South Australia’s young regional leaders have been honoured at the Agriculture Bureau of South Australia’s Spirit of Excellence Awards.
Highlighting the passion, innovation and dedication of the next generation of agriculturalists, a record number of outstanding applications made it a tough job for the judging panel, who announced the winners at an Awards dinner at Roseworthy Campus last week.
Taking out the $5,000 Rural Youth Bursary was Emily Weir from Section28 Artisan Cheeses in the Adelaide Hills. Emily is a specialist in the ripening and aging of cheese to enhance its flavour and texture. The Bursary sponsored by PIRSA provides young people (aged 18-30) working in rural communities the opportunity to further their education, pursue a study
tour, or develop a special project that benefits their community.
Emily plans to use the bursary to study affinage techniques at Mons Formation in France, further enhancing her skills and bringing global best practices back to South Australia, to hopefully further position the Adelaide Hills dairy industry as a leader in artisan cheesemaking.
“This bursary gives me the opportunity to learn from world leaders in affinage and bring back cutting-edge techniques to South Australia. I’m excited to help elevate the artisan cheese industry in the Adelaide Hills.”
Janette Ridgway, Chair of the Agricultural Bureau of South Australia said Emily’s commitment to excellence and her passion for supporting the local dairy industry make her a deserving winner. “Her pursuit of further knowledge in affinage will not only benefit her career but also the broader artisan food sector in South Australia.”
Waikerie Farmer, Tim Paschke, was awarded a $10,000 Sustainable Agriculture Scholarship, which he plans to use to travel to Western Australia and other regions to meet with farmers facing challenges in cropping.
The 41-year-old has implemented a range of innovative farming practices on his family’s 4,500-hectare Mallee farm, including
no-till cropping, stubble retention, and trials aimed at managing dryland salinity.
“Being able to connect with other farmers facing the same challenges and learning from their experiences is invaluable. I’m looking forward to bringing new ideas back to our farm and sharing them with the local farming community,” he said.
Janette Ridgway said Tim is a dedicated farmer, and his focus on improving both productivity and sustainability is exactly the
mindset we need in agriculture today.
She said this year’s awards showcased the dedication of South Australia’s young agriculturalists to continuous learning and community contribution.
“The Agricultural Bureau congratulates the 2024 winners and finalists and looks forward to the lasting impact their work will have on the agricultural industry and rural communities in South Australia.”
