MEDIA RELEASE EMBARGOED 9 PM 13/10/16
Thursday13 October 2016
CELEBRATING EXCELLENCE IN SOUTH AUSTRALIAN AGRICULTURE
A young farmer and an agronomist have been recognised for their potential as future leaders of South Australian agriculture at the Ag Bureau 2016 Spirit of Excellence Awards dinner.
Christopher Hallion, a production assistant at a broadacre cropping enterprise in Marrabel, was named winner of the Peter Olsen Fellowship and Matthew Howell, a pasture and crop agronomist from Meningie, the recipient of the Rural Youth Bursary sponsored by Primary Industries and Regions SA (PIRSA).
Christopher, who moved to the mid-north to gain work experience on a large farming enterprise plans to use the $8000fellowship for additional intensive study and agronomic tours to learn more about managing constraints on broadacre production systems.
As an external student at the University of New England, the Fellowship will provide opportunities to learn from peers and participate more fully in university life.
“So far during my degree I’ve been equipped with valuable research, knowledge and a good base to start exploring the science of agriculture.
“The Fellowship will allow me to attend on-campus intensives, practicals, participate in field trips and learn lessons for problem solving out in the field”, Christopher said.
Winner of the Rural Youth Bursarysponsored by PIRSA, Matthew Howell, is currently a pasture and crop agronomist for Platinum Ag Services in Meningie. Matthew plans to use the $5000 bursary to study high value irrigated crops being grown in Tasmania and New Zealand that may benefit the Lower Lakes district and Meningie community.
“The use of maize, brassicas and fodder beet [in New Zealand] is cutting edge and there are immediate applications for this information in my area.
“The ability for people to grow higher value crops under irrigated areas will have enormous flow on effects to the community. When local farmers are doing well there is job security and a reason for people to stay in the town”, Matthew said.
Chair of the Agricultural Bureau of South Australia, Mark Grossman said that the applicants for this year’s awards were of extremely high calibre.
“It was a difficult job to choose just one winner for each award.
“In the end we chose the applicants who were best able to demonstrate how their study will benefit the wider agricultural community. The sharing of knowledge and encouragement of excellence in agriculture is a core function of the Ag Bureau movement”, Mark said
John Reed from Barmera in the Riverland, was awarded the Services to Primary Production Award for his contribution to primary production over a significant period of time.
John has been a member of the Barmera Ag Bureau for 47 years and has been instrumental in changing the face of viticulture and horticulture in the Riverland and further afield.
Media Contact
Mark Grossman Karen Baines
Chair Agriculture Bureau of SA Awards Co-ordinator, Agricultural Bureau of SA
0408 085 682 0421 677 860
Spirit of Excellence in Agriculture Awards
Peter Olsen Fellowship
An annual agricultural fellowship awarded to a young farmer between the ages of 18 and 35 which aims to boost on-farm skills and knowledge.
The funds go towards further study, study tours or special projects.
It is named after the late Peter Olsen, an Advisory Board of Agriculture member at the time of this death in a tragic plan accident in 2002.
2016winner: Christopher Hallion
Rural Youth Bursarysponsored by Primary Industries and Regions SA
The Rural Youth Bursary is a grant for young people, aged between 18 and 30 years of age working in rural areas.
It provides the opportunity to pursue further study, undertake a study tour or develop a special project in their chosen career.
2016winner:Matthew Howell
Services to Primary Production
This award, nominated by Agricultural Bureau branches, recognises the provision of exceptional services to primary productions.
Eligibility is not restricted to farmers but to anyone involved with primary production including the service industries, government, education and agri-politics.
2016 recipient:John Reed
Awards Contact
Mark Grossman Karen Baines
Chair Agriculture Bureau of SA Awards Co-ordinator, Agricultural Bureau of SA
0408 085 682 0421 677 860
Back row (L-R): Mark Wilson (SA Water, Bureau Sponsor); Mark Grossman (Ag Bureau SA Chair); Brett Smith (Rural Business Support, Awards Dinner Sponsor); Daniel Casement (PIRSA, Rural Youth Bursary Award Sponsor)
Front row (L-R): John Reed (Barmera Ag Bureau, 2016 Service to Primary Production Award); Jana Dixon (Clare, 2016 Lois Harris Scholarship); Matt Howell (Meningie, 2016 Rural Youth Bursary); Chris Hallion (Marrabel, 2016 Peter Olsen Fellowship)