Teacher learning Kiwi farming ways

Elisa Brown, of Tangier, Indiana, is spending a year travelling through New Zealand and staying with farming families to explore agricultural practices. Photo / Yvonne O'Hara

Elise Brown is a Hoosier and proud of it.

She is from Tangier, Indiana, and a Hoosier is the name applied to a resident of that state.

A junior high and high school agriculture teacher, a Future Farmers of America (FFA) adviser, freelance writer and photographer, she arrived in New Zealand last June to spend a year working on farms and exploring the country.

"I have always wanted to travel internationally and had the opportunity to come to New Zealand for a year," Ms Brown said.

She comes from a sheep and beef farming background, and her family raised Shropshire sheep, shorthorn cattle and Clydesdale horses.

Since arriving in the country, she has worked as a calf rearer in Culverden and more recently was doing general farm work on a sheep unit for Lincoln University.

She also worked as a dishwasher at a lodge in Milford Sound, and is now spending time with a farming family in Milton.

She was at the Otago Southland Dorset Down trial results in Tuapeka West last month.

"I am mainly doing farm work here to get ideas from New Zealand to teach back home," Ms Brown said.

She also writing a blog - kiwihoosier.com - and taking photos during her travels.

"It has been a really fantastic experience and people have welcomed me to their homes.

"I have been able to dig deeper into New Zealand agriculture, rather than just seeing the surface."

She has seen some good ideas, including yard designs, wintering systems and the use of horses on properties.

She said she would be really keen to train a collie dog for use with sheep back home.

Once she leaves New Zealand, she will spend four months travelling and exploring Australia, Asia, Ireland and the United Kingdom, as she has family in Scotland.

After that, she will arrive home in October.

- Southern Rural Life