Thanks to Waterkloof High School and New Holland the future of agriculture looks brighter. The school now has agricultural technology as a subject and with New Holland’s support the agricultural students are busy getting ready to make their mark in the agricultural industry.

Four grade 11 students from Waterkloof High School has already planned their agricultural dreams. They show that you do not need to be a man to dream about farming and do not have to be a farmer to love the agricultural industry.

The 17 year old Hanri Visagie grew up on the farm and says that farming is in her blood.

“I had the privilege to wake up on a farm every day and farm with my dad. I love animals and the farm lifestyle with its people,” she said. Her love for the industry grew every weekend when she farmed with her dad.

Hanri is not sure what agricultural industry she wants to go in and says that her parents want her to farm with cattle but her interest is also with saffron.

She believes agriculture is the future and she is very excited to see how grazing pressure in the future will be applied and improved.

She wants to be remembered as someone who created opportunities for other people to also be able to do what she does.

Her role model is a former student of Waterkloof High School, Ingrid Cronjé, who studied Animal Science at the University of Pretoria and now works on a dairy farm in the Western Cape.

Genevieve Malherbe’s grandfather’s stories about how he grew up on the farm motivated her to also pursue an agricultural direction.

“I am thinking about moving in a direction where I might also get that feeling that he had as a child,” she says proudly.

What excites her about the future of agriculture are the many opportunities that the industry holds for young women like her, who are part of the new generation who, according to her, “strive to improve food production and its sustainability. I look forward to making a bigger difference in that regard”.

Genevieve wants to follow a direction in Agricultural Production and Marketing Management.

She would like to be remembered one day as someone who was able to start from nothing but ended up making a big difference in agriculture; just like her role model, Allison Caine, an anthropologist who raises awareness for the role of animals.

Another student whose heart lies with animals is Stephanie Johnson (17), who also found her feet on the farm from a young age.

She has her eye set on a career in disaster management for animals. This involves planning and rehabilitating for animals in need.

“I would like to make a difference to animals that have been abused by humans,” she explains.

Wherever her agricultural career takes her, Stephanie does know that one day she wants to create jobs for others. Her agricultural role model is Simone de Villiers.

“Simone gave Waterkloof High School a chance to teach agriculture to those who come from the city, and it made a big difference in the school,” she says.

For her, agriculture is South Africa’s future because God gave everyone the potential to get the best out of the soil and she feels that there is still big things to come for the industry and South Africa.

Nikha Lambden is not picky about the animals she wants to work with; she started preparing for her career in Veterinary Medicine early on.

The 16 year old Nikha says that she has always had a love for animals and knew that she wanted to lead a life in nature.

“I know for a fact that I do not want to sit in an office all day,” she says, laughing.

Her plan is to specialise in livestock, work with farmers, and even one day own her own trout farm.

She comes from a family of farmers; her father and grandfather farmed with cattle and for a period she also grew up on the farm.

“I think the agricultural industry creates many opportunities out there, it teaches you a lot about yourself and how to work with other people and God’s creation,” says Nikha.

If she has the privilege of becoming a veterinarian, she will want to be remembered as someone who was able to help the farmers and improve the quality of life of the animals.

Her role model is aunt Annerine Moolman, a boer goat farmer. “She simply went and lived her passion and dream, that is why she is my role model.”

Nikha believes agriculture is the future because it allows you to follow your dream.

Nico Pretorius, their Agricultural Technology teacher, says that the subject teaches the pupils more about the latest technology used on farms, such as the technology New Holland has available.

He says that they are very lucky to have New Holland supporting them because the children now have practical examples of this technology and can learn from it.

Waterkloof High School plans to, with the help of New Holland, expand this subject even more in the future to the other grades and add more agricultural subjects to be able to offer the whole package.