Agrifutures Rural Women’s Award finalists announced
Four women from a range of backgrounds and fields are nominees in the 2020 AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award.
SA Business
Don't miss out on the headlines from SA Business. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- Deanna Lush wins Rural Women’s Award
- Prizes, discounts, freebies: Check out the latest subscriber rewards
The four state finalists in the 2020 AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award come from a range of backgrounds and locations but they share a common goal – to improve the lives of people in country South Australia.
All four finalists are in line to win a $10,000 Westpac bursary and a shot at the national title.
One finalist, World’s End farmer and clinical psychologist Stephanie Schmidt aims to build resilience in rural communities, particularly those going through drought.
She plans to use the bursary to develop a program specifically for farming couples, families and individuals, combining psychological knowledge with her lived experiences of the challenges of farming and rural life.
“My main aim is to upskill our communities to have better day-to-day coping skills,” she said.
Another finalist Kellie Taylor, Cummins, has a background in nanotechnology and is the co-founder of EP Analysis, an environmental sampling and testing laboratory.
“I’d like to run a pilot program to connect small businesses and youth,” she said.
“I’m Cummins born and bred. I completed Year 12 in Cummins and wasn’t planning to return. But now that I’m a small-business owner in the town, I ask myself why I couldn’t see the opportunities that were here when I was younger. Today, I wouldn’t live anywhere else.”
Ms Taylor would use the bursary to pilot a program that would help youth see the opportunities in their own backyards, through connecting industry and schools.
Another finalist is Adelaide-based embryologist Marie Ellul, who is completing an MBA.
Ms Ellul is the chief executive at ART Lab Solutions, a start-up company specialising in improving the quality of livestock breeding.
She hopes to use the bursary to provide training to embryo providers in rural Australia and give them an opportunity to have a head start in adapting to IVF technology.
“If you look at the recent bushfires, herds were wiped out right across Australia. But we can create a safety net for farmers to capture the top genetics of their herd through the use of IVF technology,” she said.
Another finalist Rebecca Sullivan lives at Clare and is the driving force behind the Granny Skills Movement, which seeks to preserve the skills, knowledge and traditions of the elder generations, as well as Warndu, a native food company.
Ms Sullivan hopes to use the bursary to create a demonstration garden for farmers to explore value-add propositions for their land.
Acting Primary Industries Minister Dan van Holst Pellekaan said this year’s finalists proposed a diverse and innovative range of projects for the bursary.
“These women play key roles in supporting regional SA and often bind their community or industry together,” he said.
“Already shining bright in their respective fields, our 2020 SA finalists all demonstrate outstanding leadership qualities and commitment to regional industries, businesses and communities.”
AgriFutures Australia managing director John Harvey congratulated the finalists on their passion and commitment to building capacity in their fields.
“This award enables women to be part of a unique experience to build their skills and develop
personally and professionally,” he said.
The state winner will be announced in March. The winner will then go on to represent SA at the national AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award Gala Dinner in Canberra in September.
Palmer farmer and AgCommunicators founder Deanna Lush was last year’s state winner.