to sell her farm. This would have been a great loss to her, but could have led to extinction for the Icelandic goat as Jóhanna's was the only commercial farm still breeding them. She saved her goats with the help of a crowdfunding website and, to her great surprise, thousands of 'Game of Thrones' fans. 

Rashida Khan is a cattle producer and animal nutritionist. She runs a stud farm and a cattle station in Northern Australia. Rashida has Afghan and Aboriginal heritage and her family has worked with livestock in the Northern Territory for three generations. When the Australian government banned the export of live cattle to Indonesia following evidence of cruelty in the livestock industry there, Rashida and many like her were affected. She knew that many cattle workers live in remote, isolated places so she turned to social media to offer support to those struggling to adjust after the ban.

(Photo: Jóhanna Bergmann Þorvaldsdóttir (left). Credit: Audra Mulkern of the Female Farmer Project. (Right) Rashida Khan)

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12/10/2015 02:32 GMT: Farmers: Jóhanna Bergmann Þorvaldsdóttir and Rashida Khan

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