Six fantastic businesses are competing in three categories this year and the ultimate winner will receive the supreme prize for the Enterprising Rural Women Awards.
Rural Women New Zealand's annual awards showcase rural women who run their own successful businesses. This year's entrants are:
Barbara Faulls: Smiths Farm Holiday Camp, Picton: www.smithsfarm.co.nz
Smiths Farm is proud to offer a quality holiday with space, peace and the clean country air and has been rated as 4+STAR and Enviro Silver by Qualmark. Situated on a working beef farm, the park is a base from which to relax, and explore the Marlborough Sounds.
Bernadette Jackson: LaValla Estate, Tuakau: www.lavalla.co.nz
A function and event centre with accommodation and a theatre, this venue recently hosted the Fielddays Bachelor Breakfast with Rural Women New Zealand. The key deliverables for the venue are rest, feast, play and focus.
Marian Hirst: Bay Blueberries, Hastings: www.bayblueberries.co.nz
Passionate about producing quality apples and blueberries in an environmentally friendly and sustainable manner. Recipient of the 2016 Balance Farm Environmental Supreme Award for the East Coast Region.
Monique and Lyn Neeson: Shear Warmth, Taumarunui: www.shearwarmth.co.nz
Producing top-quality wool blanketsthat can be traced back to wool grown on the family farm. The sheep and beef farm Awarima recently featured on Country Calendar.
Helen Slattery: Slattery Contracting Limited, Matamata: www.slatterycontracting.co.nz
The Slattery family has been involved in ag contracting since the mid 1950s, starting with haymaking and land tillage. The business has grown to a wide range of services.
Amy Dibley: Physio Direct, Rotorua: www.physiodirectnz.com
Amy started Physio Direct when she realised many small rural areas do not have adequate physiotherapy services. She grew up on a dairy farm in Ngongotahaand understands the physical demands of a rural life. She believes everyone should have the right to health services, which is why she offers physiotherapy to small communities.
Each category winner receives $1000 in prizemoney and a trophy, with a further $1000 awarded to the supreme winner who is judged as an exceptional rural business woman.
Prizes also include clothing from Swazi Apparel and the Agri-Women's Development Trust, with $400 worth of executive coaching for each category winner and an additional $3400 professional development package for the supreme winner.
The winners will be announced at the Enterprising Rural Women Awards ceremony on Saturday, November 12, in Wellington.