• Lincoln University reports – 

Kerry Allen, BPRTM, Dip. Tchg, PGCertAP, MEEd, Curriculum Director for Agribusiness in Schools, 2026 Lincoln University Bledisloe Medal recipient 

Growing up on a multi-generational family farm, Kerry Allen developed two passions – teaching, following in her mother’s footsteps, and agriculture. Over time, she came to understand the importance of education and the growing need for New Zealand’s young people — both rural and urban — to understand the primary sector, a vital contributor to the country’s economy.

Fast forward to today, Kerry’s trailblazing 30-year career has seen her encourage many young people to pursue academic and vocational pathways in agriculture and horticulture through education and training. In recognition of her achievements, she has been named the 2026 recipient of the Te Whare Wānaka o Aoraki Lincoln University Bledisloe Medal.

Career foundations

Having graduated with a Bachelor of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management from Lincoln University, Kerry attended Christchurch Teachers College, majoring in agriculture and horticulture. Today, her involvement in education includes her role as Curriculum Director for Agribusiness in Schools based at St Paul’s Collegiate School and as Director of Sow the Seed, an agricultural and horticultural science education advisory team. She is also actively involved with the Horticulture and Agriculture Teachers Association, which supports around 400 secondary/area schools and 600 teachers.

“My final year at teachers’ college was the last time students could graduate with a major in agricultural and horticultural science,” Kerry explains. “Today, students must major in other subjects and minor in agri-science. This highlights that these disciplines are often viewed as second to the other sciences, yet which sector contributes the most to our export earnings?”

Championing agri-education

This attitude towards agri-education became the driving force behind Kerry’s advocacy for including these subjects in the secondary school curriculum, helping expose young New Zealanders to the primary sector and the many careers within it.

“It’s vital to understand how we produce food and how the entire value chain operates. That includes both on-farm and orchard roles, as well as careers in accounting, law, marketing, and beyond. Agri-education helps students grasp how products get from the farm to the end consumer and demonstrates the need for people at every step of that journey.

“When agri-education is visible in secondary schools, students gain this knowledge early, and as an industry, we avoid future gaps in the workforce,” says Kerry.

The importance of advocacy 

Advocating for the inclusion of agri-education in New Zealand’s secondary school curriculum hasn’t been without challenges, as Kerry explains.

“Last August, the government proposed removing the subject agribusiness and agricultural and horticultural science from the senior curriculum. My colleagues from Agribusiness in Schools, Sow the Seed and I lobbied to retain these subjects, and we were lucky enough to be successful. Agricultural and horticultural science will continue to be taught in years 12 and 13, while agribusiness has been incorporated into business studies.

“Currently, the draft science curriculum is open for consultation, and there is minimal coverage of agri-science, so we are strongly advocating for students to get greater exposure to these subjects in the earlier years of secondary school, as well as in primary and intermediate school. It can be frustrating to continually face these challenges, but that is why I continue to push hard to ensure these subjects don’t disappear from our curriculum.”

Career highlight

Reflecting on her career, Kerry says her career highlight was introducing agribusiness into the curriculum in 2018, marking the first time a proposed new subject was pitched to the Ministry of Education. To achieve this milestone, Kerry and her colleagues demonstrated the subject’s direct relevance to the primary sector. This proved easy, having built a strong rapport with the industry over many years, to ensure that what is taught in schools equips students with the necessary skills to enter the workforce.

Strong ties with tertiary education

Through her relationship with Lincoln University, Kerry has a good understanding of what tertiary institutions require from school leavers looking to study in land-based sectors.

“When we developed the agribusiness programme, I visited agri-education providers to learn what content needed to be included. Lincoln provided valuable feedback on the importance of teaching about the whole value chain, so that became the focus of teaching. Those close ties ensure we are preparing students for real-world experiences and vocational pathways beyond secondary school,” says Kerry.

Recognition and reflection

Kerry is humbled by receiving the Bledisloe Medal at this year’s Lincoln University graduation in May.

“I feel very honoured to receive the Bledisloe Medal in recognition of my commitment to developing and promoting agri-education. I must acknowledge the many people I work alongside — particularly the hard-working teachers who educate our young people, helping to create a strong educational pathway that encourages them to pursue higher learning in the land-based sectors.”

Source: Lincoln University