Elsie Johnson, 2024 Young Rural Ambassador state winner | Stock Journal - video Dailymotion

The 17-year-old from Peake has been named the 2024 Young Rural Ambassador state winner.

Transcript

00:00Congratulations, Elsie. How does it feel to be the 2024 state winner?

00:04Thank you, Catherine. It feels amazing. I feel really fortunate. Everyone else,

00:08there was a very high chance of everyone. Everyone has been such a fair competition,

00:12so I feel very grateful that the judges selected me tonight.

00:16Great. And you mentioned in your speech that country shows are in your blood.

00:21I believe your mother was even, your mum, Carolyn, was even a state finalist back in the day.

00:26Yeah.

00:28What do you love about country shows?

00:30The community. The community is everything. The community in country shows is amazing.

00:35You always find like-minded people, and it's really awesome. That's one of my favorite parts.

00:41You can go to any country show, and you'll find someone you know or connect with someone you know,

00:45so it's really awesome, and it's a really great opportunity for people who don't always just

00:49hate and spoil. And you have got many awards. I'm not sure where you keep them all, but for your

00:57cookery over the years, your other entries, and shape. I mean, do you really enjoy entering

01:04country shows as well? Yes, 100%. My year is not complete

01:07without entering at least one country show with shape or degree, so I really enjoy it,

01:12and I feel really fortunate to be able to continue to do that after the one I leave.

01:17Excellent. Now, for the next 12 months, you are the State Young Rural Ambassador. You'll be

01:22heading to Adelaide to get three days with the Rural Ambassador finalists.

01:27What do you hope to be able to achieve in that next 12 months?

01:30Really be able to, A, grow my personal network and really understand more of the behind-the-scenes,

01:38and then be able to figure out and come up with some ideas about how to get youth more engaged

01:42in local country shows. And why? You have many local country shows,

01:47I guess, living at peak. I know you're involved in Murray Bridge and Knappen and a few other shows.

01:53Why are the country shows really important to Country SA?

01:56Yeah, they're really important. They provide that connection with people who don't always

02:00have that connection with food and fibre in a positive manner. They're really important to help

02:05connect community members, especially with the impacts of population decline. It's really

02:09important to have those opportunities for people to connect within a community and

02:13come together for a greater good. Fabulous, Elsie. Look, I couldn't

02:16think of a more worthy winner. So congratulations. We look forward to

02:20finding out how you get along in the next year. Thank you.

02:23Thank you so much.