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For further information contact:
Edwina Clowes, 
RIRDC Rural Women's Award National Coordinator. 
Phone:  07 5445 7282 
Mobile: 0417 727 544
clowesedwina@bigpond.com

© 2010  RIRDC

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

RIRDC Rural Women's Award Creates Opportunities

Published: 30 July 2010

“The RIRDC Rural Women’s Award is a life changing opportunity that opens up a positive and powerful network of like minded rural women and influential people from across primary industries”

That’s the view of Australian RIRDC Rural Women’s Award 2010 Winner, Sue Middleton, who is encouraging women from throughout the country to give it a go and enter the 2011 Award.

Applications for the award open on 1 August 2010 and rural women are being encouraged to enter themselves or nominate someone they think is ready for a new challenge.

The RIRDC Rural Women’s Award is Australia’s pre-eminent Award that recognises and encourages rural women’s contribution to primary industries, resource development and rural Australia.

“The Award has a huge value add, not only are you exposed to many new networks of key and influential rural women and people across primary industries, but it gives you the resources to follow your dreams and do something positive and proactive for primary industries and rural people,” Ms Middleton said.

Acting Managing Director of RIRDC, Craig Burns, said that for more than ten years, the RIRDC Rural Women’s Award has helped rural women take their vision for their business, industry or community to the next level, and in so doing, implement positive change in rural Australia.

“The Awards provide an invaluable opportunity for Australia’s hardworking and inspirational rural women to take that next step and make a real and lasting contribution to the future of rural Australia,” Mr Burns said.

The Award is open to all women involved in primary industries, including broad-acre farming, intensive livestock, cropping, horticulture, fisheries, forestry, new and emerging plant and animal enterprises, Indigenous rural enterprises, natural resource management and related service industries.

The 2011 Award provides a Bursary of $10,000 for each state and territory winner to support their professional development and contribution to primary industries.  The winner and runner-up in each State and Territory are also invited to attend the Australian Institute of Company Director’s course.

The Australian RIRDC Rural Women’s Award Winner and Runner-Up are then selected to represent the Award, RIRDC and rural women on a national platform.

The Award is an initiative of the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation, in partnership with state and territory agencies responsible for agriculture, primary industries and resources.

RIRDC acknowledges the support of the Award’s national sponsors: Westpac Banking Corporation, ABC Radio and Rural Press Ltd.

Applications close on World Rural Women’s Day-15^th October 2010. Application forms are available from RIRDC (02) 6271 4100, State Departments of Agriculture and Primary Industries and from ABC Radio regional stations and Westpac regional branches.

Applications can be also downloaded from the website: www.ruralwomensaward.gov.au

Media inquiries:
Duncan Sheppard – RIRDC Public Affairs Manager – (02) 6271 4175 or (0458) 215 604
Edwina Clowes – RIRDC Rural Women’s Award National Coordinator (0417) 727 544

WESTERN AUSTRALIAN FARMER SUE MIDDLETON WINS RIRDC RURAL WOMEN’S AWARD

Published: 25-May-10

Western Australian farmer Sue Middleton – a passionate advocate for turning piggery waste into usable energy – is the winner of the 2010 Australian RIRDC Rural Women’s Award.  Alana Johnson, a rural philanthropy advocate from Victoria, is the Award runner up.

The two rural leaders were presented with their awards at a gala dinner in Canberra tonight by Federal Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Minister, Tony Burke.

Chairperson of the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation, Professor Daniela Stehlik, congratulated Sue and Alana on the contributions they have made to their industries and to agriculture sector more broadly.

“Sue Middleton and Alana Johnson are shining examples of the enormous contribution rural women make to Australia’s agricultural sector, and I congratulate them on being named winner and runner up of this prestigious national award,” Professor Stehlik said.

Sue runs with her husband a diverse pork, citrus and grain farming operation at Wongan Hills two hours north east of Perth. She also plays a key role promoting and supporting the role of women on the land through her involvement in a number of state and national rural advisory bodies.

Sue’s vision is to create a more sustainable pork industry by converting the waste produced at piggeries and converting it into biogas.  She plans to use the award bursary to travel both domestically and overseas to investigate leading biogas production facilities.

“Sue’s ambition to investigate the enormous potential of piggery waste to be converted into energy epitomises the efforts of a growing number of Australian farmers who are looking at ways to play a more positive environmental role on their farms,” Professor Stehlik said.

Award runner up Alana Johnson is a fifth generation farmer, a rural consultant and a pioneer of the rural women’s movement in Australia.  She and her husband run a beef cattle enterprise outside Benalla.

