Over the school holidays Luke Robb was given the opportunity to experience daily life on a farm as part of his Agricultural Studies Programme. Below is his report of this visit.

In the second week of the holidays I got the opportunity to go and experience life on a farm for a week. I was involved in a programme run and sponsored by Rabobank to host students from Christchurch on client’s farms so that they can experience the rural lifestyle. I was lucky enough to be selected and I was hosted on a sheep and beef farm in Omihi owned by the lovely George and Marianne McLean. We were partnered with a student from another school,  my buddy was Botond Kiss from Hillmorton High. I headed out on the Sunday and had a truly delicious roast prepared by George and Marianne.

Monday morning started at 7:00am with breakfast and then we headed down to the sheep yards to dagg (removing soiled wool from the rear of sheep) in preparation for shearing the next week. We also ran the sheep through the foot rot bath to help stop them suffering from foot rot in the winter.  After lunch we headed up the back of the farm to round up and count the heifers. That night we travelled to the West Coast to the McLean's dairy farm, which had the farm consultant coming to assess the farm the next day.

Tuesday started with a very early 5:00am start to help milk the cows. I helped out with recording and marking the empty cows. The rest of the day was fairly relaxed with listening to the consultant and learning about the management side of the farm, going goose shooting (we shot none) and a walk up into the hills looking for signs of goats. That night we headed back to the Omihi farm. On Wednesday we got up at 7:00am, and headed out to find where the electric fence was shorting out.  After about an hour of driving around on the quad-bikes we located and fixed the fault and then reset the fences. Next, it was time to give the cattle injections for worms.  After recording each cow's number in the record book and the dosage and batch number of the injection, Botond and I were given the lead to heard the cattle back up the hill to the far paddock.  Both nervous but excited we flipped a coin to see who was driving.  After a very lucky victory (and the fact it was a manual Ute) we headed off.  After a quick stop to help a sheep back on her feet, the cattle arrived safely in their paddock.

On the Thursday we were picked up at 8:30am by a bank manager from Rabobank and met up with the 18 other teenagers who had been on this programme to go on a field trip.  We went to Greystone winery to see the winemaking process from vine to bottle.  Something we were all amazed by, it certainly isn’t as easy as you would think.  From here, we went on to a cattle breeding company where we learnt about the Artificial Insemination processes and the science behind selecting the best genetics for your herd. Then we headed to a carpet factory where we got to see wool get turned into yarn and then be trucked off to Timaru where it would be made into high quality carpet.

I made memories which I will never forget and it has really fuelled my passion for the agricultural industry and has shown me so many options that I can look into after school, which isn’t just working on a farm. I would encourage anyone who is remotely interested in Agriculture to get in contact with myself or Mr McPhail to sign up and go on this trip. It was a truly amazing experience and one that I would not have been able to do without Rabobank and Robyn Cox who organised it for me. I was made to feel very welcome by my hosts George and Marianne McLean. To all these people thank you very much. - Luke Robb Year 12 Student.