SERPENTINE poultry farmer Reece Jerrett was named the RASWA rural ambassador for 2022 at a dinner function during last week's Perth Royal Show.
Mr Jerrett, 23, was representing the Serpentine Jarrahdale Food & Farm Alliance, a RASWA affiliate only established in 2019 and in which he was one of the driving forces.
He said the alliance covered the largest equine, food and poultry region in the WA peri-urban precinct and provided an outlet for local producers to sell their wares, as well as a platform to educate the general public about where and how their food was produced.
Mr Jerrett said urban sprawl encroaching on productive farming land within their region was an ongoing challenge.
"We have made a concerted effort to encourage regenerative agricultural practices including compost trials, carbon sequestration and involving the equine world," Mr Jerrett said.
"At our show on November 5, we are getting rid of showbags and rides, there will be no single use plastics in sight and we are getting back to some of the old-fashioned events of an agricultural show such as wheelbarrow races and digging for potatoes.
"We want people to get down and get dirty and sweaty, like much of agriculture is."
Mr Jerrett said local shows provided a great forum to showcase livestock, food and clothing produced by the agricultural sector and he was an avid breeder and show exhibitor of poultry.
"When we were kids we moved from Mandurah to Serpentine for my sister's equestrian pursuits and when I was at a loose end my mum bought me a few chooks," he said.
That sparked a passion and Mr Jerrett now has about 300 poultry and waterfowl which he breeds and exhibits at shows in WA including the Perth Royal Show as well as interstate and sells eggs from.
He is also a qualified judge and has judged across Australia including at the Sydney Royal Easter Show.
Runner-up was Holly Snell, 21, representing Waroona Agricultural Society, whose family has been farming predominantly beef cattle at Waroona and northern agricultural stations since the 1930s.
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While still involved in the family enterprise, Ms Snell is also currently completing a mechanical fitter and diesel mechanic apprenticeship at Alcoa and is a local fire brigade volunteer.
"I have three brothers and didn't want to miss out on the knowledge quest," Ms Snell said.
"I have been surrounded by farming all my life and had great role models like my great, great aunt Margaret Doman who ran our farm and stations for much of her life and now I want to inspire other people to get involved in agriculture."
The other finalists in the 21st year since the competition morphed from Miss Showgirl to the multi-gender Rural Ambassador award were Sarah Dring, Eneabba, representing North Midlands Agricultural Society, Lucilee Iles, Wagin, representing Wagin Woolorama and Ryan Greaves, Koorda, representing Koorda Agricultural Society.
