207: The day Emma Groat's toddler walked into a fire pit

Raechel Whitchurch writes songs about things that matter. Her childhood was spent performing in her family band and instilled a connection to rural Australia. She spent most of her early years living in a caravan while travelling and performing, before establishing herself as one of Australia's most promising new country artists. Her debut album ‘Finally Clear’ debuted at #1 on ARIA Australian Country Charts, and her highly anticipated sophomore album, ‘what a time to be alive’ will be released later this month.  I sat down with Raech to talk about motherhood, rural life, and importantly, why she wrote a song about her miscarriage. This is her story.Warning: this episode discusses preganancy loss. If you need support, please contact Red Nose Grief and Loss who offer a 24/7 support line on 1300 308 307Nutrien Ag Solutions is proud to partner with Dolly’s Dream to raise awareness of the important services and support they provide to young people and families being impacted by bullying. Remember, This Friday is Do It For Dolly Day - join the Nutrien team this Do It For Dolly Day by wearing blue and sharing their message of kindness #BeKind.https://www.instagram.com/motherlandaustralia

*A quick heads up, this episode contains some coarse language, and also discusses mental health and suicidal thoughts. If you or anyone you know needs help, contact Lifeline immediately on 13 11 14. Sophie Love  runs a small farm near Port Macquarie in New South Wales. She bought it herself aged 40, while single, and childless. She never thought she wanted kids, until, well, she did... after meeting a man she went on to marry. Soph has always dreamed of running her own property, and against all the odds, she made it happen. But her fairytale life with her husband and son on the land came crashing down with the breakdown of her marriage just two years ago when she was 56. The pressure of drought, floods and fires, along with other circumstances had worn them both down- and when her husband left, never to return, Sophie hit rock bottom. At one point, she was on suicide watch. I learned a lot of other things about Sophie in our chat- including the fact she used to be a vegan for 20 years! Nutrien Ag Solutions. Nutrien provides incredible career growth and opportunity through their 2 year graduate program. Opportunities are open in finance, digital or agronomy (to name just a few!). Applications for the 2025 intake open next month in May. Head to https://www.nutrienagsolutions.com.au/careershttps://www.instagram.com/motherlandaustralia

Kate Mitchell fell pregnant with her first child just six months after meeting her husband in a rather unique way, while playing lawn bowls! They now have three children, and their third, their little boy Darcy, changed everything. As far as they could tell, he was a happy and healthy toddler, when at 16 months old he suddenly had a seizure on their sheep farm on the south coast of WA and nearly died. Kate had to give her own baby CPR as she desperately phone for help, with the phone signal dropping in and out. Darcy was eventually diagnosed with epilepsy, and it's been one hell of a journey. In our chat, Kate opens up about why she created The Darcy effect, which provides hospital care packs for rural and remote families and raises awareness of vital medical and paediatric services, plus you'll also hear the heartbreaking reason they decided to their farm last year. This is her story.Whether you're starting your career, already established in agriculture, or looking for a change, Nutrien Ag Solutions may be a great place for you to work - wherever you’re based in rural or regional Australia. To learn more about career opportunities at Nutrien, head to the link in today’s show notes https://www.nutrienagsolutions.com.au/careers https://www.instagram.com/motherlandaustralia

Some of us know Kaitie Nash from Instagram, she proudly calls herself 'the first time farmer', and is part of a growing number of farmfluencer mums online, sharing real, relatable and often hilarious content about life on the land. But farm life hasn't always been a laughing matter for Kaitie. She moved to her husband's family property in the middle of a drought, while still adjusting to motherhood with two very young kids. Her mental health plummeted and in our chat she opens up about her very personal journey with that. Kaitie has been a lot of things, even a flight attendant! Farmer was never part of the plan. Today, you'll hear all about the ups and the downs, plus what happened when she got bitten by a snake when she was home alone with the kids. This is her story.If you or anyone you know needs help, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14, or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636 A big thanks to our Autumn season sponsor Nutrien Ag Solutions who proudly support the communities, families, local clubs and organisations which are the backbone of rural and regional Australia. In 2023 alone Nutrien invested more than $2.8m in rural and regional communities, with over half of that invested locally through their branches and directly into communities supporting agriculture.Check out Nutrien’s Community Impact Report HEREhttps://www.instagram.com/motherlandaustralia

In 2016, Lisa Booth designed and built an eco-friendly home on a tight budget, on a small block of land. A couple of years ago, after her social media exploded, she quit her job to help other families build the same dream through her business - Booken Blend. Lisa's life looks picture perfect on Instagram, but she is an incredibly down to earth and authentic woman with rural roots that have both broken her as well as pushed her to rebuild after rock bottom.  Lisa was born on a dairy farm, grew up on the land, married very young after a whirlwind romance,  and had two young kids when the stress of farm life in the midst of a drought led to cracks in her marriage. She eventually left her husband, and started over. It was incredible tough, but her story has a very happy ending. In this chat, Lisa also opens up publicly  for the first time about her surprising addiction that helped her cope through her toughest times on the land. Hint- it's legal, and it's not alcohol. This is her story.*Please note this episode contains some course languageThis episode has been brought to you by our Autumn season podcast sponsor Nutrien Ag Solutions. Nutrien focuses its investment and support on our rural and regional communities which are the backbone of ag. We are so excited to share more about Nutrien including stories from the team over the next 10 weeks - so stay tuned! You can follow Nutrien on social media HERE, or head to their website www.nutrienagsolutions.com.au to discover the hundreds of branches they have peppered across regional and rural Australia.https://www.instagram.com/motherlandaustralia

