For Hayley Hancock, being named a finalist in the 2026 AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award was really something worth celebrating.
The McLaren Vale mum and businesswoman was recognised among South Australia’s leading rural innovators for her work co-founding Insurable — a business reshaping the way farmers manage climate risk and recover from extreme weather events.
“It’s kind of the biggest thing I’ve ever really been involved in,” Hayley says, admitting she felt both nervous and excited heading into the awards announcement.
While Dairy Adventures Mannum founder Narelle Zanker was ultimately named the South Australian winner, Hayley says even being part of the program has been an incredible experience and a powerful reinforcement of the work she and husband Tom are building together.
“It’s been really great validation that what we’re doing is important.”
Hayley and Tom moved to McLaren Vale at the end of 2019 with plans to take over the family insurance business. At the time, Hayley was coming from a completely different professional world, having spent more than a decade working in vocational education and training, helping people from all walks of life create employment opportunities and pathways for themselves.
Then came motherhood, a temporary step away from work while raising their boys, and eventually the challenge familiar to many parents — finding a career path that balanced ambition with family life.
“I needed flexibility for the boys,” she says. “So I landed in the family business — but it was never really the plan.”
Initially, Hayley stayed in the background, handling administration, payroll and accounts. But the deeper she became involved, the more she began questioning the traditional insurance model, particularly for agricultural communities.
Living and working in McLaren Vale, surrounded by vineyards and growers, she saw firsthand how vulnerable regional communities can be when weather conditions turn against them.
“When growers have a bad season, you see the ripple effect through the entire community,” she explains.
It sparked many conversations between Hayley and Tom about whether there was a better way to support farmers — one that was faster, fairer and more responsive to the realities of life on the land.
That thinking became Insurable
Rather than focusing on assessing damage after an event, Insurable takes a proactive approach by insuring against the actual weather conditions.
For vineyard owners, for example, extreme heat at a critical point in the growing season can devastate crops and contracts. Traditional insurance policies can involve lengthy claims processes and external assessments before financial support arrives — often long after growers need it most.
Insurable changes that by using independently verified weather data to trigger automatic payouts when agreed conditions are met.
“There’s no need for fruit-on-ground assessments or drawn-out claims processes,” Hayley says. “It’s about getting support to growers immediately after a significant weather event.”
Importantly, the policies are designed alongside the growers themselves.
“They’re telling us what their pain points are and what they actually need,” she says. “We’re not just selling an off-the-shelf product and expecting them to fit within it.”
The idea has resonated strongly within rural communities that are increasingly dealing with climate uncertainty, and Hayley believes that sense of connection and collaboration is at the heart of the business.
It’s also what drew her to the AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award. At the time she applied, Hayley says she was searching for every opportunity possible to build awareness around Insurable and continue growing the business. But the experience quickly became about much more than promotion.
“I feel like I was in a bit of a transition. Coming from a completely different background and stepping into this new space — it really highlighted that shift for me.”
The AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award, now in its 25th year, recognises women driving innovation, leadership and positive change across rural and regional Australia.
Alongside Hayley and winner Narelle Zanker, fellow South Australian finalist Kelly Kuhn was recognised for her work growing River Murray Dark Sky Tours and supporting regional agritourism. For Hayley, being surrounded by women creating meaningful change in regional communities was both inspiring and humbling.
“The quality of candidates is incredible. I feel very privileged to even be considered part of that.”
And while she may not have taken home the state title, the experience has only strengthened her determination to continue building something that can genuinely help farming communities adapt and thrive.
“This is just the beginning,” Hayley says.
To find out more about Insurable – click here.
