This year, we’re catching up with past Hugh Williams scholarship winners, with a new profile every fortnight. Stay tuned as we find out... where are they now? This week, we speak with entrepreneur Sarah How. Sarah, who won the scholarship in 2012, recently co-founded Landify, a digital platform that connects established farmers, younger farmers, and investors.

 

What are you doing for work now, and where are you based?

I’ve recently co-founded a company known as “Landify” - we have built a digital platform which connects established farmers, younger farmers and investors throughout New Zealand to explore lease, equity and farm ownership pathway arrangements. Landify aims to reduce barriers younger farmers face in accessing land and capital and give families more options to step back or step up to farm ownership. I am based in South Canterbury where I live with my husband and two children.

 

How did the Hugh Williams Scholarship open doors for you?

I feel like the Hugh Williams scholarship was my first big ‘break’, which opened up so many doors. It carries so much prestige - I distinctly remember idolizing all those names and faces of past recipients on the board each year at the Ravensdown tent when I would go to the Canterbury A&P Show with my Dad. I was immensely proud to have eventually received the scholarship myself, and it allowed me to stand out and access a string of opportunities thereafter.

 

What is your proudest achievement in your career so far?

Co-founding Landify has definitely been my proudest achievement to date. There’s something immensely satisfying about being able to (and brave enough to, eventually!) apply the skills you’ve developed in your first 10 years in the workforce to a business and mission you’re very passionate about.

 

How has a career in agriculture shaped your life, both professionally and personally?

What I love most about a career in agriculture is that you can be involved in businesses on so many levels - whether that’s in a race drenching lambs or in a boardroom. This has shaped my life in a sense that I’ve been able to work in the industry and be involved in many operations, in a range of roles, both here and overseas from a young age, and every experience has added value to get me where I am today.

 

Looking back, name one big challenge you encountered in your career, and how you overcame it.

Big challenges many people face soon after university is knowing what path they should go down, and how to navigate both opportunities and setbacks in those first few years in the workforce. This was no different for me - I wish I had a mentor at the time to help me through that period, and this is something I now try to help people with, where I can.

 

What do you feel the agricultural sector is missing right now, and where do you think the next generation can really make an impact?

What I feel is missing in the sector now is more entrepreneurship and experimentation with cool ideas. With technology now, it has never been easier to test and build something yourself, and create value in different ways, even alongside a ‘day job’. This is where I think the next generation can make an impact - turning up and being prepared to ‘try stuff’, because we can’t all just wait for other people to solve industry problems. 

 

What advice would you give to those thinking about applying for the scholarship?

It’s an absolute no-brainer to put yourself out there and apply for this scholarship. The prompt to reflect on your goals and the experience of the application process itself makes it really worthwhile.

 

What’s next for you?

At Landify, we want to create real and enduring value for the farmers and wider rural communities we serve. We’re focused on how we can use our platform to continue to give families more options when it comes to farming, whatever their stage in life.