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Below are some previous recipients of The Richard Wigram NZ Farming Scholarship.

Keely Mills

2022 Scholar

Keely is in S Island nr Ashburton working for Zoe Going who we sent out in 2014, she settled there and is now married to a Kiwi. They milk 900 cows. She has joined the local Young Farmers club. She studied at Exeter University and holds a keen interest in medical imaging in cattle and sheep.

"All I can say is that the scholarship has really changed my life for the better, I've made friends for life out here and managed to learn so much, from just doing relief milking and calves in the UK to getting the full experience and with women being so accepted in agriculture. I'm now learning so much getting involved in treatments, metric checking, yard work, foot trimming and pasture growth."

Ifan Samuel

2022 Scholar

Ifan is in N Island in the Waikato region (the biggest dairy farming area in NZ). He is with Nia and Marc Jones who run 2 large herds. He is playing rugby and is also a Young Farmer.

He studied Agriculture and Science at Aberystwyth University.

"The experience so far has been amazing and the people out here are great! It's a real eye-opener to see the opportunities that are out here for progression within the dairy industry. I'd like to thank the team for all their help over the past two challenging years..... but now I'm out here I'm really enjoying learning about the grass-based system. To anyone that's thinking of applying I'd definitely give it a go! I've definitely no regrets from trying"

Sarah Goulding
"I am so excited for this amazing opportunity the scholarship has given me, and can't say enough how grateful I am to all the people who have supported me and helped me to get this far! I really appreciate all the effort this scholarship team have put into making the preparation for this trip as smooth as possible, and am now really looking forward to discovering all that New Zealand and the agricultural industry has to offer! I cannot wait to learn in a completely new environment, to improve my skills and understanding of herd management, so that I can give back to the industry in the future! I will be sharing my adventures through Instagram and Twitter (sarah.goulding and @SarahGoulding16), with the hope of inspiring more young people into a career in agriculture, and to apply for this outstanding opportunity next year."
Karl Williams
Level 3 extended diploma in agriculture @ duchy college, cornwall. "Being granted this scholarship is an amazing opportunity for me to able to live and experience a true New Zealand grazing system in action. Giving me the knowledge and skills to be able to put it back into practise when I come back home. I'm very excited to travel out to NZ and have the time of my life for a year"
Dan Starnes

2018 Scholar

19 yrs has just completed a BTEC level 3 at Plumpton Agricultural College and is off to work for Brad Eyre in the Waikato region N Island.

"I am really looking forward to going out to New Zealand, to meet new people, see different ways of farming and just trying to learn as much as possible to bring back home with me. I really appreciate the opportunity the Rich Wigram Scholarship has given me and hope I can do it justice."

Alex Dunn

2018 Scholar

Alex has just completed a BSc in Agriculture at the Royal Agricultural University and is going to work for The Darby family near Huntly, N Island.

"I will be heading to New Zealand in July of this year and I can't wait to find out what the country has in store for me. Working in one of the most productive and progressive agricultural industries in the world will, I'm sure, provide me with a great springboard for a career in farm management. I know there will be so much to learn, so I look forward to becoming part of a team on a farm where I will be able to gain deeper insight into the agricultural industry in New Zealand. The Rich Wigram Scholarship has already provided me with so many useful contacts to enable me to find rewarding work in New Zealand. Now it's all down to me to go and make the most of it! If you are interested in seeing what I get up to during my year in New Zealand, check out the Rich Wigram New Zealand Farming Scholarship Facebook and Twitter pages or follow me on Twitter! @dunn97_alex"

Hannah Glyn-Jones

2017 Scholar

"I am really looking forward to have the opportunity to travel to NZ and work for a year. I am hoping to further my knowledge and travel and visit other farms, that will lead to more chances that I would not have had by staying in the U.K. I'm also hoping it will help me to decide what job role I may wish to follow in the future, I am very excited to travel as it's always been an interest of mine to go to NZ and work and travel. "

Kathryn Symes

2017 Scholar

"Being given this opportunity is an absolute blessing for me in so many ways. I have never done anything like this before and I am really looking forward to the challenge. I have been interested in Nz for a while after seeing a few friends go out there and I love cows, now I get to combine the two! An absolute dream and an opportunity of a lifetime! I am so grateful as the scholarship will enable me to gain vast amounts of practical dairying knowledge and alongside my degree will really benefit my future dream career in AI, here in the U.K."

Liam Rowland

2016 Scholar

To be given the opportunity to work in New Zealand will be one of the best things of my life! I'm really looking forward to working on the huge scale that NZ offers! I wish to be able to take experiences that I will be given and bring them back to guide me in the UK.

Liam performed really well for the Darby family and stayed on for a second year managing a 400 cow herd, he is now running a large herd in Dorset.

