25 years on - where are they now?
To celebrate 25 years of the Hugh Williams Memorial Scholarship, Ravensdown caught up with past recipients to see where their careers have taken them, and what the future holds for the industry.
The scholarship offers $5,000 per year for a student studying agriculture or horticulture at Lincoln or Massey universities for the duration of their studies.
Jamieson says that, having grown up on a farm near Bulls, he has always had a strong passion for agriculture which led him to pursue a Bachelor of Commerce in Agriculture at Lincoln University.
“I’ve always known I wanted to work in the sector,” he says. “I love getting outdoors, working with the animals, and learning how to manage the land.”
“During last year’s harvest, I woke up at 5.30am to go asparagus picking to help fund my studies. This scholarship will allow me to focus even more on my academic and career goals,” he adds.
Now in his second year of study, Jamieson’s focus is on agribusiness and the science behind the industry.
“I’ve grown up working on farms with the goal of one day owning my own farm. But deepening my understanding and learning the science behind it has been fascinating,” he says.
In 2024, he was awarded the Prime Minister’s Scholarship, which allowed him to travel to Vietnam for six weeks.
There, he completed an agribusiness paper and learned about the Vietnamese agricultural sector.
“It was an unreal opportunity. I loved getting out of my comfort zone and immersing myself in the Vietnamese culture,” Jamieson says.
“In Vietnam, they have combined rice farming and shrimp farming to make the most from the land. The shrimp help enrich the soil in the rice paddies, while the rice provides a natural environment for the shrimp to thrive.”
Ravensdown chief executive Garry Diack says that Jamieson’s academic excellence and enthusiasm for the science behind farming were what made his entry stand out.
“Ravensdown and this scholarship were built on using science to better agricultural practice in New Zealand. Jonathan shows a clear understanding of the importance of science for all forms of farming, and a passion for its ability to improve how we farm in the future,” Diack says.
