STRENGTH in the face of adversity and community collaboration over the past 12 months has helped the town of Cleve stand out from four other finalists to win the state government's inaugural 2019 Agricultural Town of the Year.
A six-person independent judging panel assessed the five finalist towns of Cleve, Langhorne Creek, Millicent, Renmark and Kapunda against a select set of criteria.
Announcing the winner during the SA Regional Showcase in the Barossa on Friday night, Primary Industries and Regional Development Minister Tim Whetstone congratulated Cleve as the well-deserved winner.
"Cleve is an outstanding example of a community working together to support the growth of agriculture and this win is a true testament to its resilience in tough times," he said.
"The eastern Eyre Peninsula has been one of the hardest hit areas by drought and the small community in Cleve has been proactive in running programs to keep spirits up and bolster physical and mental wellbeing, as well as continuing to drive on-farm innovation.
"Cleve scored highly with the judges in the categories of community resilience, agricultural leadership, collaboration and support for the promotion of agriculture in the town."
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Primary Producers SA chair Rob Kerin, one of the independent judges, said Cleve stood out because of a strong community backbone.
"It was clear to us that the support from the business community in Cleve has been tremendous," he said.
"Everyone's got involved and done their bit, particularly with Cleve Area School's training farm, Sim's Farm.
"Keeping that standard of agricultural education in Cleve has been a real win for the EP.
"It's also amazing to see the EP Field Days being held with a volunteer board - a standout event in the region."
The agricultural industry in the Cleve District Council area contributes $75.4 million in regional exports, translating to over 74 per cent of the region's exports and contributing $31.6m in value added to the economy.
Mr Whetstone said the Regional Showcase was an excellent way to highlight the incredible contribution our regions make to the economy.
Also recognised on the night, was the Yorke Peninsula Fat Farmers, which took out the Community Award; Bowhill Engineering won the Business Award; while the Warrawong Wildlife Sanctuary at Mylor won the People's Choice Award.
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