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2005 Greenham Dairy Scholarship winner sees a bright future in farm management

2005-03-08 2005 Greenham Dairy Scholarship winner sees a bright future in farm management



Benjamin Govett, a young farmer from Dingee taking his first steps towards a career in dairy farming, has won the $10,000 2005 Greenham Dairy Scholarship.

Currently undertaking the second year of a Bachelor of Animal Sciences and Management degree, Ben said his aim was to gain knowledge and experience that he could put into practice on his parents’ farm and help to make a good career for himself in dairying.

“I believe education and experience are the keys to being successful in Australia’s volatile dairy industry,” Ben said. “I want to learn to better manage and understand all aspects of farming, from the soil to the markets.”

The scholarship was launched in 2000 by Victorian-based meat processor HW Greenham and Sons to promote education within the dairy industry, and to encourage young people to make a commitment to the industry. It is open each year to people aged 17 to 45 years, who are immediate family, employees or sharefarmers working with suppliers of cattle to the company’s Tongala meat processing plant. Winners receive financial assistance for formal study in a dairy-related field of their choice.


Applications were assessed by a panel of independent judges including Australian Dairy Farmers central councillor and board member, Geoff Akers; Kyabram Secondary College assistant principal, Judy Greer; Campaspe Shire Council chief executive officer, Wayne Harvey; and Dairy Australia program manager – change management and delivery, Chris Murphy.

A good student and enthusiastic farmer, Ben has a very clear view of his immediate future.

“After completing the last year of my course I would like to come back to the farm and take on a substantial management role. I would like to continue with extra education if the opportunity arises but sometime in the near future I would also like to take a six-month working tour of stud farms in America,” he said.

“Most of my goals are centred on the successful running of a farm. Farming is in the family. My grandfather was a dryland farmer, and my father took over our farm when he was 15. We milk around 240 head on about 450 ha with about 60 of those under irrigation.

“I see myself taking over and managing the family farm. The family has worked so hard in building up the farm it would be the most logical thing to do.

“In this day and age I think it would be a fairly big thing to purchase your own farm,” Ben said.

Ben had some experience in farm management at a fairly early age.

“When I’d finished my schooling I immediately took over part management of the family farm; this was during the drought when times were tough and it really taught me the importance of farm management,” he said.

“I believe that if dairy farmers are to survive in the future they need to be able to manage their land, stock and assets in order to stay profitable.

“Looking after the farm during the drought also helped me to understand the vital role nutrition plays in the survival of a farm business. It’s one thing to breed high production cows but to get the best out of them they need to be fed correctly. A farmer needs to learn how to get the most out of his herd while keeping production costs down.

“Everyone talks about farming being a lifestyle but no-one wants a lifestyle where they don’t have any money. It is my hope that I can gain the knowledge and experience to have a prosperous future in the dairy industry.”

A keen sportsman, Ben has been helping to pay his way though university as a sports coach.

“Sport has always been a part of my life. I do sport coaching in schools in Melbourne to help fund my studies. I was also the football coach in college,” he said.

“The scholarship will take quite a bit of financial stress off me, particularly with my living expenses; college is fairly expensive and it costs a lot of money to live in Melbourne. It also will take a bit of financial pressure off mum and dad as well. It will be a very good thing for us.”

Ben heard about the scholarship from a fellow schoolmate, Courtney Gronow, who won the 2004 scholarship.

“There was a lot of talk about it at the time, then I saw the stories about the next scholarship appearing in our papers so I cut out one of the articles and stuck it on the wall to remind myself to apply for it.

“The Greenham Dairy Scholarship is a great idea; without youth entering this sector of the industry there will be no dairy industry,” Ben said.

HW Greenham and Sons Managing Director Peter Greenham said the aim of the scholarship was to encourage and help people who were willing to make a commitment to farm industries but may not necessarily have the resources to realise their ambitions.

“People in the dairy industry are faced with ongoing challenges with the climate and economic environments and they need to have the right knowledge and experience to compete and contribute in the future,” Mr Greenham said.

“If we can help some dedicated farmers gain the education they need and encourage their motivation to meet these challenges we will be very happy indeed.”

Among criteria considered in awarding the scholarship were personal and academic achievements, the potential benefits and relevance to Australian dairy farmers and the 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.