7 July 2008 Learning from the best - secondary pupils become honorary Lincoln students for a day

New Zealand farmers haven’t become the most efficient in the world by simply leaning on fences and sucking on straw, says Lincoln University’s Senior Liaison Officer Craig Dyason.

“There has always been a serious commitment to education and research and that’s where Lincoln University has played its role.

“New Zealand farming is hi-tech, high science, exceedingly well managed, and highly innovative. It’s bio-science in action with a double topping of agribusiness, all built on a large base of education,” he says.

“To take this message to urban secondary and polytechnic students we will be showing a group of over a dozen of them, selected from all over the country,  just how good New Zealand farmers are. We’re taking them to see seven of the best of the young generation of farmers battle it out in the Grand Final of the National Bank Young Farmer Contest in Ashburton this week.”

Craig and fellow Lincoln University Liaison Officer Kirsten Hooper are taking the group of secondary and polytechnic students from Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington and Canterbury to the National Bank Young Farmer Contest in Ashburton for the Practical Challenge Day on Friday (11 July).

“The Young Farmer Contest Practical Day will give the students an opportunity  to see some of New Zealand’s very best young farmers in action and we hope they will take away a focus to do well in their NCEA and AgITO courses and develop some new agriculture-oriented goals to work towards in 2009,” says Kirsten.

The day at the Young Farmer Contest will follow a full day on-campus at Lincoln University on Thursday, when the visiting students will become “honorary students”  for 24 hours, staying in the halls of residence, attending a lecture, hearing about research, finding out about scholarships and being buddied up with Lincoln University Future Leaders Scholars.

“The aim of this first part of the two-day programme is to ‘showcase’ Lincoln University and its strong ties with New Zealand’s agricultural industry,” says Craig.

“All students attending will already have shown an interest in agriculture and will be looking at studying the different agricultural programmes we have on-campus.

“By also taking them to the Young Farmer Contest the following day we are hoping to strengthen their interest in the industry and motivate them to aim high while seeing the different opportunities that are available.”

Ian Collins, Communications Group, Lincoln University