Friday, 15 June 2018 10:57

Students win gong for innovation

Written by 
Members of the Gudgeon Guard team (L-R) – Jarrod Mealings, Edward Sclater, Spencer Clayton-Greene and Thomas Nicholson. Members of the Gudgeon Guard team (L-R) – Jarrod Mealings, Edward Sclater, Spencer Clayton-Greene and Thomas Nicholson.

A team of Cambridge-based St Paul’s Collegiate School Agribusiness students in were named young inventors of the year at Fieldays.

Year 13 students Edward Sclater, Thomas Nicholson, Spencer Clayton-Greene and Jarrod Mealings designed the product ‘gudgeon guard’ – a device that fits over a gate gudgeon to help lift it off the ground.

“The gudgeon extension is good for farmers of dry stock and dairy who experience a lot of problems with gates that slump or scrape across the ground due to wear and tear,” says Nicholson.

“Rather than having to replace the entire gate system, these guards can be fitted over the top of each gudgeon to help lift the gate up and get it swinging properly again.”

The group of young innovators developed the product in one of their agribusiness classes at St Paul’s and have been exhibiting it in the Innovation Centre at Fieldays this week.

New Zealand National Fieldays Society chief executive Peter Nation spoke of the importance of innovations at Fieldays.

“One of the main reasons the New Zealand agricultural industry is so recognised and respected around the world is because of the innovations coming from awards like these.

“The people here today are shaping the future of farming and will be making major changes in the industry in another 12 months”, says Nation.

One other group of St Paul’s students were also entered in the Innovation Awards having developed a steel rig invention that easily marks out a fence post to show where wires should be stapled. 

The Agribusiness programme was pioneered by St Paul’s in collaboration with Dairy NZ, Beef + Lamb NZ and a number of key industry leaders. It is currently being rolled out progressively to schools throughout the country and provides students with the opportunity to learn more about the primary industries.

The prize for the Young Inventor of the Year award is $1000 cash, which the students plan to use towards developing their product further. 

More like this

Junket?

OPINION: The Hound notes that the Taxpayers’ Union recently revealed that the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) spent more than $125,000 for its presence at this year’s Mystery Creek Fieldays.

St Paul's cracks it again!

Once again, the sharp minds at St Paul’s Collegiate School in Hamilton were the 2023 Young Innovators of the Year Winners at this year’s Fieldays.

Lip balm wins gong

Once again, the sharp minds at St Paul’s Collegiate School in Hamilton were the 2023 Young Innovator of the Year Winner at Fieldays.

Engines roar, mud flies for charity

The recent presentation of a cheque for $4,500 to the Rural Support Trust, was the result of the Fieldays’ inaugural Tractor Racing Experience that replaced the usual tractor pulling competition.

Featured

Sheep drench resistance costly

Analysis by Dunedin-based Techion New Zealand shows the cost of undetected drench resistance in sheep has exploded to an estimated $98 million a year.

Dairy sheep and goat turmoil

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

Hurry up and slow down!

OPINION: We have good friends from way back who had lived in one of our major cities for many years.

National

Knowing bugs means fewer drugs

A mastitis management company claims to deliver the fastest and most accurate mastitis testing available at scale for New Zealand…

Machinery & Products

AGTEK and ARGO part ways

After 12 years of representing the Landini and McCormick brands in New Zealand, Bay of Plenty-based AGTEK and the brands’…

100 years of Farmall Tractors

Returning after an enforced break, the Wheat and Wheels Rally will take place on the Lauriston -Barhill Road, North-East of…

JD unveils its latest beast

John Deere has unveiled its most powerful tractor ever, with the launch of the all new 9RX Series Tractor line-up…

Biggest Quadtrac coming to NZ!

In the biggest announcement that Case IH Australia/New Zealand has made around its tractor range, its biggest tractor is about…

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

Why?

OPINION: A mate of yours truly wants to know why the beef schedule differential is now more than 45-50 cents…

Fat to cut

OPINION: Your canine crusader understands that MPI were recently in front of the Parliamentary Primary Sector Select Committee for an…

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter