Turning waste into worth – Kelly Johnson’s sustainable food business wins her AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award
Murraylands food innovator, Kelly Johnson, has been named SA’s 2025 AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award winner, for creating a business that changes the thinking around food waste.
SPhiker transforms surplus and second-grade produce -straight from local farms, into meals for campers and hikers, that are shelf-stable, nutritious, and tasty. It’s a win for farmers, adventurers, and the planet.
With her $15,000 Westpac grant, Kelly plans to scale things up with new equipment to streamline production and allow even more local produce to be rescued and reimagined.
A huge supporter of women-led businesses, she’s recently teamed up with another female-led brand, The Gathered Bowl Patties, adding even more protein-packed goodness to the SPhiker range. Another partnership close to her heart is Operation Flinders – which SPhiker now supplies with allergy-friendly meals for young adventurers taking on the elements in the Flinders Ranges.
Right now, she’s running a fundraiser for Walking SA, donating fifteen per cent of all sales to help get more South Aussies moving. And she doesn’t just save and sell produce, she also holds classes teaching the art of preserving your own backyard produce.
Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development Clare Scriven said Kelly’s leadership is opening up new opportunities for South Australian growers while championing responsible consumption. “Her innovative approach is contributing to both economic resilience and environmental progress across our rural regions,” she said.
State finalists, Marie Ellul, Emma Gilbert and Annabelle Homer are also doing extraordinary things in their own corners of the state. From tech to education to rural storytelling, these entrepreneurial women are all shaping a more connected, creative, and community-driven future for regional SA.
Kelly will represent SA at the Agrifutures Rural Women’s National Awards in Canberra later this year, with the winner receiving an additional $20,000 grant and the runner-Up, $15,000.
