Victorian farmer, tech entrepreneur and Grown Not Flown cofounder Nikki Davey has received the 2023 AgriFutures Rural Ladies’s Award for her work making a digital platform and app that connects flower farmers and shoppers world wide.
The award recognises the essential function ladies play in rural and regional companies, industries and communities.
Based mostly at Glenmore within the Rowsley Valley close to Bacchus Marsh, one in every of Victoria’s largest meals bowls, the self-described ‘everlasting hobbyist’ was motivated by her personal expertise as a brand new flower farmer, to resolve the widespread issues and ache factors skilled by growers by way of expertise.
Grown Not Flown began out as a ardour undertaking throughout Covid, then morphed into a web-based platform and app connecting flower farmers and shoppers, globally. It now has greater than 1,100 flower farms listed on its international map, and customers in over 30 totally different international locations.
The award is supported by Westpac Agribusiness, and Davey has received a $20,000 Westpac grant on prime of the $15,000 she received because the state winner within the nationwide finals.
“This can be a big honour and I’m immensely grateful to AgriFutures and Westpac for believing in my imaginative and prescient to advertise and lift consciousness round flower miles, gradual flowers and supporting native farmers. We’ve got so many thrilling plans and this Award might be an absolute recreation changer for us and what we will obtain within the subsequent 12 months,” she stated.
“We are able to make investments this cash into additional creating the platform to achieve new audiences. We additionally need to educate and encourage shoppers to rejoice the provenance of flowers, the identical method we do with meals, and lift consciousness round flower miles, gradual flowers and advantages of supporting native companies.”
AgriFutures Australia managing director John Harvey praised Davey for creating a world digital platform that helps rural and regional communities.
“By way of the innovation of Grown Not Flown, Nikki has delivered an thrilling new mannequin to attach shoppers, increase native economies and encourage sustainable buying selections,” he stated.
“Her entrepreneurial spirit and dedication to reworking the minimize flower trade is extremely commendable and a real embodiment of the Award’s key targets”, he stated.
Michelle Leonard from NSW was named nationwide runner up title for her work in creating and founding regional choir, Moorambilla Voices, and acquired an extra $15,000 from Westpac.
The opposite finalists had been:
The founding father of Bush Devine, Ali Paulett (Clare Valley, SA);
The founding father of Huds and Toke, Emma Gibbons (Coolum, QLD);
The facilitator and founding father of Main Rein, Melissa Duniam (Sisters Creek, TAS);
Counsellor and founding father of Grief Join, Michelle Moriarty (Bunbury, WA);
Sustainability advocate and co-founder of NTEX, Eileen Breen (Girraween, NT).
Purposes for the 2024 AgriFutures Rural Ladies’s Award open right this moment, September 13, and shut on Wednesday, October 25 (and Friday, 26 January, 2024 for NT candidates). For extra particulars see the AgriFutures web site.