"Epitomises resilience, innovation, sustainable farming and robust community engagement."
That is just one of the nominations received for the Otago Daily Times and Rural Life 2024 Rural Champions initiative, celebrating the South Island’s food-producing champions.
Some are more succinct; "a good bugger with a good heart", "an absolute weapon of a young man", "a regional superstar", but they all have the common theme of farming folk who contribute positively to New Zealand’s biggest export earner while also making their communities a better place to live.
Last year, we celebrated Year of the Farmer, a hugely successful initiative championing the work and community contributions of our farmers and growers.
It culminated in the naming of Duntroon dairy farmer Myfanwy Alexander as our inaugural Rural Champion; fitting acknowledgement for an all-round outstanding human.
This year, we are again celebrating our Rural Champions and have added an additonal category — those who work in rural support; the behind-the-scenes folk critical to the smooth running of farming and growing operations.
Nominations have come from the north and south of the South Island, and the east and west.
Judges are now deliberating and in October, one outstanding food producer will be named our Rural Champion — along with our champion rural services provider — and we will celebrate their contribution to the rural sector.
