Aspirations in agriculture boosted by industry

Emily Buddle at the 2008 Royal Show.
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Friday, 13 May 2011

Agricultural Sciences student Emily Buddle is a step closer to achieving her career goals after winning a studentship from the livestock industry and the Federal Government.

Emily, 18, from Kurralta Park, is one of eight students nationally to be chosen for an Investing in Youth Undergraduate Studentship, awarded to students committed to a career in primary industries after their studies.

Investing in Youth is an initiative of the Australian Government's Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC) and is designed to promote the diversified career pathways that agriculture offers tertiary students. Their goal is to support and educate the future leaders of Australia's rural industries.

The studentship is worth $5000 a year for up to four years and involves a work placement and a leadership development course. Emily's studentship has been sponsored by Meat and Livestock Australia.

"The money is welcome and will definitely help with my university costs, but what means the most to me is the work placement and the encouragement this provides," says Emily, who is in her first year of a Bachelor of Agricultural Sciences at the University of Adelaide.

"Winning the studentship gives me more motivation to do my best and try to achieve my career goals in the industry," she says.

Emily says she had a keen understanding of career opportunities in agriculture from an early age.

"My parents grew up in the Mallee region near Lameroo and Pinnaroo, and one of my grandfathers was an agronomist for Elders," she says.

"Although I grew up in Adelaide, mum and dad still have friends with farms and I went to Urrbrae (Agricultural High School)."

At Urrbrae, Emily began working with beef cattle from Year 10 and started showing cattle at the Royal Adelaide Show and the South Australian Junior Heifer Expo. By Year 12 she was already helping out at a cattle stud.

Her interest in the large animals continues: "After my studies, I'm hoping to get a job in livestock management and nutrition - mainly with cattle, but also possibly with sheep.

"I love working with big animals. Some people love their chickens, and others love their sheep, but I love my cows," she says with a laugh.

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