Two south-west Victorian dairy farmers have been honoured for their contribution to the industry.
John Dalton and Andrea Vallance were announced as the 2023 Dairy Honour Board inductees during WestVic Dairy’s Dairy NiteMooves at Noorat on May 24.
The judges said Mr Dalton and Mrs Vallance were recognised for their outstanding commitment to the industry and local community.
Mr Dalton, from Naringal, has a long history of involvement with the dairy industry, including the Regional Education Advisory Committee and the WestVic Dairy board.
Mrs Vallance, who farms at Nirranda, is coordinator of the Timboon Agriculture Project, chair of the DemoDAIRY Foundation, and has roles on Nurture Food and Fibre Great South Coast Committee and the Neil Porter Legacy Industry Sub Committee (see story, page 4) .
WestVic Dairy chair Jacqui Suares opened the evening at the Noorat Recreation Reserve that also included announcement Farm Photo Award winners. Lachlan Tindall took out the top spot for the Farm Photo Award with Sarah Jane Rea awarded the runner-up prize.
MC Tom Newton from MaxCare interviewed a panel of three past Great South West Dairy Awards winners.
Jorge Massa (2017 Employee of the Year), Kevin Wines (2018 Farm Business Manager of the Year along with his wife Claire) and Mark Billing (2022 Honour Board inductee) shared their experiences applying for the awards and provided an insight into what they’ve been up to since their wins.
Former Geelong Cats football star and media identity Cameron Ling was keynote speaker, inspiring the audience with his message of effective leadership on and off the field.