Agrifutures rural women's award goes to Ali Paulett

Ali Paulett, Paulett Wines, Clare, was announced the rural woman of the year at an event in Adelaide tonight for her Bush Devine sensory garden.

The prize comes with a $15,000 bursary from Westpac to put a project into action.

Ms Paulett, who said she was chuffed that her project had gotten the attention of the judging panel, enabling her to invest money back into her community and expand more on this community resource.

The bush foods sensory garden was planted in 2010 and since then has gotten attention from schools and community groups wanting to learn more about bush foods and the culture that surrounds them.

"It now needs that next bit of invigoration," she said.

Ms Paulett said the next step, with the help of the grant, would be working with the First Nations group, the Ngadjuri people, to create videography and story boards to allow people to do self-guided tours.

"It's a sensory garden so you can smell, taste, touch all the plants," she said.

"it can be a beautiful space the Ngadjuri can use as well as our community."

This was just the starting point for Ms Paulett's goals.

She said during COVID they had created a package with wine and recipe cards and marinades that could be sent out to people throughout Australia.

She believes this could be expanded even further, to pair wine, food and the stories of the Ngadjuri and share that globally.

Primary Industries and Regional Development Minister Clare Scriven, who presented the award, said the Rural Women's Award program was a great way to raise the profile of the talented and passionate women involved in primary industries and regions across Australia.

"It demonstrates that there are other rural women taking advantage of these opportunities, it demonstrates that there are these opportunities and shows there are amazing people to learn from when living in regional areas," she said.

"This is important for attracting and retaining great women in rural and regional SA."

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Ms Scriven said the finalists this year, which included Emily Riggs, Burra, Lyndsey Jackson, Moonta, Kerri Cliff, Kimba, and Bridget Johns, Alford, were diverse in terms of their projects and backgrounds but were joined in having a passion driving them to improve their communities.

Robyn Verrall, 2022 rural woman of the year, was on hand to make the presentation and said one of the most powerful benefits of being a finalist was becoming an RWA alumni and having that network.