FEDERAL Lyons MP Eric Hutchinson has congratulated four outstanding Tasmanian rural women after they were named as state finalists in this year’s Rural Women’s Award earlier today.
Mr Hutchinson said after attending the awards ceremony at Relbia, he was delighted that three out of the four finalists were from the electorate of Lyons.
“It goes to show the calibre of our high achieving country women,’’ Mr Hutchinson said.
Selbourne woman Annette Reed was named this year’s winner in Tasmania of the national awards.
Lilydale business woman Sarah Hirst was the runner-up.
Hagley farmer Christie McLeod was given the encouragement award for 2014 while Squeaking Point agricultural extension officer Rachel Brown was the other finalist.
Ms Reed is the immediate past president of the Tasmanian Women in Agriculture and was the founder of Rural Help @ Hand while also running Four Springs Produce, a small horticultural-based business.
She plans to undertake a 35 day study tour to the US and Canada to explore successful niche market tomato and garlic enterprises.
Ms Hirst began her career in journalism, training at The Examiner Newspaper and then working at The Weekly Times and the Herald Sun before being offered a position with the Canberra Press Gallery focussing on rural issues.
She and her husband bought the Leaning Church Vineyard, at Lilydale and have developed it as a function centre as well as vineyard.
She wants to study and develop a model for an interactive farm-gate “meet the producer’’ trail for farmers.
Ms McLeod wants to take a study tour to the US to investigate the country’s Land Link program which aims to connect retiring landholders with aspiring new agriculturalists in individually negotiated share farming arrangements for the preservation of the industry.
Ms Brown has more than 15 years’ experience in agricultural research, development and extension.
She has led major extension activities in climate change, irrigation and property management planning.
Her project is to take a group of Tasmanian women dairy farmers and industry influencers to new Zealand to see firsthand the risks and rewards of expansion.
Last year’s Tasmania’s winner was Katie Coad, from Margate and runner-up was Georgie Bond, from Cressy.
The national Rural Women’s Award is Australia’s pre-eminent award for rural women with each of the finalists receiving a $10,000 bursary.
The national winner will be announced on September 24 at the national award celebration dinner, at Parliament House, Canberra.
More information on the awards can be found at www.rirdc.gov.au/rural-women’s-award.
Eric Hutchinson, Federal Liberal Candidate for Lyons www.erichutchinson.com.au
