AgriEmpower Scholarship Recipients Announced

The National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) and Woolworths have congratulated the inaugural recipients of the AgriEmpower Scholarship.

This transformative scholarship, made possible through collaboration with Woolworths, provides $20,000 to seven ambitious young Australians to help further their efforts of achieving their agricultural ambitions.

“Congratulations to this impressive cohort of change-makers,” NFF President David Jochinke said.

“This is a life-changing opportunity for these impressive recipients.

“It’s an equally huge opportunity for the ag sector, which will gain so much from these driven individuals.

“We can’t wait to see where the AgriEmpower Scholarships lead the recipients.”

Mr Jochinke said it was difficult to only select seven people from such a large group of applicants.

“We were blown away by the volume and calibre of applications,” Mr Jochinke said.

Annette Karantoni, Woolworths Retail Managing Director said, “ The AgriEmpower Scholarships provide a unique opportunity to help empower this group of young innovators to self direct and super charge their business ideas, ambitions and success.

“We’re proud to partner with the NFF and help deliver this significant investment in these young Australians, that will help drive a strong future for our agriculture sector.”

Recipient Andrew Powne, a farm manager from Queensland’s Goondiwindi region, said he was honoured to be selected in the cohort.

“This opportunity will allow me to learn from industry leaders and apply new insights to help drive our vision of a regenerative, carbon-positive supply chain,” Mr Powne said.

“This experience will not only support my personal development but also strengthen the capability of our team and help us contribute meaningfully to the future of Australian agriculture.”

Scholarship recipients have 18 months to strategically invest their $20,000 funds in courses, conferences, professional development, and/or overseas exposure for the purpose of gaining new ag-related skills.

Beyond the funding, participants will gain exclusive access to dynamic events and workshops curated by Woolworths and the NFF, further cementing their journey as future leaders.

The 2025 AgriEmpower Scholarship recipients are:

Kate Lamason, QLD

Through the Scholarship, Kate wishes to revive Australia’s boutique seafood canning sector through global insights in sustainability, innovation, and value-added processing.

“I’m incredibly proud to be part of the AgriEmpower Scholarship Program. This opportunity will allow me to explore global innovation in value adding, sustainability and regional manufacturing, particularly in onshore tuna processing, where Australia has a real opportunity to create new value chains. I’m looking forward to connecting with other participants, sharing what I learn and contributing to a more sustainable and forward-thinking future for Australian agriculture and seafood.”

Andrew Powne, QLD

Andrew will use the AgriEmpower Scholarship to build leadership capability and accelerate sustainable farming practices through global learning, expert consultancy in carbon and natural capital, and knowledge-sharing in regional Australia.

“I’m incredibly honoured to be selected as part of the 2025 AgriEmpower Scholarship cohort. This opportunity will allow me to learn from industry leaders and apply new insights to help drive our vision of a regenerative, carbon-positive supply chain. This experience will not only support my personal development but also strengthen the capability of our team and help us contribute meaningfully to the future of Australian agriculture”

Jo Treasure, NSW

The scholarship will allow Jo to strength her business foundations by undertaking a professional development course, while supporting the growth of an innovative lamb trail that links local farmers with schools.

“I’m extremely grateful for the support being offered to the growth of the Connect to Agriculture lamb trial and scholarship. In addition, I’m excited to be able to upskill within my Managerial role through further study.”

Ewan Leighton, NSW

Ewan plans to use the AgriEmpower Scholarship to deepen his understanding of how environmental sustainability is being driven across agriculture, both in Australia and abroad, focusing on fertiliser overuse, runoff, and plastic waste in the horticulture industry.

“I hope to introduce new ideas and inspiration to the intensive horticulture sector to help address some of the major production and sustainability challenges facing the industry.”

Rhiannon Schilling, SA

Through the AgriEmpower Scholarship, Rhiannon will be exploring how quantum computing and sensor technology could revolutionise broadacre cropping agronomy in Australia.

“I am excited about the opportunity this AgriEmpower scholarship brings to learn new business strategies and enhance outputs from agricultural research.
To achieve $100B in farm gate output by 2030, we need to bring together diverse fields to solve agricultural challenges. Through the AgriEmpower scholarship, I hope to enhance my capability to bridge the gap between agriculture and quantum science to drive new technology innovations for the agriculture sector. ”

Bridgitte Brooks, WA

Bridgitte will use the AgriEmpower Scholarship to bridge the gap between Australian agriculture and fashion, elevating Australian wool in the fashion industry through education, design access, and consumer engagement.

“I hope to build on my communication skills to ensure I can deliver effective messaging on a variety of levels, create opportunities to network, educate and connect the fashion industry to the wool industry to increase opportunities for wool use. I want to leave the ag industry in a positive and better space for my children. Australia’s ag industry is truly remarkable and is a fantastic industry to be in. It is an honour to be able to grow food and fibre for the world and I hope that more people will be aware of that.”

Liam Jess, VIC

Liam will use the AgriEmpower Scholarship to trial and adapt emerging precision ag technologies, like drones, to improve productivity and sustainability outcomes on Australian broadacre farms.

“I am slightly overwhelmed by the opportunity presented by this scholarship, but I am excited to meet more inspiring and forward-thinking people working in agriculture. I hope to gain new insights into new and developing areas of technology in agriculture, which will hone my vision for the future of my own farming business, whilst being able to share my learnings with other farmers.”