Wednesday, 29 January 2025 15:55

Scholarship winner ready to get scientific

Written by  Staff Reporters
Jonathan Jamieson Jonathan Jamieson

Jonathan Jamieson, a Lincoln University student, has been named as the latest recipient of Ravensdown’s Hugh Williams Memorial Scholarship.

The scholarship offers $5,000 per year for a student studying agriculture or horticulture at Lincoln or Massey universities for the duration of their studies.

Jamieson says that, having grown up on a farm near Bulls, he has always had a strong passion for agriculture which led him to pursue a Bachelor of Commerce in Agriculture at Lincoln University.

“I’ve always known I wanted to work in the sector,” he says. “I love getting outdoors, working with the animals, and learning how to manage the land.”

“During last year’s harvest, I woke up at 5.30am to go asparagus picking to help fund my studies. This scholarship will allow me to focus even more on my academic and career goals,” he adds.

Now in his second year of study, Jamieson’s focus is on agribusiness and the science behind the industry.

“I’ve grown up working on farms with the goal of one day owning my own farm. But deepening my understanding and learning the science behind it has been fascinating,” he says.

In 2024, he was awarded the Prime Minister’s Scholarship, which allowed him to travel to Vietnam for six weeks.

There, he completed an agribusiness paper and learned about the Vietnamese agricultural sector.

“It was an unreal opportunity. I loved getting out of my comfort zone and immersing myself in the Vietnamese culture,” Jamieson says.

“In Vietnam, they have combined rice farming and shrimp farming to make the most from the land. The shrimp help enrich the soil in the rice paddies, while the rice provides a natural environment for the shrimp to thrive.”

Ravensdown chief executive Garry Diack says that Jamieson’s academic excellence and enthusiasm for the science behind farming were what made his entry stand out.

“Ravensdown and this scholarship were built on using science to better agricultural practice in New Zealand. Jonathan shows a clear understanding of the importance of science for all forms of farming, and a passion for its ability to improve how we farm in the future,” Diack says.

More like this

Agnition announces new online sales channel

Ravensdown’s venture arm, Agnition, has announced a new online sales platform in an effort to give Kiwis more choices for how they purchase fertiliser and other agricultural products.

Point of View

Dr Amber Parker was guest speaker at the 2024 Southern Pinot Noir Workshop in Hanmer, sharing insights on potential impacts of climate change on viticulture, along with adaptation opportunities, particularly with regard to Pinot Noir. Amber, who is Lincoln University's Director of the Centre for Viticulture and Oenology, shares some of her learnings.

Featured

DairyNZ seeks more cash

For the first time in 17 years, DairyNZ wants farmers to contribute more cash to run the industry-good organisation.

EPA's plan 'not good enough'

The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) is bolstering its frontline applications teams in a bid to reduce the timeframe for new product applications, but agri chemical producers say that it isn't good enough.

Fonterra urged to seek extension to GMO bill consultation

With less than a week to go before submissions close on the Government’s controversial Gene Technology Bill, two agribusiness executives - John Greenberg and Michael Henne - are calling on Fonterra to demand an extension to the submission period.

National

Good season for apples

Brydon Nisbet, the president of Hawke's Bay Fruit Growers Federation, says the mood of growers in Hawke's Bay is quite…

Machinery & Products

Loosening soil without fuss

Distributed in New Zealand by Carrfields, Grange Farm Machinery is based in the Holderness region of East Yorkshire – an…

JCB unveils new models

The first of the UK’s agricultural trade shows was recently held at the NEC Centre in Birmingham.

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

Who's the glutton?

OPINION: We are told there is a wine glut - production outstripping demand worldwide - and the words 'wine lakes'…

Colonial science?

OPINION: Science funding for the bulwark of the nation, agriculture, is in a parlous state and less taxpayer money is…

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter