AN HONOURS degree in rural science is one step closer after Ivanhoe local, Emma Turner, became the recipient of the inaugural Landmark NSW Merino Scholarship.
The 21-year-old from Stanbridge Station will put her $2000 scholarship towards funding an ambitious study into the benefits or otherwise of six-monthly shearing as against 12 months.
Being brought up on a large station running thousands of Collinsville blood Merinos, an enterprise of her parents, Greg and Fleur Turner, she feels she has the ready-made working environment to conduct her study.
Ms Turner is currently at the end of her third year degree of bachelor of rural science at the University of New England, Armidale, and would like to continue in the livestock industry and research in particular.
“Coming from a Merino breeding property I’d like to be involved with the Merino industry and this scholarship will now enable me to conduct my honours study,” she said. “I’m hoping this will give me a step up into the research world.”
She said the timing of shearing is a “bit of a hot topic” at the moment within the industry so she wanted find out what the benefits or otherwise are of six-monthly shearing.
“I’d like to see what the differences are and if they are worth changing to a six monthly exercise,” she said.
She plans to run 500 head in two mobs at home with all running on the same paddock with half shorn at six months and the other at 12 months.
“The aim is for all sheep to run under the same conditions and the scholarship will go towards covering costs,” she said.
As a Young Farming Champion, Ms Turner found out about the scholarship through another champion who works at Landmark.
The Young Farming Champions are identified youth ambassadors and future influencers working within the agriculture sector.
Scholarship co-ordinator, Landmark’s Dubbo-based sheep specialist, Brad Wilson, said four finalists were selected from an entry by 20 young students.
Finalists attended interviews at Dubbo coinciding with the first day of the 2017 Rabobank National Merino Show and Sale with the award announced during the “Drinks on the Mat” dinner after the first day of judging.
The three other finalists were Robbie Hayward, Bathurst; Heather Earney, “Slimbridge”, Bedgerabong; and Hamish McGrath, “Womboin”, Warren.
Mr Wilson said the scholarship initiative by Landmark was to foster and encourage young people within the Merino industry to advance their experience within the Australian agricultural industry.
