This week we talk to a friendly face, Steph Laird. Steph won the scholarship in 2003 and now works with us at Ravensdown Aerowork as a Product Manager in Precision Agriculture.

Steph Laird, 2003 recipient

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

I work for Ravensdown Aerowork (our topdressing division) as the Product Manager – Precision Agriculture. My role involves helping facilitate our technology offerings from what is in the plane through to the services our shareholders receive. I also do some business analytics.

How did the Hugh Williams Scholarship open doors for you?

The scholarship helped me create relationships within the industry that I would not have had the opportunity to create otherwise. I had a good relationship with the CEO from Ravensdown at a very early stage in my career. Meeting the board and chairman at the time was a great experience, and having contact with the Williams’ family throughout my time studying has been great.

What is your proudest achievement in your career so far?

I have lots of proud achievements but probably my most recent is becoming an author to two children’s books – one on aerial topdressing and one on groundspreading. These are “Growing food with wings” and “Growing food with wheels”.

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

I grew up on a farm and married a farmer. Agriculture to me is an essential part of New Zealand. Growing food to feed the world is a rewarding career. I’m proud to be part of an industry that provides so much to others. I am also proud to be part of a division that is striving to improve outcomes for farmers every day. Utilising technology where we can, to do what we do, a little bit better every day.

Every day I get to teach my kids a little bit about where their food comes from, and how to be a good steward of the land.

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

At one point I had to make a change in career paths. This was daunting but exciting. I took on a new role and applied all my skills to making things better for the businesses I was supporting. Sometimes it was hard, but the people I worked with were very passionate and motivating. It was great to develop business analytics, and help the businesses improve based on information they hadn’t had before.

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

Lots of things come to mind on this. As a farmer, I’d like to see that the businesses I own (co-operatives, which is a large part of NZ agriculture) are able to continue doing research and development. Each product they put forward can add some type of gain for farmers. Whether that’s reduced fertiliser use from better placement, or new technologies like kowbucha (Fonterra) or eco pond (Ravensdown) that enables farmers to continue operating at the same level while reducing methane outputs, is a positive. With the current economic climate, R & D tends to be put on the back burner. It’s something we need to keep developing and improving, for the benefit of the industry. The next generation can make a huge impact here, where they bring new technology and problem-solving skills that benefit agriculture.

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

Apply for the scholarship. The entire process for me was extremely positive. I really enjoyed the experience, and it has opened up many opportunities. The journey starts with one step. Take this step.

What’s next for you?

I’m looking forward to getting stuck into a project I’ll be managing that’s coming up for work. We raised some money through groundspread nz and its members to print more of my books for schools. I’m looking forward to seeing that through and being able to teach more kids about what we do, and how we do it.