For more than three decades she has contributed to the development of rural women’s leadership having held leadership positions in a range of agriculture bodies, including the Foundation for Australian Agricultural Women.

Alana is working to establish the Australian Agriculture Future Foundation – an independent philanthropic foundation – that will provide an avenue for people on the land to create a legacy to rural Australia by enabling them to invest their wealth back into agriculture.

The RIRDC Rural Women’s Award provides a bursary of $10,000 for all seven state and territory winners to help them achieve their vision for their industry and enhance their skills and capacity to contribute to agriculture, natural resource management and rural Australia.

RIRDC acknowledges the support of the Award’s national sponsors: Westpac, ABC Radio and Rural Press Ltd and the Australian Women’s Weekly for hosting the evening.  The Awards are supported by the state and territory government departments of agriculture and primary industries, and the Federal Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, and the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government.

Further information on Sue and Alana, including photos, is on the RIRDC website.

Media enquiries:
Duncan Sheppard – RIRDC Public Affairs Manager – 02 6271 4175 or 0458 215 604

 Edwina Clowes – RIRDC Rural Women’s Award National Coordinator - 0417 727 544

RIRDC welcomes Westpac as new partner for RIRDC Rural Women’s Award

Rural Women have less than two weeks remaining to get their applications in to the RIRDC Rural Women’s Award 2010, before it closes on World Rural Women’s Day-15th October 2009.

The Award 2010 supports women with a strong and positive vision for the future of rural Australia and is open to all women involved in agriculture, including forestry and fisheries, natural resource management and related service industries.

The Award is again offering the opportunity for one of the seven State and Territory winners to be selected as the RIRDC Rural Women’s Award 2010 National Winner, to represent the Award in highlighting at a national level the contribution women make to rural Australia. 

The RIRDC Rural Women’s Award 2010 provides a Bursary of $10,000 for each of the seven State and Territory winners’ and the opportunity for State and Territory winners AND runners up to attend the Australian Institute of Company Directors’ leadership based program. The Award 2010 National Winner and Runner Up will, in addition, each receive a Travel Bursary of $10,000.

The Award is an initiative of the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation in partnership with the State and Territory agencies responsible for agriculture, primary industries and resource development. 

The Award’s national partners are the Australian Government-Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Services and Local Government. The Award’s three major sponsors are the Australian Women’s Weekly, Rural Press and ABC Radio. 

Application forms are available from RIRDC (02) 6271 4100, State Departments of Agriculture/Primary Industries, ABC Regional Radio Stations or can be downloaded from the website: www.ruralwomensaward.gov.au

Media inquiries: 
RIRDC Rural Women’s Award National Coordinator Edwina Clowes
(0417) 727 544 or clowesedwina@bigpond.com

“Entering the RIRDC Rural Women’s Award was the single best thing I’ve done for my own professional development and for my business.”

That’s according to Award 2004 Victorian Winner ands Simply Tomatoes business owner, Marilyn Lanyon, who believes the Award has been pivotal to her business success. Marilyn’s business has won numerous national business and marketing Awards and her product is now sold throughout 350 outlets nationally. Marilyn was recently invited to become the Australian agent responsible for sourcing artesian products for elite Kuwait retail chain Dean & Deluca.

Award 2005 Western Australian Winner and Loose Lettuce Leaf Company Managing Director, Maureen Dobra, agrees that the Award has brought her and her industry huge opportunity and recognition, so much so that Maureen was recently elected President of Vegetables WA, the peak body for vegetables growers in Western Australia. 

The RIRDC Rural Women’s Award is entering its second decade as one of the most successful and enduring leadership and capacity building initiatives for rural Australia. 

Applications are now being received for the 2010 Award and rural women are being encouraged to give it a go and enter themselves or nominate someone they think is up to a new and exciting challenge. 

The RIRDC Rural Women’s Award celebrates rural women and their contribution to primary industries. It gives rural women the chance to discover their strengths and build their capacity to contribute to primary industries and rural Australia. But just as importantly the Award opens up a positive and powerful network of liked minded women across the country who are passionate about primary industries and rural Australia. 

Award 2003 Victorian Runner Up and educator, Dr Kaye Scholfield, concurs that the Award has given her profile, credibility, confidence and a voice and that the Award network has become a powerful voice nationally for primary industries and rural Australia. 

The Award is open to all women involved in primary industries, including broad-acre farming, intensive livestock, cropping, horticulture, fisheries, forestry, natural resource management and related service industries. 

