Zanda McDonald Award: Applications open for 2024

Southland farmer Harriet Bremner won the 2023 Zanda McDonald Award for New Zealand.

Once again, the search is on for talented young individuals across Australia and New Zealand to enter the 2024 Zanda McDonald Award.

Registrations for the annual award open on Sunday, October 1.

Now in its tenth year, the award recognises those who are passionate about agriculture, want to make a difference in their sector, and are keen to take their career to the next level.

To be eligible for the award, candidates must be between the ages of 21 and 35 and working in agribusiness in Australia or New Zealand.

One winner is chosen each year from each country.

The award provides both personal and professional growth development through a fully personalised education, training and mentoring package.

Both winners also get to spend time with leaders across all areas of the primary sector.

This year’s Kiwi winner, Harriet Bremner, strongly encouraged others to enter.

“The award is one of those things that offers more than you could ever dream of or imagine,” she told The Country’s Jamie Mackay.

Bremner farms at Jericho Station in Manapouri, Southland.

She is also a children’s book author and a health, safety and wellbeing advocate for agriculture.

Bremner said the award opened “so many doors” for a young person starting out.

Although the cash prize was nice, it wasn’t the most valuable aspect of the award, she said.

“It’s the networking opportunities.”

Listen below:

The Country 28/09/23: Harriet Bremner talks to Jamie Mackay

Who was Zanda McDonald?

Zanda McDonald was a prominent identity in the Australian beef and livestock industry and was proud to be a farmer who worked tirelessly to encourage young people to work in the industry that he loved.

He died in April 2013 at the age of 41, following a tragic accident on his Queensland cattle property

This transtasman award was born in 2014, out of respect for McDonald, one of agriculture’s natural leaders.

It is run independently by industry leaders and is backed by a group of supportive businesses and organisations in Australia and New Zealand.

The Zanda Mentoring Group (ZMG) is a collective of more than 150 of Australasia’s top rural leaders.

This network of mentors throughout Australasia provides support to the award, its finalists and winners.

The award recognises young people working in the primary industry sectors in New Zealand and Australia and supports their future career development.

Entries open on Sunday, October 1, 2023 - find out more here.