Some of SA agriculture's best young minds have been recognised in a statewide ceremony.
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Four students were awarded a Merit in agricultural subjects in the 2023 SA Certificate in Education, handed out at ceremonies held at Government House last week.
Two of these - Abbey Bigg, Balaklava High School, and Erin Pratt, Nuriootpa High School - were in Agricultural Production, while two, for Agricultural Systems, went to Hashem Bhatti, Rostrevor College, and Lucy Bussenchutts, Kadina High School.
Erin said she was pleasantly surprised to receive a Merit - she had been "hopeful" but also knew there were not many awarded.
For her big project, she designed and developed a liquid fertiliser - inspired by her father, who works in the field.
"I wanted to do something a bit different," she said.
Since finishing school, she has been working with her father, and will soon start at the University of Adelaide with a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering and Bachelor of Science.
"I like ag and the farm biology side, and find science really interesting," she said.
Nuriootpa High School agricultural teacher Josh Bottrall said he knew Erin "had the potential to do very well".
He was at Government House with Erin last week during the ceremony.
Abbey grew up on a sheep farm, just north of Balaklava, and says agriculture has also been a passion.
It was her family's sheep operation that inspired her project, which explored the potential profitability of buying in scanned in-lamb ewes for a non-replacement enterprise.
She bought in 100 sheep, looking to see how this system compared with a replacement flock, and found it did make a profit.
The savings also came in not having to supply water or feed during summer, or worry about soil drift.
"It's something to consider," she said.
Abbey said agriculture had always been an interest of hers, with her planning to study a Bachelor of Agricultural Science at the University of Adelaide, with agronomy or livestock nutritionist among the fields she is considering.
"I always knew from a young age I wanted to be back on farm, or in the ag sector somewhere," she said.
Balaklava High School ag science teacher Holly Crighton said Abbey had been extremely dedicated throughout the year.
"Her ability to do things in a practical sense and replicate that in theory," she said.
Agricultural Systems student Lucy Bussenchutts was "stoked" to see her work throughout 2023 rewarded with a Merit.
She grew up on a cropping operation near Kadina, growing barley, lentils, wheat and occasional vetch for feed, while her family also runs Angus cattle near Port Pirie.
Later this month, she will start a Bachelor of Agricultural Science degree, which she is combining with a Bachelor of Marine and Wildlife Conservation - bringing together her two passions - with her not ruling out a pHd down the track.
Throughout the past year she has also combined these two interests, with projects on the impact of nutrification on ecosystems, as well as looking at the influence of sowing depth on barley growth rates.
She has also continued her love of working with livestock, including being part of the led steer competition at the Royal Adelaide Show.
Elizabeth Anderson
Editor of Stock Journal.
Editor of Stock Journal.
