More than a prize: Why Ag Town matters even if you don’t win
For regional South Australia, the Agricultural Town of the Year Awards have become more than a competition, giving communities the chance to reflect on their strengths, share their stories and rally behind a common cause.
For South Australia’s regional communities, agriculture is more than an industry. It’s identity, livelihood, history and future all rolled into one.
That’s why the Agricultural Town of the Year Award – an initiative of the Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA), delivered in partnership with InDaily – continues to resonate so strongly across the state: not simply because towns want to win, but because the process of participating reminds communities exactly what makes them special in the first place.
In towns like Burra, Eudunda and Keith, that impact can be felt long before finalists are announced.
Eudunda, a Mid North farming community of about 800 people, has become a passionate advocate for the Award after reaching the Top 10 in 2025 and being named one of the three finalist towns in 2023.
For local resident and historian Samuel Doering, the recognition created a ripple effect well beyond agriculture.
“There was a genuine sense of excitement across the district, with local businesses, schools, sporting clubs, volunteers and farming families all getting behind the campaign and showcasing everything good about Eudunda,” he says.
“I think one of the greatest benefits of participating in the Ag Town Awards was the sense of pride and positivity it created within the community.”
That pride runs deep in Eudunda, a town known for grain and sheep farming, its German-Lutheran heritage and as the birthplace of author Colin Thiele, whose Sun on the Stubble drew inspiration from the district and its people.
But while the town’s agricultural history remains central to its identity, locals say the awards helped showcase the broader story of modern regional life.
“The award program really highlights the important role regional communities continue to play in South Australia,” Doering says. “It was pretty special for Eudunda to be involved in that.”
Dr Emily Buddle agrees the biggest value of participating came from the connections forged during the process itself.
“Being in the Top 10 in 2025 was a great opportunity to bring together a diverse group of our community to showcase what agriculture means to us and our town,” she says.
“We are a small town, but we punch well above our weight when it comes to the community rallying together.”
Situated near Goyder’s Line – where surveyor George Goyder famously mapped the edge of reliable rainfall in South Australia – Eudunda farmers have long adapted to tough conditions and marginal country.
The region is dominated by sheep and cropping enterprises, alongside cattle, chicken and pig producers, and locals say resilience and innovation have become part of the town’s DNA.
But according to Dr Buddle, one of the most meaningful outcomes of the Ag Town Award had little to do with rankings.
“The biggest benefit was the connections made between locals that would not have been forged unless we came together to work on our submission,” she says.
That same sense of collective pride was felt hundreds of kilometres away in Keith, another agricultural powerhouse in the state’s South East.
With a population of about 1400 people, Keith is known as the Lucerne capital of Australia, renowned for broadacre farming, livestock production and agricultural innovation. The district produces premium grain, wool and livestock and is home to major agricultural businesses alongside local manufacturers and engineering firms.
Sarah Secker from Maluka Partners says participating in the Ag Town Award helped bring the community together in unexpected ways.
“It was a really rewarding experience to see the broader community come together around a shared vision,” she says.
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“We worked closely with sporting clubs, schools, local businesses and farming families, and there was a real sense of pride in being able to showcase what makes Keith unique.”
Secker says one of the biggest benefits was the opportunity to shift perceptions about regional communities.
“Often in regional Australia, visibility is a barrier to growth, business and migration,” she says. “But the Award helped showcase the innovation, resilience and community spirit that already exists here.”
She believes programs like Ag Town are important because they give rural communities the chance to celebrate achievements that are often overlooked.
“I think the award reminds people that agriculture isn’t just about production,” she says. “It supports local businesses, sporting clubs, tourism, schools and community wellbeing.”
That same message resonated strongly in Burra, another Regional Council of Goyder community and 2025 Top 10 town.
Best known internationally for its Cornish mining heritage, Burra is also a thriving agricultural centre built on generations of sheep, wool and cropping enterprises.
Regional Council of Goyder director of community engagement and development Barb Button says the Award helped communities reflect on the critical role agriculture still plays in sustaining regional South Australia.
“The process brought agricultural leaders and community members together, with local businesses, sporting clubs, volunteers, schools and farming families all getting behind the nominations,” she says.
“It also helped shine a spotlight on the important role agriculture continues to play in sustaining regional communities, not only economically but socially.”
That visibility matters.
For many metropolitan South Australians, agricultural towns are often viewed through the lens of drought, hardship or declining populations. The Ag Town Award provide san opportunity for communities to tell a different story – one of innovation, optimism and adaptability.
Button says the Award also demonstrates how agriculture supports far more than farming alone.
“In communities like Burra and Eudunda, agriculture supports tourism, local events, sporting clubs, schools, small businesses and community wellbeing,” she says.
And while the competition element naturally generates excitement, locals insist winning is only one part of the story.
“Every town that makes it to the Top 10 is a winner,” Buddle says. “It brings a great sense of pride to the community members to be able to showcase what makes them and their agricultural sectors special.”
Public voting for the 2026 Agricultural Town of the Year is open until Wednesday, June 3, 2026. Anyone can vote: you don’t need to live in the town, just love it! Your vote could help that town – including Burra, Eudunda and Keith! – be selected as one of the Top 10 towns, and have the opportunity to be crowned the 2026 Agricultural Town of the Year.
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