The 2010 Award provides a Bursary of $10,000 for each State and Territory winner to support them in developing their leadership capacity and the opportunity for the winner and runner-up in each State and Territory to attend an Australian Institute of Company Director’s based leadership program. 

A national RIRDC Rural Women’s Award Winner and Runner-Up is then selected to represent the Award, RIRDC and rural women on a national platform. 

The Award is an initiative of the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation, in partnership with State and Territory agencies responsible for agriculture, primary industries and resources. The Award’s Principal Partners are the Australian Government-Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government and its Major Sponsors are the Australian Women’s Weekly, ABC Radio and Rural Press Ltd. 

Applications close on World Rural Women’s Day-15th October 2009. Application forms are available from RIRDC (02) 6271 4100, State Departments of Agriculture, Primary Industries and Resource Development and from ABC Radio Regional Stations. Applications can be also downloaded from the website: www.ruralwomensaward.gov.au 

Media inquiries: RIRDC Rural Women’s Award 2010 National Coordinator Edwina Clowes 

0417 727 544 or clowesedwina@bigpond.com

Christine Joannides
ph: 02 6271 4166
fax: 02 6271 4199

Monday 3rd August 2009
 
 

More than 100 rural women from across the country will descend on Canberra next month to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the RIRDC Rural Women’s Award.

State and Territory award winners and runners up from the past 10 years will come from as far afield as Onslow and Albany in the west, Kangaroo Island in the south, and Karumba and Katherine in the north to attend the 10th anniversary celebrations and reunion forum.

The forum, supported by Westpac, will coincide with the announcement of the 2009 RIRDC Australian Rural Women’s Award winner at a gala dinner at Parliament House on May 25.

The Rural Women’s Award was instigated by the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC) to recognise women’s contribution to primary industries but more importantly to encourage their greater capacity to contribute, by providing them with the support and resources to further develop their skills and abilities. 

Since the Award’s inception in 2000, close to 150 women representing every facet of primary industries have been recognised for their vision, leadership and capacity to make a difference to primary industries and rural Australia. 

The reunion forum will provide a national platform for public discussion and debate on issues and challenges pertinent to rural women and primary industries, along with opportunities for new learning and new leadership skills and valuable networking time. 

Past recipients have used the Award and the $10,000 bursary awarded to each State and Territory winner to forge new markets and value adding opportunities for an array of produce including salmon, yabbies, cheese, horticulture, wildflowers and wine.  They’ve also increased the collective bargaining power of producers, communicated the importance of primary producers to the city and challenged conventional thinking on climate change. 

Highlights of the reunion forum will include addresses from Gemma Sisia, founder of the School of St Judes in Tanzania and 2007 Young Australian of the Year, Tania Major, along with strategic leadership training workshops by prominent rural industry leaders and a debate on the importance of women in leadership in rural Australia. 

The RIRDC Australian Rural Women’s Award 10 Year Reunion Forum will be held on Monday 25th May and Tuesday 26th May 2009 in Canberra at Rydges Lakeside Hotel. 

The Award is an initiative of RIRDC in partnership with the State and Territory agencies responsible for agriculture, primary industry and natural resource management, who manage the Award at State and Territory level. 

The Award’s major stakeholders – the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, provide critical strategic and financial support. 

The Award’s national sponsors are the Australian Women’s Weekly, ABC Radio and Rural Press Ltd.  The Award’s Principal Reunion Forum Sponsor is Westpac Banking Corporation. 

Media enquiries:  Danny O’Brien – RIRDC Communications Manager – 02 6271 4175 or 0438 130 445 
 
 

“The RIRDC Rural Women’s Award has opened up a network of influential people and supportive women and opened my mind to new horizons and future opportunities in primary industries.”

That’s the view of Australian RIRDC Rural Women’s Award 2008 Winner, Ros Smerdon, who is encouraging women from throughout the country to put their hand up for the 2009 Award.

Applications are now being received and rural women are being encouraged to give it a go and enter themselves or nominate someone they think is up to the challenge. 

The RIRDC Rural Women’s Award celebrates rural women and their contribution to primary industries. It gives rural women the chance to discover their strengths and build their capacity to contribute to primary industries and rural Australia. 

Ros Smerdon is an avocado, macadamia and custard apple grower from Queensland’s Glasshouse Mountains and is part of a new generation of horticultural industry leaders. 

Ros is Chairman of Nature’s Fruit Company, a grower owned cooperative which accounts for around 10 per cent of the national avocado crop. She is also Vice Chairman of the Australian Custard Apple Growers Association and sits on numerous other horticultural organisations.

