16 January 2008 - Passionate Queensland producers vie for national award

Acting Minister for Primary Industries and Fisheries Andrew Fraser today announced the four Queensland finalists vying for the prestigious 2008 Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation's Rural Women's Award.

The finalists, all directors of family farming enterprises, are:
• Jeanie Conachan, a cotton and grain grower from Theodore in Central Queensland
• Georgina Somerset, a beef producer from Durong, near Kingaroy
• Rosslyn Smerdon, an avocado and custard apple producer on the Sunshine Coast and
• Helen West, proprietor of the Australian Pumpkin Seed Company from Chinchilla.

"I would like to congratulate these passionate and committed women for their contribution to the development of their respective industries and communities," Mr Fraser said

"DPI&F coordinates this award in Queensland and is committed to supporting and promoting the work of innovators in agriculture."

The winner of the RIRDC Rural Women's Award will receive a $10,000 bursary to implement a project that contributes to the development of their own skills and benefits primary industries.

The Queensland winner then competes with other state and territory winners for Australian Rural Woman of the Year.

Last year’s Queensland winner was Sonya Maley, who owns Resis Australia, a company that uses cane separation technology to create juice concentrates and healthy functional foods containing increased dietary fibre.

The Queensland winner will be announced on February 13, 2008.

Members of the public are welcome to attend the ceremony.

Contact the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries on 07 32393515 for details.


FINALISTS’ PROFILES

Jeanie Conachan: Director, ‘Acacia’, Theodore:

Jeanie’s family owns a mixed farming enterprise in central Queensland and Jeanie also works as a Technical Officer with a resource consultancy firm providing field services including water quality monitoring and preparing land and water management plans for landholders in the Dawson catchment area.
Jeanie is a committed to ensuring the long-term sustainability of rural industries through the adoption of best practice faming methods and effective natural resource management.
She is an active member of local industry and community development organisations including the Dawson Valley Cotton Growers Association, the Dawson Valley Development Association, AgForce and Fitzroy Basin Food and Fibre.
She is also an executive committee member of Women in Cotton.
Her project involves creating an action learning project Women Digging Deeper aimed at empowering rural women to recognise and develop their skills in order to enhance their businesses, industries and communities.

Rosslyn Smerdon, Director, Smerdon Enterprises, Glasshouse Mountains:

Horticulture producer, Ros Smerdon farms avocados, custard apples and macadamias in the Glasshouse Mountains north of Brisbane.
She is Chairman of Natures Fruit Company – a grower owned co-operative; vice-president of the Australian Custard Apple Growers Association and President of the Jadefruit Custard Apple Marketing Group.
Ros is passionate about encouraging growers to work cooperatively so that they can be in a better position to deal with the increasing challenges facing primary producers today including drought, urban encroachment and competition from imported products.
Australian avocado production will increase in the next few years and Ros plans to research value-adding opportunities for avocado growers. Her project involves undertaking a study tour to South Africa to benchmark the Westfalia avocado operations and value-adding processing plant with Australian industry.

Georgina Somerset, Director, ‘My Yon’ Durong:

Beef producer Georgie Somerset is passionate about the land and ensuring the long-term sustainability of rural industries and communities.
Georgie was a founding member of the Queensland Rural Women’s Network and the organisation’s media coordinator for ten years.
She is a member of the National Rural Advisory Council and a Director of the National Foundation for Australian Women and is actively involved in industry and community organisations including AgForce, the Burrandowan Picnic Race Club and the Durong South State School P&C.
Since 1985, Georgie has also been involved in marketing rural Australia to urban communities. Her project involves developing a web portal to provide information on events, industries and communities in rural Australia. In other words her project aims to provide a gateway to the bush for city dwellers increasingly interested in learning more about the rural lifestyle.

Helen West, Director, The Australian Pumpkin Seed Company, Chinchilla: For the past 23 years, Helen West and her family have grazed cattle and cropped using organic principles on their 1000 acre property at Chinchilla in South West Queensland.
In 1988, they began faming the Curcubita Pepo var Styrica pumpkins, a variety new to Australian growers.
Helen’s husband John is a native of Slovenia, a country where this variety of hull-less pumpkin seed and pumpkin seed oil are prized for both their taste and health benefits.
Pumpkin seed oil, with its very nutty flavour is a staple that is poured liberally over salads, meats and even ice-cream.
The Wests currently produce 6000 litres of organic pumpkin seed oil at their farm's factory each year.
Helen is committed to developing the industry further in Australia. Her project involves creating a business model for involving other producers in growing this particular pumpkin variety; researching its health benefits in depth and exploring opportunities for further value-adding.

Media Contact: Chris Ward (for Minister Fraser) 0418 424 654
or DPI&F Women in Rural Industries on 3239 3254 (photos available)