Do you lead a rural business or project that improves rural industries? Why not apply for the Agri futures Rural Women Awards.

The Rural Women’s Network (RWN) has announced the ‘Agri futures Rural Women’s Awards for 2024 are now open. The award aims to celebrate and empower the inclusive and courageous leadership of our rural women, and gives a national platform for their initiatives. The state and territory winners will all receive a $15,000 Westpac Grant to further their business initiative with training and development and a national platform to showcase it.

Do you have an initiative that you would like to bring to life?

The Acceleration Grant offers $7000 for professional development and support to bring your idea to life. Each year seven Australian women will be provided with a learning and development grant to develop an idea – you can apply now via the Victorian Rural Women’s Network website.

Previous winner was Nikki Davey of Glenmore with her ‘Grown not Flown’ initiative.

Based at Glenmore in the Rowsley Valley near Bacchus Marsh, the self-described ‘eternal hobbyist’ was motivated by her own experience as a new flower farmer, to resolve the common problems and pain points experienced by growers through technology.

Grown Not Flown started out as a passion project during Covid, then morphed into an online platform and app connecting flower farmers and consumers, globally. It now has more than 1,100 flower farms listed on its global map, and users in over 30 different countries.

As relatively new flower growers themselves, the Grown Not Flown team were all too aware of the challenges of entering the cut flower industry and forging new relationships with other growers and flower consumers alike.

Launched in July 2021, Grown Not Flown started as a social media platform showcasing and promoting local farmers growing seasonal blooms using the #GNFsupportlocal hashtag. It quickly morphed into a digital platform to facilitate an easier connection between growers and consumers.