"An opportunity to work on a dairy farm in NZ will provide me with a chance in a lifetime to experience a dedicated grass based system involving large numbers of cows. I can't wait to get started!"
Joe Mellor

2016 Scholar

Joe Mellor 18yrs from Roweltown, Carlisle has a Level 3 Diploma from Reaseheath College, Nantwich. He has a job with Aaron and Frances Coles (who employed Emily 3yrs ago) nr Ashburton S. Island they have 2 herds of 1100 and 1000 cows.

Joe writes

"working over here has given me an excellent opportunity to learn about large scale farming. They use great methods which manage to make a busy time a simple task."
Maggie Palmer

2015 Scholar

Maggie Palmer worked for Tom and Leanne Heneghan at Raikaia about an hour south of Christchurch milking 1400 cows.

Brought up on a pig and sheep farm Maggie soon turned her attention to cows. 'I love cows!' was her response to 'why do you want to go to NZ?'

The following is an extract from her feedback on returning to UK:

"Overall NZ has been a great experience and I learnt an awful lot....especially concerning different rearing systems, animal health and cheaper feed alternatives...I believe that the low input low output systems are better for animal health."
  
Maggie is now a herdswoman for a 180 cow NZ system in Devon.
Laura Cable

2015 Scholar

Laura Cable also worked for the Heneghans.

Laura completed a degree in Agriculture and Livestock Science at Nottingham University, her farming background was from a beef,sheep and butchery business. Laura commented before going out

"I cannot wait to go to NZ, I have never done anything like this before so it is going to be my biggest adventure yet” And while she was there “ I really appreciate what the scholarship has done for me. I really don't think I would have been here in NZ and had this opportunity without it."
Zoe Jackson

2014 Scholar

Zoe Jackson was the first of our recipients to work for the Heneghans at Rakaia as a year out placement for her BSc in Animal Science at Hartpury College.

4 months into her year she writes.

"Since arriving my skills have developed enormously.....the days are long but rewarding......as a dairy farm assistant no 2 days are the same, I work a rota of 11 days on then 3 days off which I use to relax and explore the beautiful S Island. I still love every day, the scholarship has been the most amazing experience for me and I would hugely recommend anyone considering it to give it a go"
 

Since writing this Zoe's plans changed, she decided to stay in NZ! Writing in May 2016 she says

"I now work for a company called Align Farm Partners in mid Canterbury. I have recently been promoted to Farm Manager, responsible for 2 members of staff. The farm is 180ha, 60 bale rotary with ACR's, 700 cows and 4 pivot irrigators .We are currently working towards our Lead with Pride Certificate under the Synlait milk company which encourages farms to be enviromentally friendly,health and safety conscious and a strong positive team attitude to cow health and wellbeing."
Dafydd Evans

2014 Scholar

Dafydd Evans worked for Dan Brice with 600 cows near Mangakino in the South Waikato, only 1/2 hour from the tourist hotspot of Taupo.

"I have learned heaps over here and will return to Wales with an appetite to try and emulate this NZ style grass system.....Dan Brice is an excellent boss and  takes time to explain everything and is very supportive......this scholarship has been a huge benefit to me and will continue to be so in later life. I would recommend anyone to take up this opportunity"
Harry Knott

2013 Scholars

Harry Knott went to a farm near Culverden (Canterbury Plain) as a 2ic with 600 cows he then stayed another year at Geraldine with 3000 cows. Now back in the UK. In July 2016 he writes

"I am in the early stages of sorting out a profit share opportunity... the trip encouraged me to try and enter the UK dairy industry in my own right either through a joint venture or profit share, you see young people do this everyday in NZ through contract and share milking, this gave me the incentive to try this in UK....I now want to build up capital and cow numbers and hopefully get a tenancy in the future"
  
Emily Waghorn

2013 Scholar

Emily Waghorn worked for Aaron and Frances Coles nr Temuka 2hrs S of Canterbury (see Joe Mellor 2016) Writing in 2016 Emily said...

"....whilst working in Warwickshire I applied for another position – my dream job a 250 progressing to 300 cow farm as Herdsperson. I can say without doubt that the fact I won the scholarship and went to NZ was one of the major factors in being given the job, bearing in mind I am not from a farming family."
James Fernie

2012 Scholar

James Fernie (right) for New Zealand in early June 2012 to take up a role with Mootivated Farming Ltd on a 600-cow dairy farm near Kaitaia on North Island. James commented:

"I am really looking forward to this amazing opportunity to gain valuable experience of NZ dairy farming. It will be brilliant to better understand how they manage to be successful in the global marketplace."

James is 21 and worked as an assistant herdsman on a 200-cow herd at Long Clawson, near Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire. James was the recipient of the full scholarship of a work placement in NZ and return flight.

Kerry Jerman

2012 Scholar

Kerry Jerman (right) in early July 2012 to work at Whakanui Farms in the Waikato region of North Island. Kerry said:

"The scholarship will allow me to improve my knowledge of dairying, whilst giving me a greater knowledge of different farming systems."

Kerry is 22 and has just completed her final year studying Agriculture with Business Management at Aberystwyth University. Kerry so impressed us at interview that she was awarded a contribution towards her flight to NZ.

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