ARCHIVE - MED REL: 2009 Conservation Farmer of the Year Award finalists announced

MEDIA RELEASE: The Conservation Agriculture and No-till Farming Association (CANFA) is pleased to announce that after some tough judging eight Conservation Farmer of the Year (CFOTY) finalists have been selected from four participating catchments in New South Wales.

All Central West, Lachlan, Murray and Murrumbidgee catchment-based farmers were eligible to enter the competition or be nominated by another farmer or extension officer. Each entrant submitted a resume of their farming program including rotations, machinery and conservation techniques used. After on-farm inspections by the judges, regional winners were selected from the Tablelands, Slopes and Plains areas within the four catchments.

CANFA executive officer, Neville Gould said these regional winners are now finalists in the running for the title of Conservation Farmer of the Year, which will be announced at CANFA’s annual conference and dinner on 17 September in Dubbo.

The regional winners are:
Murray Tablelands: Bryan and Dinah Ward, “Illawong”, Table Top
Murray Slopes: Andrew and Delwyn Clifton, “”Fairfield”, Corowa
Murrumbidgee Plains: Graham Strong, “Oakvale”, Narrandera
Murrumbidgee Slopes: Rob McColl, Binalong
Murrumbidgee Tablelands: John Ive, “Talaheni”, Hall
Central West Plains: Tony and Tanya Wright, “Bundy Downs”, Peak Hill
Lachlan Slopes: Rodney and Penny Jelbart, “Tarcoma”, Parkes
Lachlan Plains: Lloyd Nock, “Yandilla”, Bogan Gate

CFOTY Award winner to be announced at Conference Dinner
17 September, Cattleman’s Country Motor Inn, 8 Whylandra Street, Dubbo, 7.00pm
Guest speaker: Associate Professor Stewart Franks, University of Newcastle

For more information contact: Neville Gould on 0427 452 488 or 02 6845 1044 (CANFA office)

The Conservation Farmer of the Year Award is supported by CANFA through funding from the Australian Government’s Caring for our Country initiative, the Central West Catchment Management Authority, Lachlan Catchment Management Authority, Murrumbidgee Catchment Management Authority and Murray Catchment Management Authority.