Lincoln University is a proud sponsor of the FMG Young Farmer of the Year competition.
The Grand Final is coming up on 1-3 July, with four Lincoln University alumni competing.
Dr Roshean Woods, who gained PhD and Bachelor of Science with Honours degrees from Lincoln, won the Tasman regional final.
A Farm Systems Scientist at DairyNZ, Roshean is a passionate advocate for the agricultural industry, but she didn’t always see herself working in this area. However, she started thinking about the possible opportunities when representatives from Lincoln University and DairyNZ visited her high school.
Bachelor of Agricultural Science graduate Dale McAlwee, who claimed the top spot for Aorangi, grew up on the family farm just south of Timaru.
The 26-year-old said his dad was “hot on his case” for him to gain a tertiary education, so packing his bags and heading off to Lincoln was the next logical step after high school.
He’s now contract milking 1200 cows, which is the first step on the road towards farm ownership.
Sam Hodsell’s win in Otago/Southland booked his spot in the Grand Final. He has a Bachelor of Commerce (Agriculture) degree, and now works as a 50/50 sharemilker with his partner on his parents’ farm near Taramoa, milking 600 cows on 250 hectares.
“It was a bit of a toss-up between going to university or not and then which university I wanted to go to,” he says. “I talked to a lot of people, but ultimately Lincoln was that bit closer to home. Looking back, I’m really glad I went there. It was a fantastic experience.
“I don’t know if I’d still be farming if I had started straight out of school. The people I met, the skills and knowledge I gained, it’s all invaluable when you’re out there doing it.”
Jake Jarman, an ANZ Relationship Associate who holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Agriculture), took out the Taranaki/Manawatu regional final.
While his rural roots have always been strong, he says he had once considered studying meteorology.
“I really enjoyed science and maths, but my love of agriculture classes won out. I had some wonderful teachers who were really encouraging of tertiary education around agriculture. I was, and am, curious about the intersection of biophysical science, economics, and people that come together to make food and fibre.”
Image: Clockwise from top left – Dr Roshean Woods, Jake Jarman, Sam Hodsell, and Dale McAlwee.