The Weekly Times Coles Farmer of the Year awards: 2022 finalists announced
Australian agriculture’s brightest stars have been named as finalists in The Weekly Times Coles Farmer of the Year awards.
The brightest stars in Australian agriculture have been recognised as finalists in The Weekly Times Coles 2022 Farmer of the Year awards.
The awards — which celebrate their 11th anniversary this year — honour the best in beef, cropping, dairy, horticulture, innovation and sheep farming for the 2022 calendar year.
Every Australian state is represented among the 18 finalists, with Queensland and Victoria picking up four finalists each followed by South Australia and NSW (three) and Western Australia and Tasmania (two).
Judging is centred on productivity, innovation and sustainability.
The Weekly Times Editor James Wagstaff said hundreds of nominations were received for this year’s awards, which honoured farmers going above and beyond to grow their business during a turbulent year for farming, punctuated by Covid, floods across all states, worker shortages and escalating input costs.
“Australian agriculture has gone through a renaissance of sorts in recent years and these awards are an important opportunity to recognise the best of the best,” Mr Wagstaff said.
“No matter the hurdles they face, our farmers keep Australia going, as well as innovating for the future and prosperity of their industries. These awards are about recognising those who too often shy away from recognition but who play a huge role in feeding and clothing the world.”
The winners will be announced at a ceremony in Melbourne on Friday, February 24, hosted by Herald and Weekly Times chairman Penny Fowler and Coles Group chairman James Graham, with Olympian and TV personality Giaan Rooney the master of ceremonies.
BEEF FARMER OF THE YEAR
FINALISTS
COLIN AND KAREN HENKE
LAKALA PASTORAL COMPANY
MUMBANNAR, VICTORIA
Colin and Karen Henke run 1000 Angus cows as part of their Lakala Pastoral Company spread across 1000 hectares at Mumbannar, near the South Australian border in far southwest Victoria.
They aim to breed the most efficient beef cattle using state-of-the-art genetics and farming practices.
READ MORE ABOUT THE HENKE FAMILY
MANNING FAMILY
DAVILAK PASTORAL COMPANY
MANSFIELD, VICTORIA
Davilak Pastoral Company has morphed into a beef powerhouse thanks to dedication to breeding and business. Starting with just 40 Angus cows on 100 hectares four decades ago, the business now comprises a herd of 2000 high-quality breeders run across six properties near Mansfield, in North East Victoria.
READ MORE ABOUT THE MANNING FAMILY
JEREMY AND JULIE SHAW
JS GRAZING
INJUNE, QUEENSLAND
Jeremy and Julie Shaw from JS Grazing at Injune, about 600km northwest of Brisbane, have vertically integrated a feedlot into their business to garner more control over the supply chain and inevitably make more money. Their steers now command a whopping $10 a kilogram.
READ MORE ABOUT THE SHAW FAMILY
CROPPING FARMER OF THE YEAR
FINALISTS
DAVID AND JENNY THOMPSON
BETHUNGRA PARK
ILLABO, NSW
Increasing ground cover and concentrating on soil health has paid dividends for David and Jenny Thompson. The southern NSW mixed farmers farm 2230 hectares, of which 1200ha is cropping, consisting of canola, wheat and barley and are promoting a healthy environment for soil and plants by reducing spraying – a decision which is paying dividends.
READ MORE ABOUT THE THOMPSON FAMILY
TRACY AND KRISTIN LEFROY
CRANMORE FARMING
MOORA, WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Cranmore Farming, a family grains, oilseed, sheep, wool and beef operation 160km north of Perth sits near the desert fringe and greets just 400mm of rainfall a year. Here, Tracy and Kristin Lefroy have adapted to survive the harsh conditions. They have increased cropping to 70 per cent of the business, growing 2547 hectares of wheat, 1401 hectares of canola, 670 hectares of barley and 373 hectares of oaten hay.
READ MORE ABOUT THE LEFROY FAMILY
KONZAG FAMILY
KONZAG GRAINS
MALLALA, SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Sixth-generation farmer Richard Konzag oversees a 2500-hectare family dryland cereal, pulse and oilseed farm at Mallala, 60km north of Adelaide. A trier of ideas, Richard is driven to discover what lays beyond the limits and in doing so is achieving bumper yields year in year out.
READ MORE ABOUT THE KONZAG FAMILY
DAIRY FARMER OF THE YEAR
FINALISTS
NICOLE AND BRENDAN SAUNDERS
BNS AG
MAFFRA, VICTORIA
Nicole and Brendan Saunders run an impressive enterprise across three properties, totalling 325 hectares, milking 1600 cows in the heart of Gippsland dairy country. Starting as sharefarmers in 2018, Nicole and Brendan have expanded their herd dramatically, made production and profit gains, and boosted turnover by 10-fold.
READ MORE ABOUT THE SAUNDERS FAMILY
JAMES AND SOPHIE GREENACRE
ROSEMOUNT AGRICULTURE
CRESSY, TASMANIA
For a lawyer who studied medicine, James Greenacre makes a bloody good dairy farmer.
