FMG Young Farmer 2024

EAST COAST REGIONAL FINAL

FRIDAY 22 & SATURDAY 23 MARCH 2024

The FMG Young Farmer of the Year Awards stand as the premier event for our young farmers, showcasing the remarkable skill and knowledge of young people within the food and bre sector.

New Zealand Young Farmers’ Chief Executive, Lynda Coppersmith, has said that the competition will be erce this year, with a series of practical and theory challenges in the regional contests. The East Coast regional

nal this year will be held on 22 and 23 March 2024 at the Solway Showgrounds. It will feature 20 teams from across the district in the FMG Junior Farmer competition and 35 teams in the AgriKidsNZ contest. The contestants could be tested on any aspect of modern farming across the entire supply chain. Only the top contestants from each regional nal will qualify for a spot at July’s grand nal in Hamilton.

“This is their opportunity

to prove themselves and show the rest of New Zealand they have what it takes to be the best. Considering we’re a nation that prides ourselves on our farming know-how and expertise, that’s no easy feat,” said Coppersmith.

Usually, a series of oneday district competitions kickstart the annual contest, but this year’s format looks a little di erent with both the district and regional competitions combined into one event.

Contestants compete in one of three categories depending on their age.

Primary school students, some as young as eight, enter the AgriKidsNZ contest, while high school students, working in teams of two, are eligible for the FMG Junior Young Farmer of the Year competition. Those who’ve left school compete individually for a shot at rural stardom. The competition continues to evolve each year, attracting people from a range of backgrounds.

“Season 56 is shaping up to be one of our best yet with so many new faces including many primary school students entering our AgriKidsNZ competition. It just goes to show the future of farming is in good hands.”

Entries close the Sunday prior to the event at 11.59pm. Entry is $10 per team for the Junior Farmer contest and free for the AgriKidsNZ championships.

For more info, contact events@youngfarmers.co.nz.

About e Young Farmer The Year Awards

NZ Young Farmers is a non-pro t organisation focused on connecting, nurturing, and empowering young people throughout rural communities. It has been growing rural leaders for nearly 100 years.

Woven into the fabric of the food and bre sector, young farmer clubs are a place to develop leadership skills, network with like-minded people and make friends for life.

Since 1969, the young farmer contest has brought together club members as competitors, industry members, and dedicated volunteers to celebrate the future of the industry.

The Young Farmer of the Year Awards are all about learning about the primary sector .The competitions aim to excite and stimulate school aged students from both town and

country. You don’t even need to be from a farm to enter.

Most of the challenges in the competitions are agriculturally based, in order to introduce young people to the sector and where their food comes from. They can also begin to get an appreciation of all the di erent opportunities there are in the primary industries.

Contest winners go on to climb the ladder of success to achieve their career goals both at

home and internationally. Clubs have rmly established themselves in the fabric of their local communities as pillars of support, connection, and fun.

The three Young Farmers’ clubs in the Wairarapa region, open to people aged 16 to 31, are:

 Puketoi Young Farmers’ Club which meets at 7pm the third Thursday of the month at the Pongaroa Hotel, 1810 Route 52, Pongaroa. www.youngfarmers.

co.nz/puketoi-youngfarmers.

 South Wairarapa Young Farmers’ Club which meets at 6.30pm every second Monday of the month at The Top Pub, Greytown. www. youngfarmers.co.nz/ south-wairarapayoung-farmers.

 Dannevirke Young Farmers’ Club which meets at 7pm on the rst Wednesday of every month at the Mangatera Hotel and Restaurant,

Dannevirke. www. youngfarmers.co.nz/ dannevirke.

Members are involved in a range of professions including dairy, sheep and beef, agricultural contracting, banking, engineering, forestry, butchery, teaching, and lifestyle farming. You can make friends for life, network with like-minded people, and develop your personal and practical skills.

INSPIRING FUTURE FARMERS

Wairarapa College is proud to be educating the next generation. Our renowned Agriculture Department is led by a team of passionate educators and mentors and is equipped with some of the best facilities for secondary agricultural learning in the country. The inclusive programme welcomes students from a wide range of backgrounds to explore a career in farming.

Members of Wairarapa Young Farmer Clubs supporting Tinui after Cyclone Gabrielle

Grand Finalists at the 2023 FMG Young Farmer of the Year Awards

YOUNG FARMER OF THE YEAR: EAST COAST REGIONAL WINNER

In 2023, the East Coast regional winner of the Young Farmer of the Year Award was Patrick Crawshaw, a member of the Eskview Young Farmers’ Club and aged only 29.

Patrick owns and operates a Hawke’s Bay beef and lamb farm with his wife, Isabelle, and their young family, producing up to 2,500 lambs annually, and between 300 to 400 heads of beef.

Winning Young Farmers in Season 55 EAST COAST REGIONAL FINAL

FRIDAY 22 & SATURDAY 23 MARCH 2024

He grew up on his family’s Kenhardt Angus stud in Hawke’s Bay and, after completing his Bachelor of Commerce (Agriculture) from Lincoln University, has been immersed in the beef and lamb industry ever since. Motivated to provide leadership in the industry, Patrick is interested in

putting time and energy into innovative practices for the modern consumer.

YOUNG FARMER OF THE YEAR: NATIONAL WINNER

Emma Poole was the rst female in the history of the Young Farmer of the Year Awards, to take out the national title.

A Waikato-Bay of Plenty young farmer, she secured the win following three days of gruelling challenges against six other nalists.

Contestants’ farming skills and general knowledge were put to the test with tasks such as repairing farm machinery, creating a hydroponic system, and an intense race-style challenge with multiple tasks that saw points awarded for both skill and speed.

Emma is reported to have said afterwards “The most challenging was de nitely the Agri-Sports, I had a pretty frustrating start

with the baler and the tractor, and that comes down to stress, but it’s no di erent to what we’re doing every day. Farming is tough when stress comes on and you’ve got to nd a way to adapt and carry on.”

But Emma impressed judges with her resilience, broad stroke of skills and knowledge and sheer determination. Alongside the coveted title, iconic

trophy and famous Cloak of Knowledge, Emma also claimed $90,000 in prizes thanks to the Contest’s sponsors.

The FMG Young Farmer of the Year Awards are the most prestigious farming awards in the country, fostering people who will become strong ambassadors for not only the contest but also for the food and bre sector too.

Emma Poole, Winner of the National 2023 FMG Young Farmer of the Year Award

Pictures worth a thousand words

Emma Poole, the Young Farmer of the Year Award winner in 2023 demonstrates some of the contest’s activities including fencing, shearing and wool handling, and creating a hydroponic gardening system.