Miss Andony was one of eight category winners and was presented with the WAFarmers and Rural Bank prize from a strong field of nominees, including Guy Coleman, Katrina Sasse and Nicholas Hardie.
The 24-year-old’s passion for agriculture was sparked in her childhood while growing up on her family dairy farm at Harvey.
She studied animal science at Murdoch University and since graduating with honours in 2014, has taken a leadership role in supporting the WA dairy industry through her job as research and extension officer at Western Dairy.
Ms Andony said she was humbled to receive the award.
“I hadn’t realised that other people would regard my achievements highly,” she said.
“I do hope that by winning I can encourage and inspire other young people into agriculture, because it really is a great industry to work in.
“Agriculture is such a rewarding industry and I feel I’m lucky in my role, as helping farmers and young farmers to improve their businesses or advance their careers in dairy is rewarding for me.”
While juggling her role as research and extension officer at Western Dairy, Ms Andony also works as WA’s Young Dairy Network co-ordinator.
The network runs several social events, educational workshops and study tours to promote the dairy industry and provide networking opportunities for young agricultural professionals.
“I feel that in agriculture it’s easy to feel like you’re not connected enough with other farmers or young people, as farmers work long hours on individual properties that may be hours apart,” she said.
“Having a local network that meets regularly keeps young farmers connected, helps them build networking relationships and furthers their knowledge.
“We need a strong network of young agriculture people to continue to help educate those not in the agricultural industry on what we do and why we do it.”
Source: Farm Weekly
Link: http://www.farmweekly.com.au/news/agriculture/general/events/jessica-awarded-for-dairy-leadership/2755231.aspx