Angus's 2020 scholarship was proudly supported by Young Aggies
Here's what Angus had to say;
"Being awarded a Young Aggies Scholarship gave me the opportunity to have a series of mind-blowing experiences over the course of 2 weeks in the Gwydir Valley. Coming from a property near Henty in Southern New South Wales I not only had no connections to the agronomic community within the Valley, but I actually didn’t know anyone in the broader Moree region making things such as accommodation rather tricky. Both voids were filled by the Scholarship, where I was provided with the contacts of numerous agronomists within the Valley and funds to pay for accommodation.
Upon arrival, I was immediately taken aback and excited by the sheer scale of the broadacre cropping systems. From paddock size to dam size to the size of on-farm grain storages, everything seemed massive! What also excited me was the prospect of learning more about summer cropping systems, especially cotton – I’d never set foot in a paddock of cotton before. My first week saw me do just that, as I followed a bunch of different agronomists around looking at sorghum, mungbeans and cotton, all growing in soil that you could just about eat. These experiences were amazing. I was also fortunate enough to visit the huge Stahmann-Webster pecan orchard at Pallamallawa which displayed to me the diversity of enterprises to which agronomists in the Moree region consult.
In my second week, I ventured up to Mungindi where I spent all my time in paddocks of irrigated cotton. Here I got a grasp on how intense everything in a cotton production system is and how quickly things can change from day to day. By dipping my toe into the world of broadacre cotton I’ve gained a serious thirst for information which I think is something I want to satisfy as I graduate and further my career in agriculture. It also reassured to me the cotton industry more broadly is arguably one of the most innovative and sustainable industries in Australia, which is always looking to improve.
Not only was the work side of things awesome but the social side to life in the Moree region has become another big drawcard for me. The young ag community is both very tight but at the same time inviting, and I think everyone involved in this community is quite lucky. Everyone in this community has a busy work and social lifes, which to me, makes it a highly attractive place to live.
Before I wrap things up, I’d like to give a big thank you to Casey Onus and the rest of the Young Aggies team for the opportunity. I’d also like to thank all the agronomists I was able to follow around including Nellie Lawson (B&W), Casey Onus (B&W), Brad Donald (B&W), Tony Lockrey (Amps), Caleb Torrance (Amps) & Alex Trinder (HMAg).
So to sum things up, if you have a passion for broadacre cropping or just agriculture in general, do yourself a favour and apply for the Young Aggies Scholarship in 2021. I found that the Gwydir Valley is a one-of-a-kind in terms of both agricultural productivity and diversity ultimately meaning that there’s never a dull moment and you’re constantly learning. Both of these traits are making me quite keen to get back up there."