TOP 30 WINNERS
Meet the winners of our awards celebrating people making a real difference in rural Australia.
NICK HADDOW
Cheesemaker, Bruny Island Cheese Co. & Glen Huon Farm If you’re a lover of cheese, you’re sure to have heard of — and probably tasted — Bruny Island Cheese Co. Established in 2003 on Bruny Island in Tasmania by cheesemaker Nick Haddow, all his cheeses are crafted from a single herd of milkers thanks to the purchase of Glen Huon Farm in 2016. Nick’s dedication to producing the best handmade cheese possible and putting the rural food scene on the map is the reason he has won the Country Style Top 30 Award for Entertaining. For Nick, great cheese reflects what the cow has eaten in the past 24 hours, and his mantra is: “One cow, one paddock, one day.” brunyislandcheese.com.au
PIP SMITH
Farmer and co-founder, Lovemerino The Award for Fashion goes to Pip Smith, co-founder of Lovemerino. Pip and her family are passionate about sustainable farming and the wool industry, and established Lovemerino as an extension of that. Using high-quality fibre, Lovemerino produces beautiful Merino scarves and ponchos that are natural, ethical and crafted with complete respect for the environment. The fibre used for their designs is sourced exclusively from their own sheep, meaning that each item can be traced back to a specific flock. The Smith family have farmed at Glenwood in western NSW since 1898 and operate their property sustainably. They allow their sheep to graze in large mobs for short periods of time in one paddock before being moved to another. This practice allows the land to regenerate and helps maintain topsoil. The Smiths are also passionate about animal welfare and provide their sheep with a low–stress environment, plenty of grazing and minimal chemical use. lovemerino.com.au
IAN JOHNSTONE
Ecotourism operator and founder, The Maria Island Walk Ian Johnstone is a true tourism pioneer, founding the Maria Island Walk in 2003 and creating an innovative ecotourism operation. He is our deserved winner of the Country Style Top 30 Award for Travel. Maria Island lies off the east coast of Tasmania and is a world heritage listed National Park. Through his operation Ian has brought national and global focus to this pristine area, which is home to unique wildlife and layered with Indigenous and European history. The Maria Island Walk sets a benchmark in ecotourism and is one of Australia’s premier walking experiences; it is part of the exclusive Great Walks of Australia group. The four–day walk caters to small groups with meals based around fine Tasmanian produce and accommodation in environmentally friendly camps. mariaislandwalk.com.au
CHARLIE ARNOTT
Regenerative and biodynamic farmer and food producer There is no doubt that Charlie Arnott is a farmer and educator who is making a change for the better, not just in rural Australia but for the country as a whole. Charlie leads by example using biodynamic, organic and holistic grazing principles to produce beef, pork and lamb. He also hosts biodynamics workshops and shares his knowledge on regenerative farming on social media and via Youtube. If that wasn’t enough, thousands of trees have been planted on his property in western NSW to slow erosion and heal the landscape. In recognition of all this, Charlie can now add the Country Style Top 30 Award for People and the People’s Choice Awards to his 2018 Bob Hawke Landcare Award. charliearnott.com.au
JESSICA BOOTH AND LAETITIA PRUNETTI
Willie Weston Business partners Jessica Booth and Laetitia Prunetti combined their creative flair with social good when they started Willie Western, an enterprise producing beautiful fabrics and wallpapers designed by Indigenous artists. In the process they have also won the Country Style Top 30 Award for Home and Design. Jessica and Laetitia work in collaboration with Indigenous artists in remote areas of Australia to come up with unique collections that are strongly influenced by the artist’s culture and connection to country. Artists collaborating with Willie Weston are paid for each metre produced, providing them with an ongoing income stream and allowing them to continue creating. willieweston.com