The 34-year-old has transformed a cropping farm near Cressy in Tasmania into to create a high-capacity dairy. Livestock numbers have since increased from 780 to 1300 spring-calving Holstein, Jersey and Scandinavian Reds which produce seven million litres of milk annually.
READ MORE ABOUT THE GREENACRE FAMILY
JOANN AND CRAIG MORGAN-FRENCH
MONTAGU, TASMANIA
Joann and Craig Morgan-French run more than 2000 dairy cows across two properties in northwest Tasmania with teamwork, camaraderie and uncompromising standards at the centrepiece of their business. The sharefarmer couple milk 600 cows twice a day for Circular Head Farms, and 1450 cows once a day for Field Ag.
READ MORE ABOUT THE MORGAN-FRENCH FAMILY
HORTICULTURE FARMER OF THE YEAR
FINALISTS
DONOVAN FAMILY
DONOVAN FAMILY INVESTMENTS
BUNDABERG, QUEENSLAND
The Donovan family, from Bundaberg in Queensland, operate Donovan Family Investments, which has blossomed from humble beginnings into one of the biggest producers of avocados in the nation. Through a targeted growth strategy centred on dedication, innovation and sustainability, the Donovans farm 110,000 trees across 650 hectares producing a whopping 6000 tonnes of avocados annually.
READ MORE ABOUT THE DONOVAN FAMILY
JURGENS FAMILY
VJK PRODUCE
BOWEN, QUEENSLAND
The Jurgens family balances their commercial farming business with sustainable production through soil management, biodiversity and crop rotation. The family farms more than 800 hectares near Bowen in the Burdekin Valley in Far North Queensland, producing certified organic vegetables under vertically integrated business, Vee Jay’s Kalfresh.
READ MORE ABOUT THE JURGENS FAMILY
DAMIEN MANNO
QUALITY HARVEST PTY LTD
KUDLA, SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Damien Manno from Kudla in South Australia grew up on a vineyard and studied to be winemaker before embarking on a career change to produce “green” greens – herbs and vegetables that give carbon footprints the boot and pump the brakes on food miles. In just five years he has guided his Quality Harvest business from zero to hero to churn out about 20,000 bunches of basil and 15,000 bunches of Asian vegetables a week.
INNOVATIVE FARMER OF THE YEAR
FINALISTS
TOMMERUP FAMILY
TOMMERUP’S DAIRY FARM
KERRY, QUEENSLAND
Kay and Dave Tommerup, and their adult children, Harry and Georgia, run Tommerup’s Dairy Farm, a diverse operation on 80 hectares at Kerry in southeast Queensland, with heritage breed pigs, beef cattle and free-range chooks, centred around a herd of 20 Jersey cows. A decision to diversify from a traditional dairy operation has seen profits increase more than fourfold since 2018.
READ MORE ABOUT THE TOMMERUP FAMILY
WHEAL FAMILY
BEACHPORT BERKSHIRES
BEACHPORT, SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Mark and Kate Wheal run a mixed livestock and cropping operation across 1400 hectares near Beachport in South Australia. Since taking the helm a decade ago, Mark has diversified with two value-adding enterprises – Beachport Berkshires and Beachport Brewing Co – which convert grains grown on the Wheals’ farm into high-value gourmet produce; namely pork and beer.
READ MORE ABOUT THE WHEAL FAMILY
DENNIS FAMILY
TARNDWARNCOORT
WARNCOORT, VICTORIA
Six generations of land ownership was never going to stand in the way of innovation for the Dennis family from Warncoort in Victoria’s Western District. They have developed a multi-pronged business where tourism, 2000 free-range chickens and the sale of wool spun from their Polwarth sheep generate a range of income streams. The wool, marketed under the Tarndwarncoort brand, is the operation’s major seller.
READ MORE ABOUT THE DENNIS FAMILY
SHEEP FARMER OF THE YEAR
FINALISTS
BRUCKNER FAMILY
GNADBRO PASTORAL COMPANY
COLLINGULLIE, NSW
In country best known for wool production, Heath Bruckner is fast making a name for himself at the tops of the chops. His Collingullie-based family operation, Gnadbro Pastoral Company, spans a massive 20,000 hectares in the sheep breeding heartland of the NSW Riverina, and has made producing first-cross sheep an art form.
READ MORE ABOUT THE BRUCKNER FAMILY
THOMPSON FAMILY
MOOJEPIN MERINOS
BADGEBUP, WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Moojepin Merinos run by the Thompson family tackles issues like mulesing or climate change or carbon footprint or decreasing lamb mortalities head on to provide genetic solutions for their clients. The Badgebup-based stud in Western Australia’s Great Southern region has a flock of 2300 stud Merino ewes and a 1400-ewe commercial flock run on 3000 hectares.
READ MORE ABOUT THE THOMPSON FAMILY
O’CONNOR FAMILY
OXTON PARK
HARDEN, NSW
Farming is very much a numbers game for the O’Connor family of Oxton Park. The innovative agriculture business, in the rolling hills between Harden and Young in southern NSW, is run by 14 permanent workers across 8000 hectares spread over 18 properties with 40,000 dual-purpose Merinos last year producing a whopping 22,279 lambs for a hefty lambing rate of 128 per cent.
READ MORE ABOUT THE O’CONNOR FAMILY
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