So the DairyNZ regional events and administration co-ordinator for Southland/South Otago has chosen to get her hair shaved off, while surrounded by dairy farmers, at a Milksmart event in Winton tomorrow.
Mrs Ridsdale was unfazed about the prospect of becoming bald, potentially in front of about 200 people, although she did admit that most of her friends thought she was ''absolutely nuts''.
''It doesn't worry me. I've always worn my hair quite short. I'm actually quite excited about it,'' she said.
Raising money for Leukaemia and Blood Cancer New Zealand was particularly poignant for Mrs Ridsdale whose father died from leukaemia about three years ago.
''I wouldn't do it without a really good cause,'' she said.
Mrs Ridsdale had already had a lot of support and, while she had set herself a target of raising $1000, she was already close to that figure.
She was expecting a ''fantastic'' day at the Milksmart event, where the focus was on providing farmers with practical solutions to save time and money and reduce stress.
Topics included stockmanship, milking efficiency, cow flow, milking skills, mastitis management, cowshed design, people management and water use.
It was a practical hands-on day and different topics were covered each year, so there was always something new to learn, she said. Milksmart will also be held at Clydevale on Thursday.