Published Wednesday, 13 February, 2008 at 03:42 PM
Minister for Primary Industries and Fisheries
The Honourable Tim Mulherin
Sunshine Coast producer takes Queensland award
The winner of the 2008 Queensland RIRDC Rural Women’s Award is Sunshine Coast producer Rosslyn Smerdon, who is working with fellow growers to develop new value-added avocado products.
Ms Smerdon farms avocados, custard apples and macadamias. As chairman of Natures Fruit Company - a grower owned co-operative - she is passionate about the need for growers to work cooperatively so that they can be in a better position to deal with the increasing challenges facing primary producers today.
Ms Smerdon plans to use the $10,000 bursary prize to undertake a study tour to South Africa to benchmark the Westfalia avocado operations and value-adding processing plant against the Australian industry.
She believes this research will contribute to the long-term economic sustainability of the avocado industry.
As the winner, Ms Smerdon will attend the Australian Institute of Company Directors Course in Canberra and will also be in the running to be named the national winner of the award.
Georgina Somerset, a beef producer from Durong near Kingaroy was named runner-up.
Minister for Primary Industries and Fisheries, Tim Mulherin announced the winner today at a gala ceremony in Brisbane.
"The Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries is committed to supporting and promoting the work of innovators in primary industries,” Mr Mulherin said.
“I congratulate Ms Smerdon, Ms Somerset and the other finalists in this year’s award who are passionate and visionary in their contributions to sustainable agriculture in Queensland.”
The Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries sponsors and coordinates the annual Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation’s Rural Women's Award in Queensland.
FINALISTS’ PROFILES
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.
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.
Media:
Minister’s office 3239 6530
DPI&F Kaye Nunan 3239 3254
Ms Smerdon farms avocados, custard apples and macadamias. As chairman of Natures Fruit Company - a grower owned co-operative - she is passionate about the need for growers to work cooperatively so that they can be in a better position to deal with the increasing challenges facing primary producers today.
Ms Smerdon plans to use the $10,000 bursary prize to undertake a study tour to South Africa to benchmark the Westfalia avocado operations and value-adding processing plant against the Australian industry.
She believes this research will contribute to the long-term economic sustainability of the avocado industry.
As the winner, Ms Smerdon will attend the Australian Institute of Company Directors Course in Canberra and will also be in the running to be named the national winner of the award.
Georgina Somerset, a beef producer from Durong near Kingaroy was named runner-up.
Minister for Primary Industries and Fisheries, Tim Mulherin announced the winner today at a gala ceremony in Brisbane.
"The Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries is committed to supporting and promoting the work of innovators in primary industries,” Mr Mulherin said.
“I congratulate Ms Smerdon, Ms Somerset and the other finalists in this year’s award who are passionate and visionary in their contributions to sustainable agriculture in Queensland.”
The Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries sponsors and coordinates the annual Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation’s Rural Women's Award in Queensland.
FINALISTS’ PROFILES
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.
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.
Media:
Minister’s office 3239 6530
DPI&F Kaye Nunan 3239 3254