Nominations have opened for the 2021 Lambition Awards, to be held alongside the Australian Sheep & Wool Show.
Hosted by Australian Community Media, the five awards will honour the Allflex Woolgrower of the Year, the Marcus Oldham Flock Leader, the Zoetis Trade Champion, the Elanco Sustainable Sheep Producer of the Year and the Boehringer Industry Innovator.
Stock & Land acting editor Joely Mitchell said the awards provided an exciting opportunity to recognise and celebrate sheep and wool producers across the country.
"The awards were a huge success in their inaugural year last year and we can't wait to profile and celebrate a new group of outstanding sheep producers this year," Ms Mitchell said.
"This year we're increasing the amount of awards from three to five which means there are even more opportunities for producers to throw their hat in the ring and be awarded for their excellence in sheep production.
"We look forward to seeing all of the entries that will start coming through."
Enter the 2021 Lambition Awards
(Scroll down to find the relevant award)
Marcus Oldham Flock Leader
Prize: Entry to the 2022 Marcus Oldham Rural Leadership Program, valued at $3,300
This award recognises industry contributions from a professional in a position or field related to any part of the sheepmeat and/or wool supply chain. Finalists will be selected based on the demonstration of their commitment to the future sustainability of the sheep and/or wool industry, their potential to achieve and deliver benefits to the industry, and how they provide leadership and share their skills and knowledge with their communities.
Award Criteria
Applicants:
- Should demonstrate outstanding success in their field
- Should have a profile as a thought leader in the industry
- Should highlight achievements in areas such as research and development, on-farm production, consultancy, production innovation, marketing and genetics
- Be drawn from a field that could include but may not be limited to teachers, consultants, scientists, youth leaders, livestock and/or commodity agents and veterinarians
- Can provide digital material such as photographs, videos or presentations that support their application
Boehringer Industry Innovator
Prize: $1,000 cash
This award will recognise the achievements of an individual or organisation that has the potential to improve the Australian sheep industry in a game-changing way, regardless of whether its impact is felt at a regional, state or national level. Innovators from all parts of the sheep supply chain are encouraged to apply.
Award Criteria
Applicants:
- Should have developed an innovative product, technology, process or service that clearly demonstrates an economic, social or environmental benefit to the Australian sheep industry OR have promoted new ideas and innovation to improve productivity and farm performance while developing the resilience of the sheep industry
- Will be judged on their ability to inspire others in the sheep and wool industries to build innovative and resilient businesses
- Can provide digital material such as photographs, videos or presentations that support their application
Allflex Woolgrower of the Year
Prize: $1,000 cash
This award will profile an Australian woolgrower who has made significant progress in improving the quality and quantity of the fleece they grow. The woolgrower may have broken tradition on their family farm and changed practices or patterns in order to meet specific breeding objectives. The woolgrower should be able to outline the wool specifications they are striving to achieve, what they are doing to meet those and what progress they have made so far.
Award Criteria
Applicants:
- Should be able to outline their breeding objectives and the fleece specifications they are striving to achieve and what work they are doing on farm to meet these goals
- Should be paying attention to consumer demands and be able to outline the work they are doing on farm to meet these
- Should demonstrate an ability and willingness to adapt to changing consumer demands
- Should be able to highlight the achievements they have made in improving the quality and quantity of their fleece and the productivity of their sheep
- Can provide digital material such as photographs, videos or presentations that support their application
Elanco Sustainable Sheep Producer of the Year
Prize: $1,000 cash
This award aims to showcase sheep producers using industry best practices to meet growing consumer demands for sustainably-produced wool or meat. Applicants must be actively involved through ownership, management or the running of a sheep operation in Australia.
Award Criteria
Applicants:
- Should be able to demonstrate their commitment to sustainable farming practices and management techniques that aim to improve the resilience of their operation
- Should be able to demonstrate the type of tools, techniques and programs accessed to improve productivity in a sustainable way
- Should be able to demonstrate the degree to which innovation has been used to operate more sustainably now and into the future
- Should be able to demonstrate the degree to which marketing activities are used to improve the transparency of production, this can include any relevant assurance programs
- Can provide digital material such as photographs, videos or presentations that support their application
Zoetis Trade Champion
Prize: $1,000 cash
This award will provide breeders with the opportunity to benchmark their stock and celebrate excellence in lamb carcase breeding. The winner of this award will be a producer or farm operator who is able to use objective data to demonstrate the superiority of their lamb carcases, translating to better eating quality.
Award Criteria
Applicants:
- Should be able to outline their breeding objectives and the carcase specifications they are striving to achieve and what work they are doing on farm to meet these goals
- Should be paying attention to consumer demands and be able to outline the work they are doing on farm to meet these
- Should demonstrate an ability and willingness to adapt to changing consumer demands
- Should be able to use objective measurements to highlight the high eating quality of their lamb carcases
- Can provide digital material such as photographs, videos or presentations that support their application
Judges from the sponsors and ACM will select the winners.
Interested applicants will have until close of business June 21 to enter the awards.
The finalists will be revealed on July 15 and winners announced a week later.