Ros is passionate about growers working cooperatively to ensure they market consistent lines of quality fruit and retain some market power. 

She says the Award is so much more than just winning a state or national title. 

“The entire Award process has opened my mind to new horizons and future opportunities in primary industries. It has been a steep learning curve at times, but the experience gained and the opportunity to learn new skills and knowledge and network with people of influence and with like minded women should not be missed. I would encourage all rural women to enter, not only for the Bursary, but for their own personal and professional development and the exposure to others’ experiences in primary industries.”

The Award is open to all women involved in primary industries, including broad-acre farming, intensive livestock, cropping, horticulture, fisheries, forestry, natural resource management and related service industries. 

The 2009 Award provides a Bursary of $10,000 for each State and Territory winner to support them in developing their leadership capacity and the opportunity for the winner and runner-up in each State and Territory to attend the Australian Institute of Company Director’s course. 

A national RIRDC Rural Women’s Award Winner and Runner-Up is then selected to represent the Award, RIRDC and rural women on a national platform. 

The Award is an initiative of the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation, in partnership with State and Territory agencies responsible for agriculture, primary industries and resources. Major sponsors of the 2009 Award are the Australian Women’s Weekly, ABC Radio and Rural Press Ltd. 

Applications close on World Rural Women’s Day-15th October 2008. 
Application forms are available from RIRDC 02 6271 4100, State Departments of Agriculture and Primary Industries and from ABC Radio Regional Stations. 
And, you can download the Application Brochure and Entry Form in pdf form.

Media inquiries: RIRDC Rural Women’s Award 2008 National Coordinator Edwina Clowes
(0417) 727 544 or clowesedwina@bigpond.com

Mrs Smerdon was named the winner at a gala dinner held in Parliament House in Canberra tonight.  Western Australian olive and protea grower Maggie Edmonds, from Gin Gin was named runner-up.

The Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC) Rural Women’s Award is designed to recognise and encourage the vital contribution women make to rural Australia.

Ros Smerdon is an avocado, macadamia and custard apple grower and chair of the grower owned cooperative Nature’s Fruit Company. She is also Vice President of the Australian Custard Apple Growers Association and a member of numerous other horticultural organizations. 

As part of her award, Ros plans to undertake a study tour of South Africa to benchmark Australian industry against world’s best practice.  She believes through new value adding and marketing opportunities, growers will be able to exert more influence over the market and their returns.

Maggie Edmonds has a long history of involvement in Western Australia’s agricultural industries, most notably in the protea flower, passionfruit and olive industries. 

The winner and runner-up were selected from seven state and territory winners, who each receive a bursary of $10,000 to help them achieve their vision for their industry, and the opportunity to attend the Australian Institute of Company Directors’ course.

RIRDC Managing Director, Dr Peter O’Brien, said Ros and Maggie were the embodiment of the thousands of women who play such a strong role in agriculture and rural communities.

“Rural Australia’s productivity and sustainability depend on the best use of our assets, including our people.  The facts are we are not making the best use of our rural women.

“Women make up only nine per cent of agricultural commodity council members, seven per cent of listed agricultural company directors and 16 per cent of Rural R&D Corporation Board members,” Dr O’Brien said.

“This award provides the opportunity for women to deliver on their vision for rural Australia and gives them the training through the AICD course to step up to positions of leadership.

“As the leading provider of R&D for cross-cutting national rural issues, RIRDC is proud to be supporting rural women through this award.”

The RIRDC Rural Women’s Award 2008 national partners are the Australian Government’s Office for Women, Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Services and Local Government and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. 

The 2008 Award’s three major sponsors are The Australian Women’s Weekly, Rural Press and ABC Radio.

Media enquiries: Danny O’Brien – RIRDC Communications Manager – 02 6271 4175 or 0438 130 445 
 
 

The Rural Women’s Award is an initiative of the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC) in partnership with state and territory government departments of agriculture and primary industries. 

The Award provides a bursary of $10,000 for each of the seven state and territory winners, to help them achieve their vision for their industry and enhance their skills and capacity to contribute to agriculture, natural resource management and rural Australia. 

The Award also offers all state and territory winners and runners-up a chance to attend the Australian Institute of Company Directors’ course. 

