Young Cotton Achiever of the Year award finalists announced

The finalists for the 2025 Cotton Research and Development Corporation (CRDC) Chris Lehmann Young Cotton Achiever of the Year award have been announced by Cotton Australia, with the recipient to be named at the Cotton Collective in Toowoomba in August.

In previous weeks, the North West Magazine has also showcased the finalists for the Bayer Cotton Grower of the Year, the AgriRisk High Achiever of the Year and Cotton Seed Distributors Researcher of the Year awards.

The North West – a leading cotton producing region – has again featured prominently in the various industry awards.

Addressing the Young Cotton Achiever of the Year award, Cotton Australia general manager Michael Murray said the award category recognises the future of cotton rests with younger participants, many of whom are emerging leaders.

The three finalists are: Jacob Booby, senior account manager at LDC, Narrabri; Grace Griffiths, grower, agronomist and GIS specialist with Digital Ag Technologies, Goondiwindi; and Blake Palmer, soil health technical lead and regional extension officer at CottonInfo, Narrabri.

Jacob Booby grew up in Narrabri and developed a deep connection to the cotton industry early on, working in ginning and agronomy roles before joining Namoi Cotton. He holds leadership positions across three CGAs, enabling regional collaboration. He graduated from the Australian Future Cotton Leaders program in 2024.

Grace Griffiths began her cotton journey at 16 by leading her family farm’s myBMP certification and later founded 101 Ag Pathways to promote careers in agriculture. Grace is a community leader, CGA events president, and was named Goondiwindi’s Young Citizen of the Year in 2024. Her Future Cotton Leaders project focused on simplifying carbon discussions for growers: a topic she will be presenting on at this year’s Cotton Collective.

Blake Palmer is a soil scientist and extension specialist who has worked on multiple CRDC-supported projects at the Australian Cotton Research Institute (ACRI), where he continues to complete his PhD on soil compaction and crop rotation. Now the CottonInfo soil health technical lead and regional extension officer for the Namoi, he bridges research and practice to improve soil outcomes in the cotton industry. His work emphasises scientific impact and industry collaboration.

“Each of the three finalists are outstanding young leaders with Jacob and Grace both graduates of the Cotton Australia and CRDC Australian Future Cotton Leaders program, now holding senior roles in their local Cotton Grower Associations (CGAs), while Blake is a recognised soil specialist who has worked across multiple CRDC-supported research projects delivering outcomes to the cotton industry,” Mr Murray said.

Mr Murray said one of the many pleasing aspects about this year’s finalists is the community and industry engagement that each nominee demonstrates, including the many hours they volunteer to help advance the cotton industry.

“It is well recognised that as the average age of growers increases the local CGAs can suffer as increased family responsibilities can mean fewer people have the time to dedicate to their local grower groups,” he said.

“What we are seeing in most growing areas lately is a regeneration of CGAs because younger people are taking up the challenge and getting involved, and that’s a great sign for the future.

“The three finalists this year include a young grower and agronomist, a research-focused CottonInfo extension specialist and a senior manager for one of the industry’s key global stakeholders. Every finalist is worthy of this award, and I know they will all continue to deliver excellence for cotton going forward.”

The Young Cotton Achiever of the Year award is named in honour of the late Chris Lehmann, the first independent cotton consultant in Australia and a respected figure in the industry.

CRDC executive director Allan Williams congratulated Jacob, Grace and Blake on their selection as finalists in the award, which is named for one of cotton’s first consultants, the late Chris Lehmann.

“Chris was a passionate supporter of young people in the cotton industry, so it is fitting that this award continues to carry his name. Chris’s legacy in the cotton industry is continued by the next generation of his family – his son Paul and daughter Jess, who continue their involvement in their family’s farm,” Mr Williams said.

“This generational change is being reflected right across our industry as the third generation of Australia’s pioneering growers begin to take the reins, and as we welcome entirely new cohorts of young people to cotton, bringing with them fresh, bold new ideas for the future.

“CRDC shares this focus on the future, so we are delighted to support the Young Cotton Achiever category. Our congratulations to this year’s nominee Jacob, Grace and Blake.”

The recipient of the (CRDC) Chris Lehmann Young Cotton Achiever of the Year Award will be announced during the Cotton Collective in Toowoomba. The Bayer Cotton Grower of the Year, AgriRisk High Achiever of the Year, Cotton Seed Distributors Researcher of the Year, and Incitec Pivot Fertiliser Service to Industry Awards will also be announced at the conference dinner in August.