General News
8 September, 2022
Are you the next ag shows ambassador?
BOORCAN local Toby Fleming has encouraged fellow young people with a passion for agriculture and their community to put their hat in the ring for the Victorian Agricultural Shows Rural Ambassador Awards this year.
BOORCAN local Toby Fleming has encouraged fellow young people with a passion for agriculture and their community to put their hat in the ring for the Victorian Agricultural Shows Rural Ambassador Awards this year.
The Junior Ambassador and Rural Ambassador Awards aim to highlight the talent, creativity and ingenuity of young people living in regional areas and are open to people aged between 16 and 30, regardless of whether they are pursuing a career in agriculture.
Mr Fleming was selected as Noorat Show’s 2021 Junior Ambassador and went onto win the state final at the Victorian Agricultural Shows convention earlier this year.
He is currently studying a Bachelor of Agriculture (Technology) at the University of New England in Armidale, New South Wales.
He is passionate about showing dairy cattle and will be encouraging everyone to have a go when he returns home for the show in November.
Mr Fleming said a great thing about country shows, such as the Noorat Show, was the opportunities for people of all ages and experience to compete in the livestock sections.
“Taking part in the Ambassador Awards took my experience of shows to the next level and it has already opened doors for me in the industry,” he said.
“It’s also a great way to further your involvement in your community.”
Noorat Show award co-ordinator Eve Black said although the show had been cancelled for two years, she was pleased the ambassador awards had gone ahead and this year’s awards would return to their usual format.
“There was a little sadness in Noorat when our annual show was cancelled for the second year due to the coronavirus pandemic, but it gave us all a thrill to see Toby represent our district so capably and win the state finals,”she said.
“The awards are an exciting opportunity for local young people and when I think back on past winners, it truly is a competition which provides open-ended opportunities for those who want to be involved and in doing so, creates role models in our communities.”
Mrs Black said she was looking forward to receiving expressions of interest from local people aged between 16 and 30 years-old.
Entrants receive support to develop their leadership and communication skills.
To make the state finals, they are tested on their involvement in the show and the community, their general and rural knowledge, and their public presentation.
The Junior Ambassador Award is open to people aged 16 to 19-years-old while the Rural Ambassador Award is for those aged 20 to 30-years-old.
Applications close on November 6.
For more information or to nominate someone you know for the Noorat Show’s awards, contact Eve Black on (03) 5592 5333 or mountnoorat@outlook.com.