Billy was awarded the Academic Prize for Agriculture at school and has also completed the Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award. He is the fourth generation farmer on his family’s mixed cropping operation at Narromine, NSW.

After living through the effects of 8 years of drought followed by floods at his family farm, Billy is determined to contribute to increasing the sustainability of the agricultural sector and is interested in a career in agricultural finance, commodity marketing and farming.

Sponsor: Cotton Research & Development Corporation

Tom is from a mixed farm in Coonabarabran in NSW. He has been  involved in preparing and leading cattle and sheep teams at local shows, as well as being involved in junior judging.  He was also very active in his local Pony Club which saw him compete at the Sydney Royal Easter Show and the Royal Canberra Show.

Tom is passionate about the need to blend environmentally sustainable land practices and consumer demands by managing stock and pastures to maximise effective use of the land. He is interested in a career in the marketing of agricultural products that focus on emerging consumer trends and the desire for eco-friendly products. His long-term goal is to operate a beef and sheep enterprise.

Sponsor: Meat and Livestock Australia

Lauren is from Dirranbandi in Queensland and has completed a Certificate II in Agriculture in addition to her senior year school workload. During her gap year she lived and worked at a remote sheep station in Western NSW gaining a wealth of knowledge about the industry and completing a Certificate III in Agriculture.

Lauren believes the wool industry offers wonderful career opportunities and wants to encourage more young people to get involved in agriculture.  Her career ambition is to own or manage a commercial sheep station and she has recently purchased a small mob of merino ewes.

Sponsor: Australian Wool Innovation

Hannah comes from Molong in NSW. She was the recipient of the Junior Agriculture Prize and the AB Carrol Award for Excellence in Agriculture while at school. Raised on a farm, Hannah has worked on many local properties with jobs as varied as rouseabouting, fencing, erosion control, mulesing, pregnancy testing, artificial insemination and livestock maintenance.

She has also undertaken work experience at a Veterinary Hospital which has cemented her desire to study veterinary science. Her career aspirations are to spend some years as a large animal veterinarian before building on her interest in ovine and bovine medicine to research and develop strategies to improve on-farm productivity.

Sponsor: Meat and Livestock Australia

Emma is from East Hills in Sydney and has been an active member of the Rural Youth Show team showing cattle for six years and was awarded the Geoff and Russell Bush Prize in her final two years in recognition of her commitment to the team.  In 2011 Emma won the Camden Junior Rural Ambassador award, which recognised her commitment to agriculture.

In 2012 Emma was sponsored to attend the National All Breeds Dairy Youth Camp in Melbourne where she was the winner of the Sheri Martin and Genetics Australia scholarship for her outstanding combination of technical skill and leadership qualities. Emma has recently established her own Ayrshire cattle stud and plans expand her operation with a focus on genetic improvement and show success. She is interested in a career as either a research scientist focussing on cattle reproduction or disease, or in genomics for herd improvement.

Sponsor: RIRDC Chicken Meat Program

Eliza comes from a mixed irrigation property in Carrathool NSW. During school holidays Eliza worked as a farmhand; undertaking tasks related to weed management, tillage strategies, animal husbandry and crop establishment. She further expanded her knowledge by regularly attending field days, excursions and crop inspections. This was further cemented by work experience with the Department of Primary Industries and local agronomy services.

Eliza is a member of NSW Farmers and the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW and enjoys volunteering as a steward at her local show. When her school was left without a qualified Agriculture teacher in Year 12, Eliza stepped up and provided notes and tutoring to her fellow students resulting in an Excellence Merit award and Band 6 result. Eliza would like to increase the recognition of women’s contribution to agriculture and her passion for irrigated cropping has lead to a career ambition to be an agronomist in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area.

Sponsor: RIRDC Rice Research and Development Program

At the age of 15 Jack established a free-range egg business with 100 birds selling eggs to the local football club for egg and bacon rolls. Today “Jack’s Eggs” runs 5,000 laying hens with deliveries twice a week to approximately 50 restaurants, cafés and shops in the Coffs Harbour region. While running his business, Jack completed his schooling at Coffs Harbour Senior College, NSW where he graduated in 2010.

During his gap year, along with running his business, Jack sought experience on a range of other agricultural enterprises including as a farmhand at a livestock production enterprise, and contract harvesting and header driving at a mixed cropping operation. His career aspirations include advising in the areas of agronomy and livestock production.

Sponsor: Australian Egg Corporation

Kirsty completed her schooling in Tamworth, NSW. Before commencing university, Kirsty spent her summer working as a scout at Cotton Grower Services in Gunnedah.

Her passions are for agronomy and genetics and she is interested in careers in agronomy, research or animal reproduction.

Sponsor: Cotton Research & Development Corporation