2022 Tasmanian and National Winner: Stephanie Trethewey
Based in Dunorlan in North West Tasmania and co-founder of the Tasmanian Agricultural Company, Stephanie created Motherland Village, Australia’s first personalised online rural mothers’ group.
Motherland Village provides greater opportunities for rural mums across the country to find connection and support, regardless of their location.
Since launching Motherland Village, Stephanie has also partnered with a hospital in the Northern Territory to ensure new mothers have access to her program before they leave the hospital. Stephanie hopes to expand the program and partner with other hospitals around Australia. Be inspired by Stephanie's story.
Encouragement Award: Sally Murfet
With more than 20 years experience working on-farm and with agribusiness companies, Sally received the Encouragement Award for her work assisting farmers in managing their workforce through her human resource business Inspire AG.
Development Award: Kate Field
Kate received the Development Award for her work developing innovative by-product uses in her sustainable farm practices. Kate's own Leap Farm is a carbon positive endeavour producing goat cheese and meat. In alignment with her sustainable ethos, Kate has turned her waste whey into a skincare line: Leapful.
2020-21 Winner: Karen Brock
Karen's project aims to produce plants that are able to reduce input costs, disease resistant plants, climate tolerant plants or that produce higher yields per hectare. Be inspired by Karen's story.
Encouragement Award: Louise Morris
Louise has started Australia's first farm focussed on producing insects for human consumption and her project looks at continuing and expanding this endeavour.
Development Award: Celia Leverton
Celia's project is committed to increasing the uptake of regenerative farming practices across Australia.
Development Award: Robyn Eversole
Robyn works with universities and local communities to bring their knowledge to rural communities and empower local people to create the futures they want.
2019 Winner: Anh Nguyen
Anh’s project aims to roll out a smart farming system using automatic controls and management retrofitted to current farming irrigation and control systems. This will free up labour, optimise resources and maximise productivity. Be inspired by Anh's story.
Encouragement Award: Anita Long
Anita’s vision is to create a strong Australian connected youth beekeeping network and help others develop similar programs nationwide.
Development Award: Sarah Cole
Sarah’s project aims to explore and understand the challenges facing a growing pasture seed industry in Tasmania.
2018 Winner: Allison Clark
Allison's project aims to understand how farming business / agribusiness taps into available research or networks, in addition to understanding the barriers to integrating this information into decision making processes. These learnings can help provide better design, development and commercialisation tools in the early stages of development, to limit risk of failure.
Encouragement Award: Katherine Reed
Katherine’s project aims to bring rural women with disabilities together, allowing them to address their issues in a peer-supported, grass roots environment.
Development Award: Ana Pimenta
Ana’s project aims to develop and deliver a program that would increase the financial literacy of farming businesses on King Island.
2017 Winner: Rebecca Lynd
Rebecca’s project involves a study tour to the USA to research a selection of best practice small-scale, on-farm cattle slaughter facilities. This will involve meeting with farmers, business operators, slaughtermen and butchers to gain an understanding of the contemporary issues and practices associated with small-scale, independently owned and/or community supported slaughter facilities with a major focus on animal welfare, WH&S/ risk management, compliance with regulations, energy use, waste management and consumer needs.
Encouragement Award: Heather Cosgriff
Heather’s project aims to establish a central trial site, or 'in-field learning centre' for the Tasmanian pasture seed industry. The project would involve replicated small plot trials. Trials will test current standard vs potential new inputs and crop management ideas for annual and perennial ryegrass including 'ground truth' crop input strategies, such as Plant Growth Regulator regimes, nitrogen fertiliser timing and lock up date for Tasmanian conditions. Experienced seed production agronomists would be engaged to aid in trial design and agronomy management. The site and information generated from it would be available to all seed industry members to be used as a growth stage training centre, for field walks and industry days.