Michael Halverson

Michael Halverson (DIGS 2016, BAg 2019) felt the first niggle of nervousness as he drove into the sprawling Dookie campus set on the rolling hills between Shepparton and Benalla in Victoria. He steadied himself, perhaps recalling the discipline he had learned as a promising young basketballer, and focused instead on the challenges that lay ahead of him.

He decided to study the Diploma in General Studies at the University of Melbourne’s Dookie agricultural campus because it would ease him into university life and provide a natural pathway to the Bachelor of Agriculture. On paper at least, his education choice was curious.

Here was a student who had been in an elite basketball development program at Rowville Sports Academy until a knee injury ended any serious sporting future. On completing high school, he gained experience over nearly three years working in customer service, warehouse logistics and commercial glazing. He also spent a period backpacking through Europe and enjoying time with his family and grandparents. His road to a career in agriculture was long and winding.

Michael says his interest in agriculture was cultivated by his grandfather, Bob Halverson, a man who had enjoyed a full life as a distinguished air force officer, a politician (which included a term as Speaker of the House of Representatives) and as the Australian Ambassador to Ireland and the Holy See, before settling into retirement on a farm in Holbrook, NSW.

“I spent a lot of time with my grandfather on the farm,” recalls Michael. “And we spent a lot of time discussing all sorts of issues like world hunger, governance and broader society. He taught me the importance of making some sort of contribution to the world, and emphasised that hard work was necessary to achieve this.”

Michael decided he would try to make his mark in agriculture and was researching university courses when he came across the option of residential study at Dookie. “I decided to go with the Diploma in General Studies because it would be a stepping stone to a university degree,” he reflects. “It was the best decision of my life.”

He flourished at Dookie, delighting in its commercial working farm that is home to crops including canola and wheat, and 5,000 merinos pastured on 1,200 hectares of clover, lucerne and phalaris. He was also stimulated by Dookie’s inherent focus on food security and climate change adaptation research, as well as its teaching of agriculture, natural sciences and technological adoption.

A key benefit that stood out to Michael during his time at Dookie was the deep connections formed between his peers, the college staff and onsite researchers, which created a supportive and nurturing environment for his residential study experience. While there, he also undertook a Certificate III in Agriculture.

For Michael, Dookie provided a unique window into a world of possibilities. By the time he enrolled in the Bachelor of Agriculture, he knew he had found his future, with that sense of place crystallising further through additional study at Dookie during his degree with the support of the Dookie Fund. The scholarship assisted with his return to Dookie and accommodation expenses, enabling him to gain further insights and practical foundations so as to fully harness his agricultural studies.

Now employed by Agriculture Victoria, Michael is working as the Project Officer for the Tatura SmartFarm, the centre of horticulture research and innovation within the Goulburn Valley. His role is to help educate students and industry about horticultural production and technology, while assisting on-site scientists to establish the best methods of production in growing the highest quality fruits, such as nectarines, peaches and pears.

“All production methods are being investigated and analysed with advanced digital sensing technology to determine the best growing conditions for fruit in horticultural production,” he explains.

Still only 25, Michael hopes one day to own his own farm where he can experiment with different production techniques across horticulture, livestock, cropping and pasture improvement. “I am very interested in experimenting with alternative agricultural techniques and feel compelled to do things differently.”

His grandfather passed away shortly after Michael was accepted into the Diploma in General Studies at Dookie in 2016.

“He was thrilled and proud.”

For more than 130 years, Dookie has played a central role as an agricultural college and experimental farm, contributing immeasurably to the richness of the Goulburn Valley and enhancing Australia’s reputation as an agricultural leader. To provide a donation to support student success at Dookie please visit the Dookie Fund page or call +61 3 8344 2071.

Banner image: Dookie campus as seen from the air, with Mount Major in the background. Photo: Adrian Vittorio.