The Young Farmers Club Sally Hobson Award, recognising outstanding service to the club, went to Chair Patrick Coogan, a third-year agribusiness student. Patrick says his involvement with Young Farmers has been a highlight of his time at Massey, giving him the chance to build strong connections.
“I’m very proud to get this award. It’s a reflection of the whole club and the work of the committee this year. It’s been a great year; we’ve had some awesome events. The ball was a big highlight as there was a huge turnout and an awesome band. We had heaps of momentum this year and will bring it through into the next.”
Also recognised was Bachelor of Agricultural Science student Jock Bourke, runner-up in this year’s FMG Young Farmer of the Year Grand Finale. Following his standout performance in the competition’s practical farming challenges, Jock received the Young Farmers Cutting Edge Award, recognising his strength across a range of skills including docking, hay baling and fencing.
“It’s my first time at the Ag Awards and I’ve really enjoyed it. The last three years went by so fast. I’ve already got a job lined up next year, an internship for a sheep processing company I worked for one summer. I’ll definitely be having another crack at Young Farmers in the future, too,” Jock says.
Excellence from the soil up
The Excellence in Horticulture (Third Year) award went to Andor Laszlo, who says the award came as a surprise after a few challenging years but has renewed his confidence that he’s on the right path.
“I still need to find my specialisation, what I really want to branch out into, but I’m thrilled to be recognised, especially with an award sponsored by Zespri, as I’ve got some upcoming work with their bees,” Andor explains.
“The biggest highlight over the past three years has been the field trips and the lecturers, who are so motivated to share their knowledge and offer support. My advice for anyone thinking about university is to be brave enough to have a dream and follow it.”
Other third year awardees included Nicola Walsh, who received the Excellence in Animal Science award; Merle Taendler, who received the Excellence in Earth and Environmental Science award; and Oliver Cayley, recipient of the Excellence in Agriculture award. Bachelor of Agribusiness student Levi Jennings received the Student Leadership and Service Award, acknowledging his authentic leadership, integrity and care for others.
