Once in a lifetime

And nobody understands those differences more than 21-year-old Cameron Shell.

Born and bred on his family's 400-hectare farm, in the northernmost county of England (just 20 miles south of the Scottish border), Cameron always knew he wanted to be involved in agriculture.

So that's how he came to enrol in an agricultural degree at Harper Adams University, Shropshire, England.

Just like students at Australia's most well known tertiary agricultural institution, Marcus Oldham College in Geelong, Victoria, Harper Adams' ag pupils are required to spend a year completing a practical placement as part of their degree.

While most attending Harper Adams decide to gain their first-hand experience among the lush pastures of the English countryside, Cameron decided to stretch his wings a little further.

And that's how he came to find himself spraying weeds on Trevor and Deborah Badger's Pingrup farm when Farm Weekly spoke to him last week.

Cameron said while the Badger's broadacre cropping enterprise certainly operated on a larger scale than his family's farm, most of the farm principles were the same.

"At home we plant half the farm to crop and keep about 800 sheep and 120 cattle," Cameron said.

"Farming in WA has given me a totally different experience despite the fact we do very similar jobs to achieve the same rewards.

"In the last year we've received record rainfall at home so the paddocks of Pingrup are quite a contrast."

Cameron was given the chance to study abroad via a program called IAEA AgriVenture International Rural Placements.

And despite wanting to some day return to run the family farm in northern England, he said AgriVenture provided an opportunity far too good to miss.

AgriVenture provides enthusiastic young people with a life changing experience learning important agricultural and life skills.

Pingrup growers Trevor and Deborah Badger have hosted more than 30 international trainees and are strong supporters of the IAEA AgriVenture concept.

"We get the help we need and have great contact with young people from different countries," Deborah said.

"The support system of IAEA AgriVenture is what makes this program so different to any other work or exchange program.

"I would encourage my kids to go on the AgriVenture program as they have the ability to go to a host family that has been interviewed and selected especially for them."

The Badgers are currently hosting Cameron for 12 months and say he has fitted into their household extremely well.

"We are delighted with his overall attitude and quality of work standards," Deborah said.

"He's a great asset to the AgriVenture program and we will certainly miss him when he has to return home to England to continue his studies.

"I know many of our trainees keep in touch with fellow trainees in Europe and they spend holidays going to the various countries to visit them, it's wonderful.

"We have great contacts all over Europe now and it is ultra special for me when the parents of the trainee come to visit and experience the Aussie way of life with their son or daughter."

The program has been placing young farmers with farming families around the world for almost 50 years and has been very successful at providing young workers to fill a niche in rural employment.

As the face of agriculture has changed significantly during this time, the IAEA board realised that it too had to make a big change to go on servicing the needs of farm businesses in Australia.

Agriventure Global was formed to provide the type of suitable personnel to match the requirements of the modern farming operation.

Central Queensland cattle producer, Australian chairman of IAEA and international vice president of IAEA Russell Whiteman was optimistic about the changes.

"We were struggling to find employees for our existing client base but now need to double our farm businesses to place the numbers of young people who want to work in Australian agriculture," he said.

"AgriVenture has targeted people with the sort of background skills we think will do a good job and provide a positive experience for both themselves and their prospective employers.

"We know there is a skill shortage in the bush, as a lot of the young people who would have filled these agricultural jobs are finding employment in mines and other industries where we could never hope to match the same wage structure.

"A lot of the young people AgriVenture is finding are either from farms or are studying agricultural degrees at agricultural universities overseas."

So while AgriVenture continues its hunt for host families, Cameron will continue to roll up his sleeves each morning to get the Badger's 2013/14 crop in the ground.

"It has been a once in a lifetime opportunity that I'll cherish for the rest of my life," Cameron said.

"When the time comes to go home I'll take with me a wealth of experience that I wouldn't have otherwise picked up.

"Agriculture is an industry very close to my heart, no matter what country it be in, so I count myself very lucky to be involved on a daily basis."