The state winners are:

• New South Wales – Tracey Knowland, a nursery owner and plant breeder from the far north coast
• Victoria – Lisa Mahon, an organic herb producer from Dunolly in central Victoria
• Queensland – Ros Smerdon, a horticulturalist from the Glasshouse Mountains
• Western Australia - Maggie Edmonds, an olive producer from Gingin, north of Perth
• South Australia – Domenica Latorre, a rural training and development specialist from the Riverland
• Tasmania – Jeanette Fisher, a dairy farmer and calf rearer from Sheffield 
• Northern Territory – Norma Higgins, a mango and timber grower from Katherine

RIRDC Managing Director, Dr Peter O’Brien, said the role of women in rural Australia needed to be celebrated.

“Women are the backbone of rural Australia and as our finalists prove again this year they are also driving new industries, establishing innovative enterprises and helping improve community life.

“RIRDC is proud to be associated with an award that celebrates their achievements and builds leadership for the future,” Dr O’Brien said.

The RIRDC Rural Women’s Award 2008 national partners are the Australian Government Office for Women, Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Services and Local Government and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. 

The 2008 Award’s three major sponsors are The Australian Women’s Weekly, Rural Press and ABC Radio. 
 

Media enquiries: 
Danny O’Brien – RIRDC Communications Manager – 02 6271 4175 or 0438 130 445

The RIRDC Rural Women’s Award provides a unique opportunity for rural women across the country to pursue their vision for their rural industry and for rural Australia. 

According to the inaugural Australian RIRDC Rural Women’s Award Winner-Martha Shepherd “The Award is one of the few programs nationally that offers up the opportunity and resources for rural women to pursue their vision and to effect significant change within their industry.

Martha Shepherd is a rainforest fruit grower from Queensland’s Sunshine Coast hinterland. She has established with her partner a highly successful value added rural business which produces a range of gourmet products from native rainforest fruits, grown from trees purpose built as a high value, small acreage niche crop. Martha used the Award opportunity to develop a viable value chain management model through which all parties in the chain, through their ability to create more value, can share in the benefits, financial and otherwise of a larger enterprise. The Galeru value chain has created the largest entity growing native Australian rainforest fruit species in Australia, and a viable business model for small acreage producers across rural industries nationally. 

Martha says the Award has not only made her vision of a value chain concept a reality but has transformed her business and her leadership position within her industry. 

“The Award has transformed Galeru from essentially a producers’ market based gourmet business to a commercial sized venture, and the native foods into an economic and environmentally sustainable crop.” 

“The profile and credibility I received through the Award has opened up networks and has allowed me to build new relationships that will prove hugely beneficial to our business and to industry for the longer term.” 

Martha was recently appointed the Innovator in Residence for 2007 by the Centre for Rural and Regional Innovation Queensland, a partnership between the University of Queensland, CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems and the Queensland Department of Primary Industries & Fisheries, an appointment she attributes directly to the Award. 

Applications are now being received for the RIRDC Rural Women’s Award 2008 and rural women are being encouraged to enter themselves or to be nominated by a work colleague, family member or friend. 

The Award is designed to recognise, but more importantly encourage the vital contribution women make to rural Australia. The Award is open to all women involved in agriculture, including broad acre and intensive livestock and cropping enterprises, horticulture, forestry, fisheries, natural resource management and related service industries. 

The 2008 Award provides a Bursary of $10,000 for each of the seven State and Territory winners and the opportunity for the winner and runner up from each State and Territory to attend the Australian Institute of Company Directors’ Course. 

The 2008 Award will again provide the opportunity for an Australian RIRDC Rural Women’s Award 2008 Winner and Runner-Up to be selected from the seven State and Territory winners to represent the Award and RIRDC.

The Award is an initiative of the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation, in partnership with State Government Departments of Agriculture/Primary Industries. Major sponsors of the 2008 Award are the Australian Women’s Weekly, ABC Radio the original instigator of the Award and Rural Press. 

Applications close on World Rural Women’s Day-15th October 2007. Application forms are available from RIRDC (02) 6272 4819, State Departments of Agriculture/Primary Industries, ABC Radio Regional Stations or can be downloaded from the website: www.ruralwomensaward.gov.au

Media inquiries: RIRDC Rural Women’s Award 2008 National Coordinator Edwina Clowes
(0417) 727 544 or clowesedwina@bigpond.com
 
 

26 July 2006

Following on from the success of the 2006 Awards, the RIRDC Rural Women’s Award 2007 will again culminate with the announcement of an Australian winner and runner up at a ceremony to be held in Canberra early next year. 

The inaugural Australian RIRDC Rural Women Award 2006 Winner is Queensland’s Martha Shepherd, a rainforest fruit grower from the Sunshine Coast hinterland, while the inaugural Australian runner up is Western Australia’s Bev Logue, a broad-acre farmer and bio-diesel expert from north of Geraldton. 

