State's top farmers announced
A lucerne producer from Forbes and a turf farmer from Windsor are the winners of the State’s top farming honours at the annual Farmer and Young Farmer of the Year awards in Sydney tonight.
Initiated by the NSW Farmers' Association and the NSW Government, the awards acknowledge agricultural excellence with an emphasis on farmers who combine sustainability with profitability.
Gary Johnston, whose property ‘Merriment’ near Forbes features a raft of sustainability initiatives such as the planting of 15,000 trees, took out the 2006 NSW Farmer of Year (FOTY) award for his highly improved irrigated lucerne, cattle and lamb enterprise.
Manager of Millers Turf Supplies, Greg Miller, took out the Young Farmer of the Year award for his innovative approach to the growing and marketing of a wide range of turf varieties, with a focus on drought resistance.
Simon Turnbull of Warren and Robert and Maree Goodear of Cassilis were the runners-up in the FOTY award. Young Farmer of the Year runner-up was David Seis of Dunedoo.
Gary Johnston’s award recognised his market-driven approach to the production of a range of crops in addition to lucerne, including vegetables, oilseeds and cereals. The quality of Gary’s lucerne was high enough for him to establish a line of natural fertiliser and garden mulch products, in addition to marketing it as a premier livestock feed.
Greg Miller’s award recognised his commitment to sustainability through efficient water usage including the installation of sedimentation ponds, the ongoing improvement of OH&S on-farm to ensure the safety of farm staff, and involvement in industry leadership at state and national level.
NSW Minister for Primary Industries Ian Macdonald and NSW Farmers’ Association President Jock Laurie said this year’s awards had again attracted an outstanding range of applicants.
“Tonight’s winners – and indeed all of the finalists – embody the principles of successful farming particularly in the face of this difficult drought,” Mr Macdonald said.
“Both Gary and Greg are striving to get the best out of their natural resources and have placed a strong emphasis on water management and soil health.”
NSW Farmers’ Association Jock Laurie said the finalists all demonstrated commitment to research and innovation, with market-focused strategies in place to help ensure their profitability.
“This year’s finalists illustrate those qualities that make our farmers world-class: diversity, environmental responsibility, commitment and vision,” he said.
The Farmer of the Year was awarded $10,000 and the Young Farmer of the Year received $5,000 to further develop and improve their farming enterprises. The runners-up received $1,000. The awards were presented at the NSW Farmers' Association annual conference dinner. This year’s awards are also supported by The Land newspaper and the Royal Agricultural Society (RAS).
Judges included Marie Russell (independent chair & Cobar grazier), Jock Laurie (President, NSW Farmers Association), Renata Brooks (DPI Deputy Director-General, Agriculture and Fisheries), Vernon Graham (Rural Press), and Edgar Downes (RAS Councillor & Camden dairy farmer).
Biographies for the 2006 winners
2006 Farmer of the Year: Gary Johnston, Forbes
Gary Johnston and his family run a mixed irrigation property in the heart of the Lachlan Valley. Gary’s main enterprise is lucerne for fodder, grazing and garden mulch products. He has established a company, Earthco, for the production and marketing of mulch and fertiliser products. Gary also runs cattle and lambs on ‘Merriment’, along with barley, wheat, oats and canola on rotation. His commitment to sustainable agriculture is evident through the planting of additional trees, fencing off of remnant vegetation and regulation interaction with Landcare and the local CMA. Gary is on the board of directors of Jemalong Irrigation and a member of the Waroo Landcare group.
2006 Young Farmer of the Year: Greg Miller, Windsor
Greg Miller and his family own and manage Millers Turf Supplies on the banks of the Hawkesbury River near Windsor. They commercially grow over 200 acres of A-Grade turf for the Sydney, Hunter, Mudgee and Bathurst regions as well as interstate. Environment challenges have included both flooding and drought in recent years, leading to the use of new drought and disease tolerant turf varieties. As farm manager, Greg regularly interacts with the local farming community and is heavily involved in a range of industry and community groups including Hawkesbury/Nepean water users group, Turf Producers Australia, and NSW Farmers Association Horticulture Committee Hawkesbury/Hunter.