SHIRLEY Harring was born in Perth, WA, and married a nomad.
The couple moved all around the country until they landed in Stanley in late 2019, just as the bushfires started.
"We went straight into the COVID–19 craziness, so it's been a bit of a strange old time," she said. "
This is it for me, it's my forever home and I am not going anywhere else."
What's your job?
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I am a teacher by profession, but have run my own business 'Hand Sourced' for the last six years. I work for farmers and producers who grow rare and heritage breeds of meat and poultry, and connect them to tables and restaurants around the country.
What brought you to this role?
In 2017, I studied a master's degree in gastronomy.
I discovered people waxing lyrical about vegetables, fruits, nuts, grains, and seeds, and serving them alongside anonymous proteins.
Surely, if we are going to eat meat, then we should know as much about it as possible?
I noticed genetic diversity in the meat we eat is gravely undervalued in the Australian food scene, and our Aussie farmers who value old fashioned genetics were undervalued, unrepresented, and severely underpaid.
What do you love about your job?
I get to meet a diverse range of alternative thinking people from all over – some of my farmers grow as small as 20 – 30 animals a year, and that's their life's work.
We really undervalue old fashioned breeds.
What do you do in the community?
I am the current president of the Stanley Rural Community Incorporated (SRCI) committee. I am also a Justice of the Peace.
What's the most important current community issue for you?
Stanley residents are amazing people and tremendously passionate about where they live.
I believe our community is overlooked by the representing shire and local government area (LGA) representatives.
Right now, simply keeping our Post Office open and functional, our school building safe and able to be used by the community is the priority.
One step at a time.
What would you do to solve, change or improve that situation?
Building community trust and cohesion is something I value greatly.
I'd love to see all our Stanley committees and working groups working with each other, together, as much as possible, especially in in attaining funding and resources.
Strength in numbers could mean much greater outcomes for our community, residents and businesses.
What's the most important current world issue for you?
Indigenous peoples are custodians of some of the most biologically diverse territories in the world.
They are responsible for a great deal of the world's linguistic and cultural diversity, and their traditional knowledge has been and continues to be an invaluable resource that benefits all.
Their belief systems, cultures, languages and ways of life continue to be threatened, sometimes even by extinction.
If the person you would most like to meet came to Indigo, or was already here, who would that be and what would you show them?
My mother died quite suddenly, and never got to see her daughter find a true home.
I'd love for her to see the Stanley region and experience a still winter's day snowfall – the snow as it falls through Australian bushland is so very magical.
What book are you reading?
I always have a few on the go.
I am currently reading 'Soil' by Matthew Evans, 'Ride the Black Cockatoo' by John Damalis and on a lighter note, ploughing through the Phryne Fisher series by Kerry Greenwood.