Winner Martha Shepherd has established a highly successful rural business producing gourmet products from native rainforest fruits, grown from purpose-grown trees on her small acreage in the Sunshine Coast hinterland. Her vision is to develop a value-chain management model, through which smaller producers can collaborate with regional processors to produce the quality and quantity of product necessary to optimise returns to all businesses. 

Runner-up Bev Logue is involved in establishing a cooperative canola milling facility, in conjunction with a project for regional bio-diesel production for her regional farming community. Bev’s vision is for bio-diesel to be embraced as an economic and environmentally friendly fuel. 

The RIRDC Rural Women’s Award recognises and encourages the vital contribution women make to ruralAustralia, assisting in developing their skills and abilities. Now in its eighth year, the award will provide a Bursary of $10,000 for each of the seven State and Territory winners’ and the opportunity for State and Territory winners and runners up to attend the prestigious Australian Institute of Company Directors’ course. 

Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC) Managing Director Dr Peter O’Brien said the announcement last year of the inaugural Australian Award winner and runner up was an overwhelmingly positive result.

“The selection of an Australian winner and runner up has raised the profile of the Award at a national level and the crucial role that women play in primary industries and ruralAustralia,” Dr O’Brien said.

The RIRDC Rural Women’s Award 2007 supports women with a strong and positive vision for the future of rural Australia and is open to all women involved in agriculture, forestry and fisheries, natural resource management and related service industries. 

The Award is a RIRDC initiative in partnership with State Government Departments of Agriculture/Primary Industries. Major sponsors of the 2007 Award are the Australian Women’s Weekly, ABC Radio the original instigator of the Award and Rural Press. 

Applications are now open and close of World Rural Women’s Day-15th October 2006. Application forms are available from RIRDC (02) 6272 4819, State Departments of Agriculture/Primary Industries, ABC Radio Regional Stations or can be downloaded from the website: www.ruralwomensaward.gov.au

ENDS

Media inquiries:  RIRDC Rural Women’s Award 2006 National Coordinator Edwina Clowes

(0417) 727 544 or clowesedwina@bigpond.com

24 May 2006

Queensland’s Martha Shepherd, a rainforest fruit grower from the Sunshine Coast hinterland, has been named the inaugural Australian RIRDC Rural Women’s Award 2006 Winner and Western Australia’s Bev Logue, a broad-acre farmer and bio-diesel expert from north of Geraldton, the Australian RIRDC Rural Women’s Award 2006 Runner Up. 

The announcement was made last night by the Hon. Julie Bishop MP, the Federal Minister for Education, Science and Training, on behalf of the Prime Minister, at the Australian RIRDC Rural Women’s Award 2006 Dinner, proudly presented by the Australian Women’s Weekly in Canberra. 

The RIRDC Rural Women’s Award recognises the vital contribution women make to primary industries and rural Australia and encourages their greater capacity by providing them with the support and resources to further develop their skills and abilities. 

Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC) Managing Director Dr Peter O’Brien says the decision of selecting the inaugural national winner and runner up was an extremely tough one. 

“Martha and Bev were selected on merit, for their inspiring visions for their industries, the further contribution they will make to primary industries and rural Australia and for their strong potential leadership skills.”

“But given the extremely high calibre of all our Award 2006 State and Territory Winner and Runners Up, the decision as to who would be our first ever Australian Winner and Runner Up was an extremely difficult one.”

Martha Shepherd has established with her partner a highly successful value added rural business which produces a range of gourmet products from native rainforest fruits, grown from trees purpose built as a high value niche crop on their small acreage in the Sunshine Coast hinterland. 

Her vision is to develop a viable chain management model, through which small producers can collaborate with regional processors to produce the quantity and quality of product necessary to optimise returns to their businesses. The model if proven successful holds major implications for small acreage producers across rural industries nationally. 

Bev Logue in partnership with her husband run a broad-acre share cropping enterprise at Binnu north of Geraldton. Bev is also involved in establishing a cooperative canola milling facility for the Northern Agricultural Region, in conjunction with a proof of concept project for regional bio-diesel production for the farming community of Binnu. 

Her vision is to see Australian farmers and the broader community embrace bio-diesel as an economic and environmentally friendly alternate fuel sourced from renewable resources that frees farmers from their dependence on the major oil companies. 

According to Dr O’Brien “Martha and Bev represent the diversity and enterprise of today’s rural industries. Martha is a small acreage farmer and from a new and emerging industry, striving to find a solution to one of agriculture major problems of urban encroachment and securing a viable return from small farms. While Bev represents the broad acre and more traditional farmers, focused on future farm viability and rural community sustainability by reducing cost pressures and dependence on external influences.”

