Tamara Sands knew she wanted to go farming from the age of 15. Gaining relevant, practical training with a Telford qualification, she successfully entered agriculture as a career, and has a future planned in the sector.
Knowing what she wanted to do helped Tamara to be intentional with subject selection in the last two years at high school. “I enjoyed school; it was important to me to get the right qualification so I could pursue farming.”
She was also able to participate in agriculture through a Gateway programme. “I had a work placement every Friday, I would go and help out on a local farm, “ and she really enjoyed the experience.
Tamara chose to study at Telford because she knew she needed a range of new skills to be able to enter into farming as a career. “Telford helped me out – I couldn’t drive a tractor or back a trailer, I didn’t know how to train a dog.” Committing to the training gave Tamara a starting point where the basics were covered, and having been continuously employed since graduating, she’s focused on perfecting her skills.
Telfords Certificate in Farming Systems and Equipment (Level 3) (Sheep, Beef and Dairy) combines the New Zealand Certificate in Agriculture (Farming Systems) (Level 3) and the New Zealand Certificate in Agriculture (Vehicles, Machinery and Infrastructure) (Level 3).
The programme gives students a good foundation; Tamara says they learnt a bit of everything, from basic training on driving tractors, quad bikes, LUV’s (Light Utility Vehicles) and 2-wheelers, to gaining experience with stock work and training a pup.
“Our course was not only theory but also practical, which meant we got a lot of hands-on training. We’d go out on work experience to learn other ways of doing things on different farms.”
Tamara enjoyed the livestock health and welfare component the most, and gaining the practical experience: working with sheep - ear tagging, drenching, vaccinating, moving stock to a new paddock, break-fencing, and more. They received the same training for dairy cows as well, she added.
A big drawcard was the opportunity for Tamara to train her own working dog while studying. “I loved training my dog on campus, I gained a lot from it...they have dog kennels on site, training paddocks, the facilities had everything we needed. We were allowed to have a heading pup that they helped us train up ... by the end, we had a decent idea how to train dogs.”
Tamara thinks some of the most valued information she gained from Telford was developing ‘stock sense’ – how to handle stock. It’s one of the ongoing responsibilities in her job and “you don’t learn it in a day”, it’s developed over the long term.
While studying, Tamara was a recipient of The Edmund Sanderson Jeff Farm Training Award, which helped reduce her living costs. The scholarship has assisted hundreds of young farmers in helping them to achieve their study goals with less debt, and unlike other funds, this scholarship programme focuses on providing where there is a need; for those who have challenges and obstacles to overcome, financial, health or other reasons. “I am very grateful that I was awarded this because it was a huge help in paying off my accommodation,” said Tamara.
Describing herself as quite shy, Tamara’s year at Telford also facilitated personal growth and development. Having to talk to people she’d never met before, “It was terrifying, but I got there,” she says. “I gained a lot of confidence ... away from home. Being out of my comfort zone helped me to grow up.” Living with a bunch of teenagers on campus presented her greatest challenge while studying, but “it got easier over time”. In that social environment, “I made a group of friends, we’re still friends now.” She also connected well with her tutors and still keeps in touch.
Tamara graduated at the end of 2020 and immediately gained full-time employment in her home district, working for eighteen months on a property in the Clinton Gorge. The two pups which she trained at Telford, were broken in while there.
“On the course I completed, I learnt skills and knowledge I did not have before attending... I’m utilising most of the course [content].” Tamara also believes there’s a lot to be said for having a willingness to learn and a good attitude. “It’s not what you know, it’s how you apply yourself,” she says.
She’s since progressed to the role of General Shepherd on a sheep-and-beef hill country property near Roxburgh in Central Otago; with 7,000 ewes and 440 beef cattle on the 3,300ha farm, Tamara has plenty to keep her occupied.
Ultimately she would like to be a stock manager, but career wise, Tamara knows she’s already found her niche and is living the dream – her dream. “I love dogs, I love the hills, I love the lifestyle,” she says, and is on track to achieving the goals and future she imagined for herself.