HAVING only a one hectare (2.5 acres) vineyard has not stopped Michelle Badenhorst from dreaming big,
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Mrs Badenhorst, who has a background in marketing, hopes to grow the vineyard into an agritourism business that will not only produce wine but also beer and be a hospitality venue for weddings, picnics and other events.
She got a big boost in achieving that dream when she recently won a young farmer scholarship from the state government.
"This is truly a dream come true and I am so thankful for having been given this opportunity," Ms Badenhorst said.
Ms Badenhorst, 30, will receive $10,000 over two years to expand her training not only in viticulture but also in beer brewing. She also intends to use the money to do soil testing on the 7.2 ha (18 acres) property with the view to expanding the vineyard.
Her vineyard, Suffoir, a combination of the names of the Suffolk sheep and pinot noir vines on the property, released its first pinot noir wines this year. The wine was made with grapes picked in 2013 from vines planted by an earlier landholder and reinvigorated by Mrs Badenhorst and her husband Peter.
The couple have also opened a cellar door on the Mount Eccles Road and hope to attract trade from passing tourists, the number of which is expected to grow significantly if an application to grant UNESCO status to Mount Eccles and other parts of the Budj Bim Cultural Landscape is successful.