Laura Robson is a mum of two and is originally from the UK, but found herself marrying a farmer and moving to a remote cattle station near Boulia, Queensland. Laura’s journey on the land has been full of twists and turns, and the RFDS (Queensland Section) have been a constant support to her and her family in times of need. Given how isolated they are, they've relied on access to an RFDS medical chest, and Laura was extremely lucky to survive a traumatic car accident in the bush, and was flown to hospital by the Flying Doctor. The RFDS’s primary healthcare clinic has also been critical for Laura during her two pregnancies, when her only other option was to drive four hours to access the prenatal support she needed. More recently, Laura and her family navigated a harrowing time when her husband was diagnosed with testicular cancer. Laura's story is raw, honest, and a testament to the incredible work of the RFDS. This is Laura Robson’s story. For more information on the RFDS and all the services they offer, CLICK HERE https://www.instagram.com/motherlandaustralia

Kate McKittrick is based in Mudgee, NSW, and has three adult children (including twins). As her kids were growing up, her focus was on supporting them through boarding school, until one day it was Kate who needed all the support. After taking some very common over the counter medicine to help with the cold she thought she had, she had a severe allergic reaction. The outcome was catastrophic. A rare immune response caused her skin to blister and peel, and she spent 3 weeks in the burns ward, but unbelievably, the worst was yet to come. Weeks after leaving hospital, Kate lost her right eye, and her sight in the other is slowly deteriorating. Despite facing a potential future in the dark, Kate's story is still one full of hope and light. This is her story.  The RFDS (Queensland Section) support mental health in regional and rural Australia through a range of FREE mental health resources - available to individuals and families who are struggling with their mental health, going through challenging times or just needing some everyday mindfulness. Check out these free resources HEREhttps://www.instagram.com/motherlandaustralia

Jo Mahony who has worked for the RFDS over 20 years as a Nurse Manager at their Charleville Base, one of 23 national Flying Doctor bases around the country. Jo is also a rural mum, and her story provides a special insight into the work that RFDS nurses, doctors and clinicians do that directly impacts so many of rural families. Countless rural women and their families utilise their vital aeromedical and primary healthcare services as they navigate life on the land. Today, Jo gets to do something a bit unique. She gets to tell her own story, and share her life working across remote Australia, while also opening up about how she’s balanced life as a wife and mum to her three daughters. This is her story. Thank you to the Royal Flying Doctor Service (Queensland Section) who are our Summer season sponsor. It’s regional, rural and remote nurses just like Jo who support countless families through the RFDS’s vital aeromedical and primary healthcare services every year. For more inspiring stories, check out the Flying Doctor podcast - it’s a wonderful listen .https://www.instagram.com/motherlandaustralia

Bronte Appleton is a country GP who lives in Gunnedah in rural NSW. She's a mum of two, and a breast cancer survivor. She was diagnosed when her second baby was just 6 months old, and heartbreakingly she was still breastfeeding when she made the decision to have a double mastectomy in a bid to save her life. Bronte also suffered from intense antenatal depression and experienced extreme loneliness after moving to Gunnedah. She joined a mothers' group, but found the balance between being people's friend and doctor, incredibly hard.  I think you'll love this raw and honest conversation. This is her story.Grab your RFDS Rescue Swag here - a premium first aid kit that has everything you need to keep you and your family safe on your property. For a limited time apply the code MOTHERLAND to receive 15% off. Get 15% off all your parenting and baby essentials at The Memo when you spend $100 or more. Use code MOTHERLAND at checkout to redeem. This offer is valid until 27 March 2024. T&Cs and exclusions apply. Valid for new customers only.https://www.instagram.com/motherlandaustralia

Kate Pearce lives on a sheep farm in the Southern Flinders Ranges of South Australia with her husband and 5 year old twins. Her motherhood journey takes the saying 'it takes a village' to a whole new level. It took Kate three years and 9 embryo transfers to have her twins, who were born at 28 weeks, weighing just 1 kilo each. What followed was a three month stay in hospital before she finally brought her babies home to the farm. Then, just as she was adjusting to life with newborns, Kate's cousin and  best friend moved in... and what happened next can only be described as a  bit of a circus! This is her story. Everyday, the RFDS holds more than 68 clinics across rural Australia.  From immunisations, health check-ups, referrals or management of chronic conditions, RFDS primary health services mean there is regular medical assistance when needed for people living and working remote Australia. Head to the Flying Doctor HERE to find an RFDS Primary Healthcare Clinic near you. https://www.instagram.com/motherlandaustralia