First Limestone Coast town takes home top State award

Penola has been named the 2024 Agricultural Town of the Year, in recognition of its dedication to agriculture, agricultural education and community.

The announcement was made at the Regional Showcase Awards held at Beresford House in McLaren Vale.

Taking out the coveted title ahead of the other two finalists – Burra and Kimba – Penola was selected by a panel of independent judges which visited each of the towns as part of the competition.

South Australian Primary Industries & Regional Development Minister Clare Scriven everyone who makes Penola a great place to live and work and who contributed to the town being named South Australia’s Agricultural Town of the Year for 2024.

“The Agricultural Town of the Year Award highlights the vital role agriculture and other primary industries play in both supporting our economy and our way of life,” Minister Scriven said. “South Australia’s primary industries and agribusinesses generated revenue of $18.5 billion in 2022-23 and we know that wouldn’t be possible without the support of strong, vibrant regional communities.”

Penola was commended for its wide variety of agricultural pursuits ranging from dairy, beef and lamb to grains, potatoes, forestry, and wine. The judges also noted the town’s commitment to agricultural education with impressive uptake of the local agricultural program as well as George the Farmer, who is sharing Australian agriculture with the world.

The judges praised Penola’s deep understanding of local conditions and its ability to leverage them, such as pivoting from hemp seed production to hemp fibre production. The strong collaboration between community, local businesses and local government was also commended along with the town’s joyful community spirit and pride.

Wattle Range Mayor Des Noll said they were extremely proud of Penola being named the Agricultural Town of the Year for 2024.

“Penola embraces the whole spectrum of agriculture with diverse farming communities and innovative leaders in primary industries, agribusinesses, and agricultural education,” he said.

“Penola’s approach to agriculture is world-class and the community welcomes new ventures and supports local businesses to help them thrive.

“The whole community has been behind Penola’s success, and everyone should be incredibly proud of this achievement.”

Long time resident Simon Kain, whose educational program and picture book series George the Farmer has educated millions of children worldwide on agriculture, welcomed the recognition for her hometown.

“Penola punches well above its weight in terms of agricultural output,” Simone said. “We produce a diverse amount of produce from grains, prime lamb, delicious beef, pines, hemp, dairy, and, of course, grapes. We’re lucky to generally have high rainfall, access to underground water, and really fertile soils.

“We’re a creative community. From artists to authors to artisan winemakers right through to our creative farmers who produce world-class products. George the Farmer has helped educate over 600,000 children in Australian classrooms alone about the importance of farming and where our food and fibre comes from. I love that George originates from a highly productive little town like Penola.”

Penola becomes first town in the Limestone Coast and the sixth winner of the Ag Town of the Year Award after Cleve (2019), Pinnaroo (2020), Kimba (2021), Mypolonga (2022) and Wudinna (2023). The Ag Town of the Year Award recognises South Australian towns that are excelling in agricultural practices and the flow on effects to a township and community. The award highlights the vital role that agriculture plays in the regional landscape as the backbone of regional communities.

This year a record 73 unique towns were nominated from around the state with more than 3,600 public votes cast.

The Ag Town of the Year winner announcement is a highlight of the Regional Showcase Awards that celebrate local regional journalism’s coverage of the achievements of individuals, groups, and businesses across regional South Australia.