While not wanting to be a hands-on farmer, Miss Menzies (19) intends to utilise her tertiary studies to find work in the primary sector.
In her second year at Lincoln University, she is studying for a B ComAg degree, having switched from a BSc last year.
She is one of six students throughout New Zealand, aiming to make a positive difference in the sector who have received a tertiary study scholarship from Ballance Agri-Nutrients this year.
After graduating, Miss Menzies was keen to be involved with farmers and where their products were going, to ensure they got the best out of them, as well as the supermarkets and retail chains the products were being sold in.
She cited what a farmer was getting paid for lamb at the moment and the price consumers were paying for it in the supermarkets.
Thinking about ‘‘where all the money goes'', she said farmers were not getting it. She was passionate about trying to reduce the gap and ensure the best outcomes for farmers.
She was also interested in international consultancy and working with both New Zealand and other countries over trade, especially around climate change and world food shortages.
She believed New Zealand had a big role to play in addressing those challenges.
Miss Menzies, who is also a Future Leader scholar at the university, was delighted with the support of Ballance as she works towards getting her degree.
Educated at Omakau Primary School and Columba College, she was enjoying her time at Lincoln, she said.