Wednesday, 27 March 2019 09:56

Interesting path to farming careers

Written by 
Taylor Bailey. Taylor Bailey.

Fertiliser co-op Ravensdown says it is helping a new crop of talented university graduates to build careers in New Zealand agriculture.

The initiative, now in its fifth year, has supported 39 university graduates in agriculture-related, environmental and related disciplines into full-time careers in the sector.

“Especially interesting is the variety of backgrounds of those who have completed the programme,” says Ravensdown training manager and mentor Gordon McCormick.

“They’re not just from rural backgrounds; an increasing number are urban people looking to take part, who see big opportunities in the dynamic agriculture industry.”

This year the programme is supporting seven graduates into work, including Laura Cockroft, of Timaru. 

“I’m not from a farming background but from a young age I had an interest in agriculture and spent my holidays working on farms in South Canterbury,” she says.

“Now that I’ve finished my bachelor of agriculture at Lincoln University I’m excited to join the programme and hopefully will secure an agri manager position with Ravensdown.” 

Claire Verhaegh, who worked on her parents’ dairy farm in Riverton, is also in this year’s intake. 

“I applied for the programme because I believe every person at Ravensdown has a similar belief towards agriculture as me. If New Zealand is to continue farming successfully, we have to embrace smarter farming as more important now than ever.” 

Early each year Ravensdown gives a group of graduates opportunities to gain experience in different fields of the co-operative before taking full-time jobs. 

Having grown up on a dairy farm in Taranaki, Taylor Bailey did the programme in 2015 and is now a Ravensdown agri manager in Waikato. 

“I love my job and helping farmers make smarter decisions, which is easier today with all the technology we have out our disposal.” 

The programme is offered to recent graduates or people who have worked a few years since studying. All graduates must be in the programme for a minimum of six months before taking full-time jobs with Ravensdown.

More like this

Fert use tumbles as prices spike

Fertiliser use in New Zealand over the 18 months is about 25% down from what it consistently was for the previous decade or more, says Ravensdown chief operating officer Mike Whitty.

Featured

Govt urged to reduce ETS units

The Climate Change Commission wants the new Government to reduce NZ Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction volumes as son as possible.

Dairy sheep, goat woes mount

Dairy sheep and goat farmers are being told to reduce milk supply as processors face a slump in global demand for their products.

Alliance's Pure South cuts win gold

Meat co-operative Alliance Group has bagged four gold medals at the Outstanding NZ Food Producer Awards, achieving top honours for every cut entered.

Dairy demand on the rise

There is increasing evidence that dairy demand is on the upswing, according to Rabobank senior agricultural analyst Emma Higgins.

National

Waikato dryer sold

An independent milk spray dryer in Hamilton, destined for liquidation, has been bought by a South Auckland goat milk processor.

Machinery & Products

Samasz sets its sights high

Since its arrival in New Zealand, Polish mower manufacturer Samasz, currently celebrating 40 years in business, has carved a niche…

Trojan keeps on going

The DR200 Trojan farm two-wheeler motorcycle was introduced over 28 years ago, when the engineering team at Suzuki New Zealand…

Still going strong!

The saying goes ‘if it ain’t broke -don’t fix it’, so it’s no surprise to see an old favourite in…

» Latest Print Issues Online

Milking It

'A complete dog

OPINION: It's not just a rural banking inquiry that farmers want. Freshwater farm plans are another major headache for farmers.

Action, not words

OPINION: The new Government may be farmer friendly, but it's not love, rather action that farmers want.

» Connect with Dairy News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter