Zanda McDonald Award finalists unveiled
The Zanda McDonald Award has announced its six finalists for the 2024 accolade.
Sam Vivian-Greer, a farm consultant at BakerAg in Wairarapa, has been named the winner of the 2021 New Zealand Zanda McDonald Award.
The award was presented in a dawn ceremony at Whangara Farms, north of Gisborne, last month.
The award, which is presented annually, recognises young professionals in the sector from Australia and New Zealand.
Normally, the Award would crown one winner from across Australasia but due to Covid-19 related travel restrictions, an Australian and New Zealand winner have been crowned for 2021.
"It's a huge honour, and I'm just blown away," says Vivian-Greer of his win.
"I'm really looking forward to spending time with top ag leaders in New Zealand and Australia, finding out more about how they tick, and how I can apply those learnings to my own career, and the ag sector," he says.
Zanda McDonald Award patron Shane McManaway says that Sam is a warm and professional person with a strong passion for agriculture who is having a positive influence on the sector.
"The judging team was really impressed with his dedication to his role, his leadership and spirit," says McManaway.
"We're excited to see what the future holds for Sam, and look forward to helping him calve out his path through the opportunities provided by the Award," he says.
As the winner of the award, Vivian-Greer will receive a professional development package which includes ana all-expenses paid trans-Tasman mentoring trip to high-performing farms and businesses in Australia and New Zealand. It also includes $10,000 to go towards further education and networking opportunities.
With the current situation in the European farm machinery market being described as difficult at best, it’s perhaps no surprise that the upcoming AgriSIMA 2026 agricultural machinery exhibition, scheduled for February 2026 at Paris-Nord Villepinte, has been cancelled.
The Meat Industry Association of New Zealand (MIA) has launched the first in-market activation of the refreshed Taste Pure Nature country-of-origin brand with an exclusive pop-up restaurant experience in Shanghai.
Jayna Wadsworth, daughter of the late New Zealand wicketkeeper Ken Wadsworth, has launched an auction of cricket memorabilia to raise funds for I Am Hope's youth mental health work.
As we move into the 2025/26 growing season, the Tractor and Machinery Association (TAMA) reports that the third quarter results for the year to date is showing that the stagnated tractor market of the last 18 months is showing signs of recovery.
DairyNZ chair Tracy Brown is urging dairy farmers to participate in the 2026 Levy vote, to be held early next year.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) is calling for nominations for director roles in the Eastern North Island and Southern South Island electoral districts.
OPINION: Microplastics are turning up just about everywhere in the global food supply, including in fish, cups of tea, and…
OPINION: At a time when dairy prices are at record highs, no one was expecting the world's second largest dairy…