Boost to farmer education

Smedley Station in the central Hawkes Bay, 40kms west of Waipukurau, and the 5000ha (30,000 stock unit) property offers two-year, on-farm training and experience for 22 cadets.

Smedley's board chairman, Pat Portas, says Smedley's vision is developing the very best future farmers. "For an individual to become one of the best farmers they need to have a well-rounded education, including both practical work and theory," says Portas.

"Smedley Station has traditionally been providing excellent on-farm practical training and the partnership with Lincoln University will now enable the delivery of the best land-based theory New Zealand has to offer. Our cadets will finish their time here with all-round practical skills and having had the potential to study right through to Level 5 with the university".

The qualifications and theory will be delivered through Lincoln University's Telford division. Telford is located in Otago and offers vocational, land-based qualifications throughout New Zealand. It provides Level 1-5 qualifications in relevant agricultural and horticultural subjects.

Lincoln University's Vice-Chancellor, Dr Andrew West says Lincoln University is very pleased to have been approached to come alongside Smedley to add the university's knowledge and expertise to the practical education offered to the cadets.

"The university's Telford campus is ideally placed to provide practical training coupled with formal qualifications while also bringing able students through to further study at the Lincoln campus," says West. "Cadets from Smedley Station will now be able to have the same opportunities. Our Telford model is tried and tested and we are looking forward to working with Smedley to offer the same experience in the North Island.

"Lincoln University is committed to the highest standards of primary sector education in New Zealand and we see this partnership as an illustration of how we can work with the industry to collectively raise the bar. To this end we will be working hard to strengthen partnerships in both the North and South Island, with private enterprise, industry, Iwi and so on."

Lincoln University is New Zealand's specialist land-based university and as such offers education and research at the forefront of today's more sophisticated farming practices. Smedley Station operates as a commercial farm as well as a training ground for young farmers and the combination of on-farm experience and research-informed teaching will ensure Smedley graduates are able to be the very best farmers of the future.