Ellie Domigan hails from New Zealand where

biodiverse nature reserves make up 30 of the

country and the Whanganui River has been granted

legal personhood With a background in law

psychology philosophy and poetry she is enlivened

by interdisciplinary pursuits and believes the world

needs deeper connection to ourselves each other

including those morethanhuman beings and time

itself to embody our ancestors wisdom and act as true

stewards for our unborn future

wwwlinkedincominelliedomiganb738b3106

Ellie Domigan

The f lowers nodded goodbye to the setting

sun, the bees kissing them goodnight in their

f inal nectar-sweep.  The farmer gritted her

teeth and the mower ploughed through the

f ield, like a knife through fog. She winced at

the sickening crunch of twigs, thinking of the

ground nesting birds. A f lock burst into the

sky, their cries echoing the agony of their

shattered nests and defenceless chicks, still

too young to f ly.

Then a piercing cry. The farmer’s son hurtled

towards her, arms f lailing, 

“Mama, mama! What are you doing? Stop!

Please stop!”

She killed the engine and crumpled into the

earth, tears soaking the soil.

“I can’t keep up, it’s impossible. One year

we’re urged to plant for pollinators, the next

it’s all about organic crops. The climate-

conscious buyers don’t realise our struggle.

We take these subsidies for our survival;

they’re meant to help the land, but they end

up harming it.”

Her son wiped her cheek, his touch tender, 

“I know how tirelessly you work, Mama, and

how much you love this land.”

“If only they’d trust us, ask us, instead of

dictating from concrete towers. We want

to nurture life within every inch of soil, and

yield productive, sustainable crops. But we

can’t do it alone. We need understanding,

solidarity, and support.”

“I know we need their money. The bees and

the nesting birds don’t have a voice, though.

They need us.”

The farmer pulled her son close, breathing

the scent of wildf lowers and honey, 

“My angel, you’re right. If we stop listening

and protecting those closest to the land, then

we’re no different.”

Farmers say the greatest threat to

sustainable food production isn’t climate

change, it’s politics. Listen to them, trust

them. Empower them, as guardians of the

land, to keep the delicate balance needed for

a regenerative and resilient future.

Ellie Domigan