Celebrating our farming future

Woodanilling farmer Bindi Murray is one of nine WA farmers nominated as a finalist in the Australian Farmer of the Year Awards.

The awards celebrate farmers who are professional, innovative and sustainable while being passionate to raise the profile of the role they play in agriculture.

There are 12 categories including farming woman, grain grower and dairy farmer of the year.

Mrs Murray, who has been nominated in the Young Farmer of the Year category, has two small children and manages 19,000 sheep as part of her family’s 6000ha mixed farming enterprise.

Her aim is to maximise profit while maintaining the land resource and make a positive contribution to the industry and community.

“We have produced a strategic plan for our business as part of our succession planning process and though this is challenging and in stark contrast to banging in fence posts, it is very important,” she said.

Kojonup farmer Rob Egerton-Warburton has been nominated for the rural leader of the Year award and Richard Coole, from Frankland, has been nominated as wool producer of the year.

The awards are in their third year and are hosted by Kondinin Group, ABC Rural and the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation.

Winners will be announced at an award ceremony at the Grand Hyatt in Melbourne on September 12.