Ravensdown scholarship for Mayfield young gun

   Lincoln University agriculture student James Clark says the Ravensdown scholarship will make a big difference as he heads into his second year.

Eighteen-year-old James Clark was in the middle of farm work when he got the call telling him he’d won the 2026 Ravensdown Hugh Williams Memorial Scholarship.

“I had to take a couple of minutes just to stop and get my head around it,” he said. “I was quite amazed, really.”

Clark, a Lincoln University agriculture student from Valetta, is about to begin his second year studying Commerce in Agriculture.

The scholarship provides $5,000 a year for the remainder of his studies, something Clark says will make a real difference.

“I just paid five grand for my first semester courses, and it means I can do that or pay for my year’s rent. It’s just amazing.”

Clark grew up helping on the family farm near Mayfield, where his parents, David and Jayne Clark, run an arable operation.

Like many agricultural students, Clark regularly heads home to work on the farm to help fund his studies.

“Growing up on a farm, it’s just somewhere I like to be,” he said.

“It’s physical, it’s mental, it’s got a lot of variety. I just like the agriculture sector.”

While his parents have been strong supporters, he says the decision to pursue a career in agriculture is his own.

“They’ve definitely encouraged and helped, and I owe a lot to them, especially with the Young Farmers competitions and all the time and money they spent taking me around the country for those.

  James Clark in the paddock at home near Mayfield, where his interest in farming first took root. Supplied.

“But it’s also a path I’ve wanted to take myself.”

Clark has competed in Young Farmers for three years, reaching grand finals twice, and says the organisation has helped build his confidence.

“Having interviews through Young Farmers and talking to professionals has helped an awful lot,” he said.

“It definitely gave me confidence when it came to applying for the scholarship.”

The application process involved written work, references, and a phone interview, but Clark said it was straightforward.

Now settling into his second year at Lincoln, he says university has broadened his thinking and opened up new opportunities.

“As I’ve studied, I’ve found more of the direction I want to get into,” he said.

“But I’m also opening up other doors and learning things I’d never considered, and meeting people with different experiences and backgrounds.”

Looking ahead, he is keeping his options open, particularly as the future direction of the family farm remains uncertain.

“I don’t know what direction our farm is going to go in the next five or ten years,” he said.

“I honestly don’t know what sort of place I’m going to come home to. It’s highly likely it’ll be different, and I don’t know what that different is.”

Despite the challenges facing the sector, he remains optimistic.

“There are always new challenges, but we’re always finding ways around them,” he said.

“I think I’ve got a hopeful outlook, but it’s definitely got some challenges.”

For other young people considering a career in agriculture, Clark’s advice is simple.

“Definitely give it a chance. If not straight at university, get involved with Young Farmers or something similar and get a taste of it.

“See what you like and what you don’t like and then look at university from there.”

Ravensdown chief executive Garry Diack said the panel was impressed by Clark’s application.

“James is exactly the kind of young farmer this scholarship was designed to encourage. We recognise the passion he has for agriculture and the long-term success of the industry.

“The country relies on agriculture, and the next generation of farmers will help shape the future of the industry. The sector needs young farmers like James.”