The Bashford-Nicholls Trust award for Top Student in the Level 4 New Zealand Certificate in Organic Primary Production at WITT was awarded to Alexandra McDonald for 2026.
She also received a Bashford-Nicholls Trust scholarship in 2025 for the course.
“Receiving the scholarship meant a lot to me – it felt like a real belief in my potential at the right time,” she says.
“Since then, I’ve worked hard to make the most of that opportunity, completing Level 4 [New Zealand Certificate in Organic Primary Production] with top marks and receiving the top student award. That feels really special, knowing it came from the support that the scholarship provided.”
Now working at Coastal Market Gardens, Alexandra is continuing to develop her skills in organic, small-scale market gardening with a focus on producing nutrient-dense food, including micro-greens, for the local community.
Simon Cayley, Chief Executive of the Bishop’s Action Foundation, says the success of students like Alexandra reinforces the strength and value of the partnership between WITT and the trust. “The more we build the capacity and skillset in the region, the more we’ll see better outcomes.”
Carl Freeman who tutors the Level 4 programme says “It’s ideal for anyone seeking a new direction and lifestyle, whether to fulfil personal goals with their own garden, or with business aspirations in the science of organic growing for community or commercial gardening.”
The course covers soil management and how crop requirements can be satisfied organically, whilst actively producing vegetables, fruit, and herbs over a full growing year.
“Our region already has a rich horticultural history,” he says, referencing Duncan and Davies nursery – once New Zealand’s largest, founded in the late 1800s – and other nurseries, as well as commercial berry, Kiwi fruit and avocado production, and multiple market gardens.