Taking stock: who needs big muscles when you are a woman

Do you use two hands when wrangling them? Maybe you even add a little jump to do the job or as a last resort pull out the bolt cutters to cut the wires? I do.

I've been told I have a handshake as strong as man but when it comes to farming (especially as I've got older) sometimes even using simple pliers, that should be universal, is a little hard.

Sure women are not as strong as men, let's be realistic about that fact.

But when we make up nearly 40 per cent of the workforce on farm there is a whole chunk of the market not being addressed.

And it seems I'm not alone on this issue.

The fact manufacturers don't consider women when it comes to farming equipment has sparked debate on social media.

Onward Murray Greys, Dorrigo, recently posted on its Facebook page that female farmers had found common ground "regarding the bias toward the need for brawn when using so much agricultural equipment".

"As a female farmer, I absolutely concede I do not have the physical strength of the average bloke involved in the same industry," Sue Francis from Onward Murray Greys posted.

"But if I cannot start a chainsaw, a fire pump, a whipper snipper, if I cannot close the ear tag applicator or cut wire with the fencing pliers with one hand, if I cannot find a pair of work gloves that fit, I'm likely to curse every designer and manufacturer of such equipment for not realising the demographics of those who work within the ag industry, may have changed over the last 100 years."

Those that added to the debate were on the same page and it wasn't just women, it was older farmers and those with injuries who also found hand tools like pliers a hard task.

While much has changed in regards to advances with power tools, not much has changed for hand tools even though the demographic of the landscape has changed. Some had trouble with ear tag applicators because their hands were too small while others use their leg force to add brute force.

One farmer put poly pipe extensions on each handle for their tagging pliers. Another had to resort to kids gloves because even a men's extra small gloves were too big. Then there were those women who could throw a 20kg bag of grain or a wooden fence post over their shoulder.

Maybe it's time for someone to start a business around this idea.

Or maybe they can chat to Lily Seaton-Cooper, a year 12 student, who redesigned fencing pliers to be more ergonomic, comfortable and safe for women as part of her major work .

She too says there is 'massive opportunity' for manufacturers who aren't reaching women.

I'm not saying you have to be strong to be a successful farmer and I'm not trying to start a revolution.

And I'm certainly not asking for everything to be covered in pink, even if we could pull it off.

But many of us have to be creative when it comes to getting the job done.

And while we are not going to let a pesky bit of metal stand in our way, why not get a range for us?