Tamar Valley hazelnut grower named Rural Woman of the Year

A TAMAR Valley hazelnut grower has won Tasmania’s Rural Woman of the Year Award.

TAS RURAL WOMAN OF YEAR

TAMAR Valley hazelnut grower Carol Bracken has won Tasmania’s Rural Woman of the Year Award.

Mrs Bracken and her husband Nathan returned from Melbourne five years ago to their 65ha property at Glengarry, near Exeter in the Tamar Valley, to develop a 9ha hazelnut orchard.

Mrs Bracken, who is also on the West Tamar Council and a leading member of Tasmanian Women in Agriculture, will use her winner’s $10,000 bursary from Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation to visit Oregon, a key hazelnut producing region of the United States.

She hopes to gain insights to help develop and evaluate a number of business models to market hazelnut products in a competitive environment.

The rural women awards provide financial and practical support for winners to implement their visions for primary industries.

“I am amazed and thankful to win this award. I am really excited we can support the local hazelnut industry because it has such a great potential,” Mrs Bracken said.

It takes seven years to produce a commercial-sized crop of hazelnuts. Once the Brackens’ orchard is in full production – in two years – they could see a crop of almost three tonnes.

“Hazelnuts like Tasmania’s climate. It is a really good emerging industry and nationally we grow 70 tonnes, but import about 2000 tonnes a year – so there is plenty of opportunity,” Mrs Bracken said.

The Brackens are one of two main hazelnut growers in Tasmania.

“Hazelnuts are a good crop for farmers, especially with irrigation, who are looking for another crop,” Mrs Bracken said.

Olive oil producer Christine Mann, of White Hills, won the Encouragement Award sponsored by Tasmanian Women in Agriculture, which provides a $1000 training bursary.

Ms Mann is producing olive oil from more than 9000 trees in a grove that adjoins her family property originally farmed by her great grandfather.

Ms Mann’s proposed project is to increase the profile of extra virgin olive oil and develop an “in the farm” program to connect consumers to farmers.

Tasmania’s rural women awards are also supported by the State Government through the Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment.

For more rural news see Tasmanian Country, out every Friday.