Woodville farmer wins scholarship

Ben Allomes speaking at the function to announce this year's Nuffield Scholarships.

A Woodville dairy farmer is among a diverse group of rural New Zealanders chosen as the latest crop of Nuffield Scholars.

Nuffield New Zealand and Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy announced the scholarships at a function in Wellington, naming Woodville dairy farmer Ben Allomes, West Coast dairy farmer Bede O'Connor, Rotorua-based DairyNZ regional leader Sharon Morrell, Whanganui farmer, entrepreneur and conservationist Dan Steele, and Fonterra employee Satwant Singh from Morrinsville.

Mr Allomes and wife Nicky own a half share in an 850-cow farm at Woodville, are 50/50 sharemilkers on a 400-cow farm at Woodville and a 215-cow property at Ruawhata, and also lease two other properties.

He is a farmer-elected DairyNZ director and on the local school board of trustees. He has been heavily involved with NZ Young Farmers, Primary ITO, Dairy Industry Awards, Fonterra Network and DairyNZ.

While president of Young Farmers, 2007-09, he helped to restructure and reposition the organisation and jointly led the development of the NZYF leadership Pipeline programme.

The five new scholars join more than 145 others who have been awarded Nuffield Scholarships in the past 60 years, a substantial investment in New Zealand agriculture's past, current and future leaders, says Nuffield NZ chairman Stuart Julian Raine.

"Only a handful are awarded each year, so a Nuffield Scholarship is one of rural New Zealand's most valuable and prestigious awards. To be a scholar is a life-changing experience."

The Nuffield NZ Scholarship offers the opportunity for overseas travel, study of the latest developments in a number of leading agricultural countries, and provides an introduction to leaders and decision makers not accessible to the ordinary traveller.

One of the current 2014 scholars is Palmerston North potato grower, agricultural contractor and equity dairy farmer Paul Olsen.

"It has been a brilliant experience for me, seeing other countries and a variety of cultures, mind boggling but also eye opening," Mr Olsen said. "New Zealand has a huge opening for the future, in terms of things like food proteins and niche products, it's there for the taking. It's a massive opportunity for us."

Mr Olsen says the Nuffield name opened many doors.

"I visited some massive operations - people wouldn't hold back. It was 100 per cent nuts and bolts business information you wouldn't get any other way."

He says the contacts made and networks formed will last a lifetime.

Nuffield Scholars travel internationally for at least four months in their scholarship year, participate in a Contemporary Scholars conference with 60 Nuffield Scholars from around the world, and attend a six-week Global Focus Programme. They also have their own individual study programme, with a research report due at the end of their travels.