Visit to promote agricultural careers

Two former ACG Strathallan students visited the college in August to inspire students looking to work in the agricultural industry.

Annaliese Goettler, from Glenbrook, and Lisa Kendall, from Karaka, have both found success in the agribusiness world and want to encourage other young people to follow suit.

Kendall was a finalist in Young Farmer of the Year this year, and the fourth woman ever to make it to the finals.

She is the vice chair for Franklin Young Farmers and the Federated Farmers delegate for the northern region. She started her business Nurture Farming in 2016.

Goettler has won awards at a national level and was recently named the New Zealand Harcourts Royal Agricultural Society Rural Youth Ambassador. She will represent New Zealand in Adelaide next year.

Kendall and Goettler spoke to business studies students about the opportunities available in the industry. They emphasised that not all roles were physical.

Kendall said one of the best things about the industry was the competitions that had pushed her out of her comfort zone.

‘‘I started my business in the middle of last year and the compe- tition has given me a huge network of top people in the industry, sponsorship offers, exposure to other organisations and media exposure of my business.’’

Goettler, who graduated from Strathallan in 2013, said she was completing her management studies degree from the Univer- sity of Waikato majoring in agribusiness.

She used the example of a hamburger to explain how many different industries were involved to create it.

‘‘This is where the the opportunities are for young people. You don’t have to be a farmer to work in the agricultural industry.’’

Kendall said more women were now entering the industry, with 52 per cent of agricultural students at Lincoln University being female.

‘‘The push happening in the past few years is working.’’

But Goettler said there was a need for young people in general to join the industry.

‘‘If we want to double the export value of this country by 2025, where are all these people coming from that are needed to run this industry? There’s something for everyone.’’