STRENGTHENING her knowledge of sustainable farming practices, sharing that with her community and challenging set ways of thinking were the catalysts behind Kimba's Ellen Zibell being awarded the Sustainable Agriculture Scholarship at the Agricultural Bureau of SA's Spirit of Excellence in Agriculture Awards.
The awards, held in Adelaide on Friday last week, recognise innovators and up and coming talent in the agriculture industry, with the award money helping fund further research and innovation.
Sponspored by the Department of Environment and Water, the Sustainable Agriculture Scholarship of $8000 was awarded to Kimba's Ellen Zibell, who with her husband and children runs a mixed farming enterprise at Buckleboo.
She also sells healthy foods and wellbeing products in Kimba's Workshop 26 marketplace.
Mrs Zibell is heavily involved with local farming groups and wants to find alternatives to mainstream thinking on soil and crop management by trialling small areas on local farms, bringing speakers in from across Australia to challenge current thinking and experimenting with alternative crops.
"We intend to go and visit some farmers in WA, NSW and Vic, dependent on COVID, to learn from farmers who are using regenerative and sustainable practices to investigate different methods that will improve the health and wellbeing of our farm and our land," she said.
"From that, I hope to host an on-farm ag event next year for anyone interested and bring in speakers from out of town that are practicing a bit of everything, including sustainable farming.
"I also want to make sure I engage kids in our local school and other ag schools around the EP to make sure we're including the next generation of agriculture as well."
The $5000 Rural Youth Bursary, sponsored by PIRSA, was won by Matthew Maunder, Renmark, who is a technical officer working at Costa Group.
Mr Maunder had planned to attend the International Citrus Congress, an event held every four years aiming to strengthen the development of technology and science for citrus growers across the world, which has since been postponed due to COVID-19.
With the congress postponed, Mr Maunder instead plans to use the bursary to undertake a masterclass in Horticultural Business through the University of Tasmania.
He wants to conduct research to further expand his knowledge of the industry, with a long-term goal of owning his own citrus farm in the Riverland.
"From this research, I'm hoping to make improvements to sustainability of the horticultural industry by looking at water, labour as well as resource sustainability which is critical for the food industry as a whole," he said.
"I'm also looking forward to, through the Ag Bureau, being able to share this knowledge."
Mundulla's Edward Downing was named the Lois Harris Scholarship winner in May and was also presented on the night.
The $2000 scholarship is sponsored by the Bureau and is given to a first year student undertaking a Bachelor of Agricultural Sciences at the University of Adelaide.
With the scholarship funds, he planned to visit large scale sheep feedlot operations in NSW and QLD, but with COVID-19 travel restrictions has changed plans to visit SA-based operations over summer in a bid to learn what makes large scale feedlots successful.
"My passion for this area stems from my upbringing in Mundulla," he said.
"We have our own feedlot where I spend a lot of my time in Summer, maintaining what can be up to 3000 head.
"After spending so much time in this area, I've always thought how we could improve this facet of our farm and improve efficiencies."
GROSSMAN RECOGNISED FOR BUREAU SERVICE
Long-serving Agriculture Bureau of SA chair Mark Grossman, who stepped down from the board after reaching the maximum nine-year term, was awarded the Service to Primary Production Award.
Mr Grossman, who filled the chair role for eight of those nine years on the board, thanked those who had served alongside him, the bureau branches and members, and stakeholders for their commitment and support.
"It has been my pleasure to lead Ag Bureau and represent the interests of our state's farming families and communities, and to be involved in the annual Spirit of Excellence Awards night," he said.
Mr Grossman said the first meeting he attended nine years ago coincided with the Bureau's funding being cut and after initial fears about the Bureau's future, he was proud to step down with the Bureau in good shape.
"Nine years on, we're still going strong," he said.
"The members have all pulled together and worked as a team."
Stepping into Mr Grossman's role as the new chair is Wolseley's Janette Ridgway, the Bureau's former treasurer, who paid tribute to Mr Grossman's passion and committment.
"To hear Mark talk about the Bureau and what it can do for members and the local community with such enthusiasm perfectly reflects the role that we believe Ag Bureau has for our members, our state's primary industries sector and our communities," she said.
Freeling's Corbin Schuster has joined the committee as the new Barossa and Light representative, with Clem Fitzgerald (Eyre Peninsula), Peter O'Neil (Fleurieu Peninsula, Hills & KI), Darren Kennedy (Riverland and Mallee) and Bevan Oster (Yorke Peninsula and Mid North) continuing.
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