Alyson Shepherd
Norma-May Honey is a values-driven business dedicated to ethical honey production, education and citizen science.
The organisation produces pure, ethically-harvested honey products and delivers community workshops in collaboration with The Urban Bee Co.
Its Pollinator Warrior Program, inspired in part by the founder’s experience as the mother of a neurodivergent child, places stingless beehives in schools to promote pollinator education within inclusive learning environments.
Currently active at the AEIOU Foundation in Logan, the program involves more than 50 participating children and aims to connect students on the autism spectrum with nature in a calm and creative way.
In partnership with ecologist Dr Kit Prendergast, the initiative will evaluate how interactions with pollinators influence mood, focus and attention in autistic children.
The study is expected to be the first of its kind, generating insights that could benefit children across Australia while also supporting broader educational and community development initiatives linked to rural industries.
Angie Nisbet
Angie Nisbet is a fifth‑generation beef producer, co‑founder and mother of three from remote north‑west Queensland, dedicated to creating practical solutions that protect and strengthen rural communities.
FarmHer Hands was born after her sister Shona’s stage two melanoma diagnosis and the loss of a close friend to skin cancer—moments that propelled the sisters to design UPF50+ sun protection gloves tailored for the realities of life on the land.
What began as a simple idea to fill a personal gap has evolved into a national movement championing sun safety, early intervention and stronger access to health education for people in agriculture.
Today, FarmHer Hands is expanding its impact through new school and workplace resources, retail partnerships and an online platform designed to bring preventive skincare and information to even the most isolated regions.
Angie is driven by a clear purpose: to shift the culture around health in agriculture and empower people to look after themselves.
Grounded in empathy, innovation and deep connection to rural Australia, FarmHer Hands continues to grow while supporting the people who feed the nation.
Sam Musson
Sam Musson is a Sunshine Coast–based founder and the driving force behind Zest Element, a food‑innovation business transforming surplus and “wonky” produce into high‑value ingredients. Working closely with growers, manufacturers and retailers, Sam is committed to reducing food waste at its source while supporting stronger, more sustainable regional supply chains. Zest Element supplies both retail and manufacturing customers, including Matani Products (SA), OMG Decadent Donuts, Saname Collagen Waters and Soups. It will launch into Coles stores nationally from July.
Building on this momentum, Sam is now leading Harvest ResQ, an initiative designed to scale production by rescuing crops directly from farms to meet growing customer demand. Produce that would otherwise go to livestock feed or remain unharvested is repurposed into premium ingredients, creating new revenue streams for farmers and enhancing on‑farm resilience. As a signatory to End Food Waste Australia and a recipient of multiple grants, Sam collaborates with growers, industry and government, including the Department of Primary Industries, to deliver practical, circular solutions that strengthen farm viability, boost regional economies and tackle food waste head‑on.
Jaime Best
Jaime Best, known to many as Jum, is a passionate advocate for improving mental‑health awareness and access in rural and remote communities. Life in the bush has shaped her deep appreciation for the resilience, strength and connection of country people, while also revealing the very real isolation felt by those who struggle without nearby support. Her advocacy is grounded in lived experience, her own, and the stories entrusted to her by others navigating mental‑health challenges far from services. A life‑changing car accident became a pivotal moment, inspiring Jaime to use storytelling as a way to spark understanding, build connection and offer hope.
Through community conversations, social media and grassroots initiatives, Jaime works to amplify rural voices and challenge the stigma surrounding mental health. She is the co‑founder of Rural Women Unite, a not‑for‑profit business that began with a small group of country women determined to create change and has grown into a powerful platform for connection, awareness and advocacy across rural Australia.
