The dinner is held annually to celebrate and reflect on the achievements of the past cotton-growing year and to recognise the Young Achiever of the Year, the Crop of the Year and the Services to the Industry award.

After canapes on the lawn, the 165 guests moved into the Savannah Room for dinner and superb entertainment by MC and comic Paul Martell. 

This year’s winner of the Jim Beale Memorial Services to the Industry Award was Narromine’s Rob Tuck. 

Rob is an energetic and motivated grower who is actively involved on committees and on boards of a number of associations that deliver policy and direction to the cotton industry. 

Rob gives of his time freely to support the knowledge base in the local valley and generously makes his farm available for information days or trials. 

MCGA Chairman, Brett Cumberland, took great pleasure in announcing Julie Wise as the Tracserv 2013 Young Achiever. 

“Julie has worked in the cotton industry for the past 13 years in the Warren district,” Mr Cumberland said.

“Her superb organisational and communication skills, linked with her friendly and trustworthy personality and her can-do attitude has earned her the respect and affection of cotton growers in the Macquarie Valley.”

Julie is currently the Regional Manager of Cotton Australia for the Macquarie Valley, and regularly works far more hours than her part-time hour allocation to look after growers in the region. 

She has actively raised the profile of cotton throughout the Macquarie Valley with ongoing involvement in local schools and regularly organises workshops and field days to support the local cotton-growing community.

The final presentation of the night was the awarding of the Chesterfield Crop of the Year.

This year saw the closest results seen in the annual competition. Only 0.9 of a point separated the top five growers. 

Excellent results in water efficiency, farm management and yield saw Gus O’Brien’s nominated field at Hatton take out top honours. Gus just managed to pip Narromine grower Jock Crawford by 0.1 of a point.

Gus was delighted with his second win in two years, and was uncharacteristically lost for words. Gus continually produces high results in this competition and must be congratulated for his ongoing excellence in farm management.

“John Bull”, the Trangie Central School entry into the Art4Ag Archibull competition, took pride of place at the front of the room. “John” is a life-sized fibreglass cow that has been transformed into a work of art depicting the agricultural industry that the students were studying. This happened to be cotton, and the resourceful and dedicated staff and students managed to turn their cow into a John Deere Picker. You have to see it to believe it.

MCGA has donated $1000 towards the cost of teachers Troy Jones and Ali Dorman and several of their students to fly down to Sydney to attend the Archibull Prize Awards Ceremony on November 18. A number of very generous local growers and businesses also contributed on the night to assist with the costs involved.