BlueScope worker Ryan McParland is reviving agricultural shows and could be named NSW/ACT Young Achiever of the Year

By day the 28-year-old works as a mechanical engineer for BlueScope, but by night and on weekends he is travelling the state far and wide to get young people excited about cows, poultry and CWA cake competitions.

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McParland, a third generation volunteer with the Albion Park Show Society (having joined when he was 15), has taken his passion up a notch by encouraging young people to get involved in shows around NSW through a youth group (TAG) and ambassador program he has fostered.

"There's a whole change in volunteering, which has made a big difference on the actual mechanics of running a show," he said.

"On the agricultural side of things, it is harder there as well ... we come from a dairy, cattle and poultry background and even in the pavilion entry numbers are decreasing because the customs haven't been passed down through the generations."

Despite the humble show being part of Australian society since the 1820's, the plight of the state's agricultural shows holding onto volunteers and attracting new ones isn't localised to regional areas.

For those who may have forgotten, the Illawarra has a "proud" history in agriculture with the Dairy Farmers brand "kicked off in Dapto" and

McParland said even the famous Royal Easter Show also has had its "struggles", and it's up to the next generation to save these traditional community events from dying out.

The programs he created during the pandemic were a way to find "pathways" for people to get into ag shows, even if they're from a city slicker background - and it seems to be working.

Since then, TAG has brought together 12 shows in the local ag show area (covering Milton to Moss Vale to Berry and around the Illawarra). It currently has 80 members and works with nearly 200 young people involved in ag shows - some as judges of best livestock.

"That's been one of the most rewarding things that have done on volunteer level being able to see new people that haven't had any agricultural background or connection to the show societies being involved in their local show," McParland said.

"I think the society we're drifting towards being a very open sort of group and and got volunteers from all and members from all different kinds of backgrounds."

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Demographic worker you one of the youngest or as Albion Park got quite a quite a nice youth contingent.

McParland said despite the urbanisation of the Illawarra and beyond, agriculture is still incredibly important to the community.

"Dairy Farmers the brand kicked off in Dapto and Illawarra cattle breed was generated in Jamberoo ... agriculture is something rich in the roots in our area and and my family history," McParland said.

Judges will convene on April 4 with finalists and winners to be announced on June 2.

The Young Achiever Awards began in 2014, with the purpose of acknowledging, encouragingand most importantly promoting the positive achievements of all young people up to and including 29 years of age.

The awards aim to recognise the leadership, dedication and pursuit of excellence amongst young people throughout New South Wales and the ACT.

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