About 80 people attended the inaugural Women In Focus event at the Wimmera Machinery Field Days.

Laharum Grove's Deirdre Baum, Harrow farmer Gurjit Sondhu and Amber Ridge Cafe's Cindy Cross shared their stories of innovation and adversity.

Mrs Baum said there was plenty of enthusiasm in the room.

"There was a really good energy," she said.

"Everyone seemed interested in what we had to say."

Mrs Baum spoke of leaving her home country of New Zealand on an open-ended adventure.

She travelled and worked in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the United States before relocating to Australia with her husband Richard.

The couple wanted a quiet place in the country to raise their two sons.

They were lost on the way to Mt Zero Olives when they stumbled across a property for sale.

"Much to everyone's disgust - our parents, the bank, the accountant - we bought an olive grove," Mrs Baum said.

"We set about a very steep learning curve. It happened very quickly."

Mrs Baum discussed some of the challenges they faced while establishing the award-winning Laharum Grove brand.

She also described how her passion for cooking led to the couple opening a restaurant on the grove.

"I told a business advisor how I wanted to set up a restaurant, because I really liked cooking," Mrs Baum said.

"He said that's ridiculous. You can't do that - that's your hobby. You can't mix it with your business. I was furious.

"It's always in the back of my mind to prove that person wrong."

Deirdre's opened in October 2013. In January, the Grampians bushfire swept through the grove, burning 90 per cent of the olive trees.

Mrs Baum said she was lucky to have the restaurant to focus on during such a difficult time.

Despite the setback, Mrs Baum is looking to the future.

"It's been hard work, but when you've got a real strong passion for something, it works," she said.

Apsley's Cindy Cross's love of horticulture and fresh, seasonal produce led to the creation of Amber Ridge Cafe.

"When you're passionate about something, everything else just seems to follow suit," she said.

Mrs Cross and her husband Mark built their house 'in the middle of a paddock in the middle of nowhere'.

They decided to create a farm shop on their property to sell the produce from their large vegetable gardens and orchards.

"Our idea was to have a farm shop, a cafe and a nursery - all the things we love doing, in the one place," she said.

Mrs Cross spoke of the challenges of turning a run-down ancient cottage into the business of her dreams.

"The whole time we spent more and more money," she said.

"I was really starting to freak out. There were so many extra costs.

"But I was quite determined."

The cafe opened three and a half years ago.

"I thought if I could get 20 people in a day, I'd be so excited," Mrs Cross said.

"On day one, we had 200 people.

"It turns out people adore country cooking."

Mrs Cross said it had been an incredible journey.

"I feel very fortunate," she said.

"There's still so much more I want to do."

Mrs Sondhu's story of life on the land started when she emigrated to Australia from India as a newlywed.

"I didn't realise life was going to change so quickly," she said.

"I was young, missing my family and living with people I did not know.

"I was lost and frightened."

Mrs Sondhu spoke of the challenges she faced settling in a foreign land.

"Time passed and we started having a family," she said.

"I got involved in the running of the farm. Feeding the stock, driving the tractors, working in the shed and - at the same time - looking after the children, cooking and milking the cows.

"My life was really busy. We were taking all of the challenges head-on."

Mrs Sondu said 40 years later she considered herself a true Aussie farmer.

A few years ago, she was diagnosed with fibromyalgia.

"I never gave up to get better," she said.

"After this illness I have learnt to have a go."

Mrs Sondu urged people not to give up on their dreams.

"And to make time for yourself," she said.

"Give yourself a treat."