Andrew Marshall takes out Young Farmer of the Year award

The 2025 Woolworths Tasmanian Young Farmer of the Year winner, Andrew Marshall, says he would not have taken out the top prize if his wife had not given him a nudge.

“I’d seen the competition advertised over the last couple of years and said ‘I should go in it’ but just never got around to it,” Mr Marshall said.

“But this year, my wife applied for me and told me I had to do it.”

Mr Marshall was one of the 10 farmers who made it through to the grand final following a series of run-offs at Quercus Park in late July.

After being tested on practical farming skills, agricultural knowledge, and problem-solving ability - along with completing a quiz and making a speech at the official competition dinner – he was crowned Young Farmer of the Year.

“It feels a bit surreal at the moment and I don’t think it’s quite sunk in yet,” Mr Marshall said.

“It feels special given how tough the competition was.”

Zac Leonard finished in second place, with Chelsea Rayner, Charlton Skirving and Sarah O’Grady rounding out the top five.

Mr Marshall said he thought his unique and varied farming background was a key factor in his win.

“I grew up in NSW and my family had a bunch of hobby farms before we moved next door to a big cattle farm near Scone, which I worked at during school holidays and whenever I had some spare time.
“I then went to the University of New England at Armidale to study a Bachelor of Rural Science and worked at a couple of feedlots and did some harvesting while I was there.”

Mr Marshall moved down after graduating and worked at Greenham’s Marrawah property before taking on the role of farm manager at the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture's Dairy Research Facility at Elliot.

“I’m trying to do my own cattle farming at home at Oldina while working at the research farm,” he said.

“I would like to one day have my own fully-fledged farm breeding and finishing cattle.

“I want to keep building herd numbers and keep pushing myself and learning as much as possible.”

Mr Marshall received a $20,000 prize pack for his 2025 Woolworths Tasmanian Young Farmer of the Year win, which included a Polaris Ranger SP 530 ATV.