Mitch Morton

Coleridge downs is a sheep beef and deer farm up the top end of the Rakaia Gorge. Im working towards the end of my 2 year cadetship. Work experience at Coleridge included general shepherd work such as stock work, dog work, mustering, fencing, tractor work. I really enjoyed the time i had at Coleridge it was a great place for learning heaps of new skills.

Reece Cleland: 027 441 8015

Did casual holiday work whilst on school holidays etc, in 2022. During my time at Alphaburn I completed a number of jobs including mustering cows, weaning calves, sorting calves for on farm sale, pregnancy testing, weaning deer, drenching deer. My time there was a great experience being my first time working with deer, I enjoyed this as it was something new. Majority of my time was working within the cattle yards drafting out calves. I loved this part as you always have to be aware of what is going on.

Duncan McRae: 027 562 7237

I started my time at Opawa Farms in July 2021 as a Gateway student on Fridays, I loved every minute of it. I was lucky enough to get offered holiday work over the 21‐22 summer holidays. I got the opportunity to work along side a fencer with 20 years experience, he loved teaching me new skills and good little tips he had learnt during his career. I also worked majority of the time with the stock manager Doc Miller and learnt plenty. My jobs at Opawa Farms included crutching, drenching, mouthing, lambing, weaning, dipping, mustering, calf marking, weighing lambs, fencing, tailing, drain laying. Doc would give me set jobs in the morning, I then worked independently.

Michael Sutherland: 03 415 7277

Doc Miller: 027 204 5522

Worked for Craig for a number of holidays throughout 2019 including the 19‐20 summer holidays. Craig has been a farmer for over 45 years so I loved giving him a hand and learnt alot from him. The middle of the year we were shifting breaks in the morning through to fencing laneways for the afternoon with a day scanning ewes and later in the year tailing. During the summer holidays we were weaning, crutching, weighing lambs and drenching. Craig gave me jobs to do for the day and I was able to work independently.

Craig Pullar: 027 603 1833