In this episode I’m introducing you to the SA finalists of the AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award.

An award that acknowledges the essential role women play in rural industries, business and communities.

It’s a big deal.

The finalists were required to present a project, idea, or initiative that benefits rural South Australia in some way. The state winner will receive a $15,000 bursary to bring their project to life, with the winner announced on April 8th, 2025.

Big welcome and congratulations to:

Emma Gilbert from Clarendon Farm and Incubate Pro

The Chicken Lady who's produced a hatching app that could transform the poultry industry.

Kelly Johnson from SPhiker, who's recycling all the food waste in the world.

Marie Ellul from Artlab Solutions has invented a new pregnancy device to reduce the need for rectal examinations in cows.

and me....

Annabelle Homer from Voice it.

I want to provide more people across regional SA with the skills to communicate confidently and authentically through subsidised face-to-face programs. Be it on stage at conferences, on podcasts or in community - its for everyone!

We all sat down at Emma's kitchen table at Clarendon Farm to chinwag about our backgrounds, our projects, and our experiences as RWA finalists.

We hope you enjoy!

Links:

AgriFutures Rural Women's Award: https://agrifutures.com.au/opportunities/rural-womens-award/

Sphiker:

https://www.facebook.com/sphikerhttps://www.sphiker.com.au/

http://www.instagram.com/sphiker.com.auhttp://www.tiktok.com/sphikerfood

https://au.linkedin.com/in/kelly-johnson-92400153

Clarendon Farm & Uncubate Pro:

https://www.thefarmclarendon.com.au/https://www.facebook.com/TheFarmClarendon/https://www.incubatepro.com.au/

https://www.instagram.com/thefarmclarendon/⁠

Artlab Solutions:

https://www.artlabsolutions.com/https://au.linkedin.com/in/marie-ellul-01912b78

Voice it

https://voiceit.me/

https://au.linkedin.com/in/annabelle-ottens-51573b1a7

https://www.instagram.com/voiceitsa/

https://www.facebook.com/voiceitsa/

It's an end of an era for this man.

Peter Shearer.

After 22 years at St Joseph's School in Clare, Peter has decided to step down from the top job at the end of 2024.

Peter has touched the lives of many people across the regional South Australia working in Catholic schools in Jamestown, Yorketown, Loxton and finally Clare. Peter speaks of the absolute joy of his career - what has kept him in the job all these years - but also the heartbreaking challenges he's experienced along the way.

In this episode you’re going to meet Kate Mensforth.

We all call her Miss Kate, she’s the woman that's built a soaring business providing children across the Clare Valley and mid north of South Australia access to the world of dance.

Kate is the brains behind the Clare Valley School of Dance offering all modes of dance ballet, jazz, ACRO, contemporary, hip hop and even ninja kids, appealing to dancers on a recreational level but also giving them the chance to compete on the statewide stage.

https://www.clarevalleydance.au/

This episode is about a man who had a entrepreneurial seizure.

David Heinjus.

What was a one-man-show in agribusiness consulting, now is the Chairperson of a multi-national company called Pinion Advisory. A leading-edge national agribusiness, water and environment consulting firm with tentacles reaching across Australia and into America.It all started in South Australia's Clare Valley.

Before Pinion, Dave Heinjus founded Rural Directions in 1997 in the Clare Valley. One of the first agribusiness consultancies in the state. It started with just him and now he manages over 100 people on his team.
After 23 years, he led the merger integrating Rural Directions with three other Australian companies to form Pinion.

In this podcast, you'll hear his journey from his early days working as a contractor with the Department of Ag, branching into self-employment with Rural Directions, the late nights, the ongoing study, balancing all that with a young family to then chairing a global company.

But let's start with Dave's early days, growing up on the family farm on the western edge of the Barossa near Freeling, a farm that he still manages today.
Enjoy the journey with Dave Heinjus, a journey he reflects back on and can't believe he is where he is today.

https://www.pinionadvisory.com/

Welcome back to the second instalment featuring George Millington.

In the last episode you heard about George’s rise in the business world – from his early stock broking days, to transforming a humble coffee business into a successful sought after coffee brand Monjava, which was swiftly bought by San Remo.

To then moving into logistics, APD Parcel Delivery.

In this episode, you’re going to hear all about the rise and rise of his rural livestock empire. Since he was a young boy, George's dream was always to run a farm. He loved the land since he was a boy.
He is now the bloke behind Collinsville Stud Merinos, one of the country's most well respected and prominent sheep studs in Australia. To find out how all that came to be, enjoy the rest of George's story.

https://collinsville.com.au/

Today you will hear the absolute success story of George Millington.

He is the man behind Collinsville Stud Merinos – one of the most prominent and well respected sheep-studs in Australia located in the mid north of South Australia.

George's success story begins with his venture into the coffee industry where he established Monjava. His his excellent business sense and a stroke of luck made him a millionaire by his early 30s. He then ventured into logistics which then led him to buy Collinsville Stud Merinos. This is a 2 part series on George and this episode is just the beginning of his rollercoaster career ride.

Enjoy!

https://collinsville.com.au/

https://monjava.com.au/

https://apdparcel.com.au/

Meet the super vivacious Ali Cooper, the owner of the 'The Park' in Jamestown.

In this case Ali hasn’t started from scratch, but probably feels like she has. She's transformed the local caravan park in Jamestown into a boutique accomodation space for travellers.

Ali is also involved in the family farming business with husband, Seth Cooper, has 3 children and is an extremely active community volunteer.

https://www.theparkjamestown.com/

Meet Kelly Morgan, the woman behind Kelly Kelly Legal, a successful law firm in Jamestown.

Kelly grew up on a farm near Yongala, the coldest place in South Australia. She describes herself as an ‘accidental lawyer’, she initially wanted to be school teacher or an architect, but it was her father that ignited the idea of law.

When Kelly graduated she had this big idea to head to Sydney and work for the big law firms but her life took an unexpected turn when her father passed away suddenly, which led her to come home and help her mum.
It was then she started working in a local law firm for 10 years and then starting her own practice. She talks about what's involved in running a law firm in the country, the rapid growth it underwent as soon as she opened the doors, her frustrations when people perceive country law firms as inferior to city ones and her passion to train and nurture law graduates to encourage them to undertake a country posting. But her life has also been quite a roller coaster ride.
We delve into how she navigated life after her father's suicide, becoming pregnant with twins four months after starting her own practice and then losing one. And then getting pregnant with twins five years later, with Max being diagnosed at birth with cystic fibrosis.

I love Kelly's motto, which comes from her father; "Worrying is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do, but gets you nowhere. "

I guess this has got her through the tough times, but also has helped her build such a successful business.

This is Kelly's story.

https://kellykellylegal.com.au/