“Both Martha and Bev have a busy and exciting year ahead of them, in raising the profile of the Award and the contribution women make to agriculture and to rural Australia in the national arena. The Award will also raise their profile and open up exciting new opportunity for personal development and exposure to new ideas and people.”

The Award provides a Bursary of $10,000 for each of the seven State and Territory winners, to help them achieve their vision for their industry and in doing so enhance their skills and capacity to contribute to primary industries and natural resource management and rural Australia.

The Award also provides the opportunity for all State and Territory Winners AND Runners Up, to attend the Australian Institute of Company Directors’ course, which they are currently in Canberra participating in.

The Award also provides the opportunity for each of the State and Territory winners and runners up to attend the Australian Institute of Company Directors course. 

The Australia is an initiative of the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation in partnership with State Government Departments of Agriculture and Primary Industries. The Award 2006 three major sponsors are The Australian Women’s Weekly, Rural Press and ABC Radio-the original instigator of the ABC Radio Australian Rural Woman of the Year. 

ENDS

Media inquiries:

RIRDC Rural Women’s Award 2006 National Coordinator Edwina Clowes

(0417) 727 544 or clowesedwina@bigpond.com

19 September 2005

The RIRDC Rural Women’s Award opens doors to new career opportunities and creates new demand and interest from the business community.

That’s the common message from the RIRDC Rural Women’s Award 2004 State and Territory winners, who have just reported back to the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation on their achievements during their twelve month tenure. 

The 2004 recipients have used the Award to chase market intelligence and forge new markets for their businesses and industries, to profile and publicise rural women in their industries and to deliver professional training to women in rural Australia. 

Victorian Award 2004 winner Marilyn Lanyon used the Award to undertake a marketing mission into South East Asia, to pursue new contacts and markets for her valued-added tomato products ‘Simply Tomatoes’. 

Marilyn says Award resulted in a lot of media exposure and guest speaking opportunities that resulted in a huge increase in domestic demand for ‘Simply Tomatoes’. 

“The media exposure was astounding, I was profiled in both the Australian Women’s Weekly and Friday Magazine, and appeared on the Geoff Jansz Fresh Cooking program, just to name a few,” she said.

“We now have over 150 stockists of our product throughout Australia and export to 19 countries thanks to the exposure I received as an Award winner.”

South Australia Award 2004 winner Jeanette Long said the Award has extended her professional development and opened up exciting new career opportunities. 

Jeanette used the Award to pilot a professional development and training initiative for women in the bush. The program Women Embracing Agriculture Together (WEAT) provided rural women in regional areas with new skills and training in strategic planning, leadership and business benchmarking. 

“The Award has grown my confidence in my professional leadership skills to the point where I have now left paid employment to pursue my vision of setting up a consultancy”, she said. 

“The Award has also opened up amazing new career opportunities for me, including National Project Manager for the Partners in Grain project and as Independent Chair to PIRSA’s Inland Fisheries Management Committee.”

The completion of the 2004 Award Winners activities and the filing of their final reports coincides with the opening of the new RIRDC Rural Women’s Award 2006.

For the first time since its inception seven years ago, the Award is going national and offering the opportunity for one of the seven State and Territory winners to be selected as the RIRDC Rural Women’s Award 2006 National Winner, to represent the Award in highlighting at a national level the contribution women make to rural Australia. 

The Award 2006 supports women with a strong and positive vision for the future of rural Australia and is open to all women involved in agriculture, including forestry and fisheries, natural resource management and related service industries.

The RIRDC Rural Women’s Award 2006 provides a Bursary of $10,000 for each of the seven State and Territory winners’ and the opportunity for State and Territory winners and runners up to attend the prestigious Australian Institute of Company Directors’ course.

The Award is an initiative of the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation in partnership with State Government Departments of Agriculture/Primary Industries. 

Three major sponsors are the Australian Women’s Weekly, Rural Press and ABC Radio. 

Applications close on World Rural Women’s Day-15 October 2005. 

Application forms are available from RIRDC (02) 6272 4819, State Departments of Agriculture/Primary Industries, ABC Regional Radio Stations or can be downloaded from the website: www.ruralwomensaward.gov.au

ENDS
Media inquiries: 
RIRDC Rural Women’s Award 2006 National Coordinator Edwina Clowes
(0417) 727 544 or clowesedwina@bigpond.com

RIRDC Rural Women’s Award 2004 Victorian Winner Marilyn Lanyon (0428) 554 235
RIRDC Rural Women’s Award 2004 South Australian Winner Jeanette Long (0438) 373 993
 
 

2 August 2005

The new RIRDC Rural Women’s Award 2006, launched today, will culminate with the announcement of a National Award winner at a ceremony to be held in Canberra in March 2006.

Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC) managing director Dr Peter O’Brien said past winners reported it had been a “life changing experience” to win one of the State awards. 

“This life changing experience will be further enhanced for the National Award winner, who will use the title to highlight the contribution women make to rural Australia, and to undertake personal development from opportunities the Award will bring,” Dr O’Brien said.

“Past winners of the State awards have gone on to develop export markets of salmon into Japan, olive oil to China, plums to China, wildflowers to India and wine to Hong Kong and Singapore.

“In addition, others have taken out some of Australia’s top wine and cheese awards.”

RIRDC Rural Women’s Award 2000 NSW winner Diana Gibbs believes the new National Award will raise the profile of women participating in the event and in the rural sector in general.

“The Award is already a prestigious event but the selection of a National Winner will significantly raise its profile and highlight the vital role that women play in rural Australia,” Diana said.

Diana and her husband own and operate a wool/grain farming business in south-west NSW, and she used her Award Bursary for a project to develop a range of pure wool fashion accessories made from Australian wool.

The “Diana Gibbs – Australian collection” label was launched at the Mercedes Australian Fashion Week in May 2003.  Over the past two years, outlets have been established in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Adelaide, and Hobart, as well as in country centres such as Berry, Berrima, and Uralla. 

An export program was commenced in 2005, and markets have now been found in Denmark, and the UK, with other outlets being developed in Dubai and Russia. 

Now in its seventh year, the RIRDC Rural Women’s Award 2006 will provide a Bursary of $10,000 for each of the seven State and Territory winners. It also provides the opportunity for all State and Territory winners and runners up to attend the prestigious Australian Institute of Company Directors’ course.

The RIRDC Rural Women’s Award 2006 supports women with a strong and positive vision for the future of rural Australia and is open to all women involved in agriculture, including forestry and fisheries, natural resource management and related service industries.

The Award is an initiative of the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation in partnership with State Government Departments of Agriculture/Primary Industries. 

The Award 2006 three major sponsors are the Australian Women’s Weekly, Rural Press and ABC Radio. 

Applications are now open and close on World Rural Women’s Day-15 October 2005. Application forms are available from RIRDC (02) 6272 4819, State Departments of Agriculture/Primary Industries, ABC Regional Radio Stations or can be downloaded from the website: www.ruralwomensaward.gov.au

ENDS
Media inquiries: 
RIRDC Rural Women’s Award 2005 National Coordinator Edwina Clowes
(0417) 727 544 or clowesedwina@bigpond.com

RIRDC Rural Women’s Award 2000 NSW Winner Diana Gibbs (02) 6942 3898
 
 

RIRDC Rural Women’s Award Goes National   

The RIRDC Rural Women’s Award, for the first time since its inception seven years ago, is going national and offering the opportunity for one of the seven State and Territory winners to be selected as the Australian Award 2006 Winner.

The RIRDC Rural Women’s Award 2006 is now open (1st August) and receiving applications, with rural women strongly encouraged to apply themselves or be nominated by a colleague or relevant organization. 

The Award is designed to recognize, but more importantly encourage the vital contribution women make to agriculture and rural Australia, by providing them with the support and resources to further develop their skills and abilities. 

The Award whilst acknowledging past achievement, is clearly focused on supporting women with strong leadership skills, a positive vision for the future of agriculture and the potential to make a difference in their chosen field. 

State and Territory winners will each win a Bursary of $10,000 to pursue their vision, with winners AND runners up in each State and Territory receiving the opportunity to attend the prestigious Australian Institute of Company Directors’ Course. 

The RIRDC Rural Women’s Award is an initiative of the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation, in partnership with the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and State and Territory agencies responsible for agriculture, primary industries and resource development, who manage the Award at a State and Territory level. 

The Award is proudly supported by Rural Press, ABC Radio and the Australian Women’s Weekly. 

Nominations are open from 1st August 2005 for a period of eleven weeks and close on 15th October 2005- World Rural Women’s Day.

Applications can be collected from State and Territory agencies responsible for agriculture, primary industries and resource development, ABC Radio regional stations or can be downloaded from the website: www.ruralwomensaward.gov.au

ENDS

More information: 
Edwina Clowes. RIRDC Rural Women’s Award 2006 National Coordinator: (0417) 727 544