Midwest Rural Ambassador Awards
The action was in Carnamah recently as the five finalists for the title of 2022 Mid West Rural Ambassador represented their respective agricultural societies to find out who will be representing the Mid West at the Rural Ambassador State Final in Perth in September 2022.
Sarah Dring of Eneabba was sashed the Mid West Rural Ambassador after judges Wendy Gould, Brad Kupsch and Katherine Fleay took time to make their final decision following a two minute presentation to the dinner guests.
“Sarah will be a fantastic Ambassador for the Mid West and will no doubt get a lot of support from the region and her pupils, family and the North Midlands Agricultural Society,” said North Midlands Agricultural Society President, Angela Dring.
“We understand the importance to honour and engage young people into groups like this to ensure a long and sustainable existence. This has been an impetus for us to get more involved in the Rural Ambassador program into the future.”
The event was hosted by the North Midlands Agricultural Society and had a sell-out crowd with representatives and guests from across the region.
The finalists in the Mid West Rural Ambassador award, from north to south were:
Ms Sarah Mallard representing Northampton District Agricultural Society
Sarah hails from the Barrel Well Aboriginal Community Ajana and is a mother of two children, soon to be three. She is eager to share the story of her communities and her people, and is a passionate supporter of the Northampton Rams football team.
Ms Caitlin Farrell representing Chapman Valley Agricultural Society
Caitlin works at Nutrien Ag Solutions and is very supportive of the Chapman Valley Show. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Molecular Biology and Biomedical Science from Murdoch University.
Ms Holly Freeman representing Mullewa Agricultural Society
Holly is the Community Resource Coordinator at the Mullewa Community Resource Centre. She graduated in 2020 from Curtin University with a Bachelor of Commerce in Management, Marketing and Entrepreneurship, returning home to Mullewa to continue supporting the community that raised her.
Ms Tiffany Chase representing the Mingenew Expo
Tiff hails from Queensland where she was working on a large dairy and involved in local sporting clubs and dancing. She has been very involved in local shows and Ambassador programs in Qld and wanted to get involved here in WA. She has the support of the Mingenew Expo who have recently affiliated with the RASWA.
Ms Sarah Dring representing North Midlands Agricultural Society
Sarah is a part time early childhood teacher at Wandina Primary School in Geraldton and has lived in the Midwest her whole life. She also works alongside her parents on their family farm in Eneabba and is going full time farming next year. Upon completing her degree, she was excited to be able to return close to home and continue to be involved in her community. Sarah is passionate about bridging the gap in the education system about the origins of food and being an advocate for country life.
The Rural Ambassador Program is for young rural people aged 20-30 years who are passionate about rural life. All five entrants have been selected by their respective agricultural societies based on a balance of factors including involvement in their organisation, community, region or a combination of the above, as well as their passions and ambitions for themselves and their communities.
Present at the award ceremony were special guests Mr Shane Love, MLA for the seat of Moore; Councillor for the Royal Agricultural Society of Western Australia (RASWA) Ms Anne Stroud and RASWA Chief Executive Officer Ms Robyn Sermon. Robyn has been recently appointed to the role of RASWA CEO and is the first female CEO since RASWA’s 192 years existence.
The program involved an afternoon tour of Carnamah, taking in the Don Camac Museum, the Carnamah Tractor museum, and the Macpherson Homestead built in 1869.
Pre dinner drinks were hosted at The Exchange, a cultural and artistic hub run by Andrew and David Bowman-Bright, before guests headed to the Carnamah Town Hall for dinner catered by One L Café owner Lydia Haeusler and team.
The 2022 Midwest Rural Ambassador Award was supported by CBH Grain, the Shire of Carnamah and the Shire of Coorow, alongside the North Midlands Agricultural Society.