News

Today, we proudly acknowledge the incredible achievements of the graduates from the Whangarei Agriculture, Primary Industry Operational Skills, and Farming Systems Level 3 programme! These dedicated individuals have shown exceptional talent, commitment, and passion for shaping the future of New Zealand’s agricultural industry. Special congratulations to these Whangarei A&P society award winners:  Amelia Mitchell – Technology Leaders of FMG Award  Fergus Manson – Beef Farmer of the Year  Kelly Rihari – Dairy Farmer of the Year  McKenzie Peden – Love of Farming Award  Shanti Aplin – Excellence Award (Accepted by Ian Clements)  Kade Gillespie – Rising to the challenge [...]

The Ministry of Social Development (MsD) Rotorua whanau, invited Operations Manager Bob Pearce to be part of the Growing Role Models Expo held in Te Kaha on Friday 15 November 2024. It was truly inspiring to see the community come together with such enthusiasm to share knowledge and opportunities for their rangatahi. Witnessing the collective effort to support and uplift the next generation was both heartwarming and motivating. Bob was privileged to be able to share Land Based Training's course program with rangatahi and Tangata Te Whenua, and to discuss in detail how the various courses could empower the community to [...]

Our LBT Horticulture Team of Vanessa Nicholson, Merryn Broderson supported by GM Hamish Davidson & Ops Manager Bob Pearce hosted a contingent of Korean Teachers for a practical insight into what we teach on our Horticulture Courses in NZ. The group travelled under the TERRAMI (Korea Rural & Territorial Development Institute) Overseas Agriculture Training Project. The programme “Agricultural High School Teachers Training in New Zealand was instigated to offer an insight into horticulture and farming practices in New Zealand. This experience therefore providing the group with some good hands-on [...]

In his tunnel house, former student Josh O'Connell engaged in a conversation with Land Based Training tutor, Vanessa, and some of her students. Josh is the proud owner of "Arid Phytotherapy Manawatu". His journey at LBT began with Level 2 Horticulture with Henry in Tokorangi, followed by Level 3 Horticulture with Paul Smith. Subsequently, he pursued a Farming skills course with Neil Oldfield and then delved into Sustainability Level 3 and Organic Crop Production Level 4. Following a stint on Great Barrier Island, Josh returned after the pandemic to undertake Sustainability Level 4, during which he meticulously devised plans for [...]

This is Josiah, who enrolled in our Level 3 Farming Systems program in Taranaki. Josiah's dedication and hard work paid off when he passed the Primary Industry Operational Skills programme with flying colours. His overall grade of 78% was an outstanding achievement that earned him a pass with Merit, which is a testament to his excellent performance in the course. We are thrilled to have had Josiah as part of our program, and we know that he will continue to excel in his future endeavours.

Ka mau te wehi! Congratulations to our tauira from Wellington who have been engaged in Workplace Literacy and Numeracy for the past 6 months.  It is great to see your confidence growing and the enjoyment you got from learning with us.  Best of luck as you each continue your journeys. Big thank you to Dorothy and Tracey for making this all happen.

"I have never grown so much produce from seed before. The course has inspired me..." - Jo As the holiday season nears, and our courses take a recess, we'd like to reflect on some of the awesome work done by our new country-wide Sustainability courses. Courses are nearly a third through their programme, and we have already seen very impressive work and positive feedback from our students. Our Kapiti course is on week 13 of their course, with one more workshop to go for 2023. The group has covered soils, teaching students how to analyse soil and recommend systems/products for [...]

Our fantastic Kapiti sustainability course had an awesome workshop day last week, taking a field trip out to Lower Hutt. They visited Epuni School Gardens, an opportunity presented to them through Common Unity, a community-based urban development project who provide teaching and support for the garden and orchard at the school. The crew did a 'Chop n drop' of a green manure bed in the gardens. This contributed to their soils module, where they are learning about mulches in an organic system, through theory and practical work. The kids at Epuni School will be using this bed to plant their [...]