North Otago farmer Jane Smith standing for Ravensdown board seat
North Otago farmer Jane Smith is standing for the Ravensdown South Island director seat.
PALMERSTON NORTH student Braydon Schroder is the latest winner of the Hugh Williams Ravensdown Memorial University Scholarship.
"Growing up on a dairy farm in the Tararua district, I have built a strong passion for the dairy industry and general farm life," says Schroder.
He plans to study a Bachelor of Agricultural Science degree with a major in nutrition.
"I also aim to complete an honours year to develop a greater understanding in dairy nutrition and farm systems. I love the idea of working with farmers and helping them achieve their financial and production targets to create a better farming business."
Recipients of the scholarship often go on to work for Ravensdown eventually; the fertiliser co-op's general manager research and innovation, Mike Manning says the grant is "good for Braydon, good for Ravensdown and, by developing future leaders in the agricultural sector, good for New Zealand".
The scholarship was established in memory of the late Hugh Williams, who was a Ravensdown director from 1987 to 2000. The grant offers sons or daughters of Ravensdown shareholders $5,000 a year for the duration of their studies for an agricultural or horticultural degree at Lincoln or Massey Universities.
Brett Wotton, an Eastern Bay of Plenty kiwifruit grower and harvest contractor, has won the 2025 Kiwifruit Innovation Award for his work to support lifting fruit quality across the industry.
Academic Dr Mike Joy and his employer, Victoria University of Wellington have apologised for his comments suggesting that dairy industry CEOs should be hanged for contributing towards nitrate poisoning of waterways.
Environment Southland's catchment improvement funding is once again available for innovative landowners in need of a boost to get their project going.
The team meeting at the Culverden Hotel was relaxed and open, despite being in the middle of calving when stress levels are at peak levels, especially in bitterly cold and wet conditions like today.
A comment by outspoken academic Dr Mike Joy suggesting that dairy industry leaders should be hanged for nitrate contamination of drinking/groundwater has enraged farmers.
OPINION: The phasing out of copper network from communications is understandable.