Three New Zealand Young Farmers’ (NZYF) members have been given a helping hand to further their education through the organisation’s three exclusive scholarships.  

Lincoln University post graduate student Jeremy Kilgour and aspiring Massey University veterinarian Nerida Bateup have been awarded the NZYF World Congress Charitable Trust Scholarship, receiving $1,500 cash in hand each.  

Meanwhile Lincoln University student Georgia Moody is the first recipient of the brand new NZYF Future Me Scholarship, receiving $1,500 for planned professional development.

NZYF Board Chair Kent Weir said he’s very pleased NZYF is be able to provide these opportunities for members to develop their education and skillsets.  

“I would just like to say a big congratulations to the three scholarship recipients, as well as to all those who applied,” he said.   

“Jeremy has been a valued member of NZYF and has competed in contest, volunteered with events and also held multiple leadership positions within the Lincoln University Young Farmers Club, most recently as chair.” 

“For Nerida, it’s extremely rewarding to see her involvement with the organisation which started with AgriKids in 2016. She has since moved through the different tiers of NZYF with FMG Junior Young Farmer of the Year and Teen Ag before joining Massey University Young Farmers. She’s a great asset to have in our organisation.” 

“Georgia’s also had a similar path, starting as a member of her Fielding High School Teen Ag Club and competing before joining Lincoln University Young Farmers. Currently junior vice chair, I’m excited to see where she’ll go within the organisation.” 

“It feels great to be able to give back to our members, who have given us so much,” Weir said.  

Nerida Bateup, 18, grew up in the Huntly/Te Kauwhata area on a dairy farm which sparked her passion for agriculture and animals.

The first year Massey University student has goals to complete her degree and become a Registered Veterinary Surgeon to practice as a large and/or mixed practice Vet.  

“From working on the family farm I know first-hand how important stock health and optimizing production is,” she says.  

“Vets are a crucial part to the New Zealand agriculture sector, not only do they treat sick animals they play a huge rule working with farmers to keep the stock healthy to produce high quality dairy and meat products. By becoming a vet, I will be able to give back to my rural community that is the backbone of our county.” 

After graduating University, Nerida also wants to work in rural areas of Europe and Canada to gain experience of how farming and agricultural systems are run internationally.  

Jeremy Kilgour, 23, will use the scholarship money for the course fees for his Bachelor of Agricultural Science with Honours degree, finishing this year.  

With a keen eye for creating higher profitability without degrading the environment, Jeremy’s main interest is animal nutrition - the focus of his Honour’s project.  

“My project looks at the suitability of Fodder Beet as a wintering diet in terms of minerals, particularly nitrogen and phosphorus. It also looks at other characteristics of Fodder Beet such as dry matter percentage, leaf to bulb ratio, proportion of bulb below the soil line, NDF and other minerals such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sulphur.” 

Keen to provide farmers with answers using quantified scientific literature, Kilgour has made sure he’s studied a broad range of topics including management, forestry, soil science, plant science and animal science.  

After graduating, he plans to gain more on-farm and consulting experience, before taking on an advisory role within the sector.  

“This will give me a greater knowledge of the practical side of farming systems as well as the strategic decision-making processes that rural professionals help farmers to make and achieve.” 
 

Georgia Moody, a second-year Lincoln University Bachelor of Agricultural Science student has a passion for improving sustainability and balancing farming practices.

Following her studies, she plans to pursue a career working with farmers to better their operations in relation to the environment and production.  

“This qualification will benefit the rural community as one of my strengths is knowledge transfer. I would educate others on what I have learnt throughout my degree about conservation and sustainability whilst still providing opportunities for farmers to be profitable and productive in their practices. I would also encourage more youth to get involved and study/work in the primary industries therefore benefitting the rural community as a whole,” she says.  

Georgia plans to use the scholarship to further her personal development and attend more agriculture-related events such as the BOMA Summit, NZ Hereford Youth Development Forums and other Agriculture related competitions.  

“As a member of NZ Young Farmers, I feel as though it is also my responsibility to encourage further involvement of youth into the industry as a whole and also Young Farmers’ clubs around the country.” 

“I have a keen interest in recruiting more youth from all walks of life into the primary industries and I think Young Farmers/Teen Ag is an awesome way to make things fun and gain more traction from primary school through to university and full-time work.”