Manjimup’s own Thea Walker to represent WA as a finalist for Australia’s top young ag leadership award

Manjimup’s Thea Walker will represent WA as a finalist for Australia’s top young ag leadership award later this year. Ms Walker — WA’s 2024 rural ambassador award winner — is now in the running for the National Rural Ambassador Award competing against six other young agricultural leaders from across Australia. The seven finalists will take centre stage at the Royal Adelaide Show this September for the announcement of this year’s overall winner. Ms Walker said she was super passionate about the agricultural industry and was looking forward to representing WA at the upcoming competition. “It’s a bit daunting to be honest, a little bit of pressure, but I suppose I have to give it my best crack,” she said. “I’m looking forward to the competition regardless of the outcome.” A fourth-generation armer, Ms Walker grew up on a mixed horticulture and livestock property and is now passionate about innovation, sustainability, waste reduction and bridging the gap between consumers and producers. She works as a full-time horticultural farm business consultant working with fruit and vegetable growers around Australia. As a child, she exhibited fruit, pet sheep and even a scarecrow built with her siblings and other local farm kids. She is now a member of her local show committee and the WA Next Generation Group. “In this region, I always think we’re not just stuck in one commodity, or one sort of ag industry, there’s lots of opportunities and it’s always changing,” she said. “Farmers have to be really resilient, trends are changing, legislation’s change and farmers or primary producers are the ones that have to try and keep up with that. “There’s obviously environmental challenges as well with climate change, so we’ve got to be thinking ahead of the game, and that’s really exciting — there’s lots of tech and innovation out there that can help and lots of research.” Ms Walker said she initially got involved Rural Ambassador Award because she wanted to see more farmer representation at agricultural shows. “I see shows as an opportunity for the agricultural industry to share all the incredible things they are doing with everyday people. Shows play a role in farmers being able to bring their stories directly to the consumer in a fun and engaging way,” she said. “To me, any show that successfully achieves that is a favourite of mine.”