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Greenham Tasmania 2006 Scholarship Winner - Land Management Is The Key To The Future

2006-03-10



A 22 year-old farmer with a passion for soils and land management has won the 2006 Greenham Tasmania Scholarship of $10,000 for continuing education relating to the dairy and beef industries.

Kurt de Jonge, who has lived and worked on his family’s beef farm in Stanley at the State’s north-west, intends to graduate from the University of Tasmania with a Bachelor of Natural Environment and Wilderness Studies with Honours.

Due to his consistent good marks and diligence, the University has offered him a position to enrol again as an honours student for which he will prepare a thesis based on issues of soil compaction in pasture, especially in relation to irrigated and non-irrigated soils.


The judging panel had no hesitation in awarding the annual scholarship to Kurt based on his academic achievements and his commitment to the future of land management in Tasmania.

The annual $10,000 scholarship was instigated by Greenham Tasmania Pty Ltd three years ago to help Tasmanian farmers and agriculture workers prepare for a future in the Australian dairy or beef industries. Applications were assessed by a panel of independent judges, including Mark Smith, Executive Officer, Dairy Tas & TAPG; Susan Wigg, Smithton High School Asst. Principal; Roger Tyshing, State Coordinator for the DrumMuster program; and Paul Saward, Tasmania Farmers and Graziers Association.

In the judges’ summing up it was noted that: “Kurt shows a strong commitment to the beef industry and he has industry experience beyond just working on the farm. His area of study will be of wide use to the grazing industry. Preservation of the quality of our soils is a very important part of agriculture and Kurt’s chosen area of study has the potential to help all grazing and cropping industries”.

Showing a flair for forward planning, Kurt said the prizemoney was already earmarked for course costs, books and accommodation at the University’s Launceston Campus.

“I am extremely please to receive the Greenham Scholarship,” Kurt said. “I wasn’t expecting to win but I had made pretty concrete plans as to how the money would help me achieve academic goals.

“Since choosing to work with soils I have become passionate about the subject. I believe the future of many of our agricultural and wilderness resources depends on our understanding of how to look after the soil.

“I am actually looking forward to completing my studies and getting into a job in some area of soil or land management where I can get my hands dirty,” he said. “ I think hands-on experience is the best way for me to progress after I graduate.”

Greenham Tasmania manager Peter Greenham said Kurt de Jonge was a very worthy recipient of the $10,000 annual scholarship.

“The aim of the scholarship is to encourage and help young people who are willing to make a commitment to farm industries and the future of dairy and beef farming in Tasmania,” Peter said.

“Kurt has demonstrated a robust determination to make a valid contribution to both agriculture and the preservation of the environment in Tasmania.

“He has a very clear idea of what he wants to achieve and has already started down that path under his own steam. Better management of soils and resource will be the salvation of the State’s agricultural industries.

“The scholarship was set up specifically to help people like Kurt achieve their career goals, whether it be working on the land with animals, in the field of veterinary science or even in agricultural science research.

“Financial assistance at the right time can lighten the education expense burden and free up more time and resources for study.”

Peter said the scholarship was also a way for the company to support the Tasmanian meat and dairy industries and the local community.

“It’s a way of giving something back to the many farming families who had been supporters of the company since our start-up in February 2001,” he said.

“It is especially rewarding when we feel that we have helped such dedicated and committed future industry champions.”

The Greenham Tasmania Scholarship is an expansion of a similar program introduced in Victoria by HW Greenham and Sons in 2000.

Among criteria considered were personal and academic achievements, potential benefits and relevance to the Australian dairy and beef farming industry of the chosen study area or career path and how important the scholarship might be in helping the applicant to undertake the study and potentially realise their ambitions.