A BEEF farmer from Benalla is Victoria's rural woman of the year award.

Alana Johnson was last week given the title and a $10,000 cheque to pursue her dream for agriculture.

That dream is to set up the Australian Agricultural Future Foundation - a philanthropic body to support development and viability in agriculture.

Ms Johnson was one of the founding members of Australian Women in Agriculture Inc, is a board member of the Victorian Women's Trust, attended the 2020 summit and was a facilitator at the National Rural Women's Summit.

Ms Johnson will use her latest title, as the winner of the 2010 Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC) Rural Women's Award, to promote her idea for a philanthropic fund for agriculture.

"When you look at it, there are philanthropic funds for health, the arts, sport and education but not for agriculture," she said.

"When we set up our foundation, the money will be available to anyone who can create a benefit for agriculture, whether that be research, leadership training or something else.

"The award gives me a platform for others to recognise the time is right for a philanthropic fund for agriculture."

Ms Johnson farms an 1100ha property at Lurg with her husband Robert Richardson.

They run a herd of Angus cattle integrated with farm forestry and have also carried out landscape renovation.