Invercargill is to host next year’s FMG Young Farmer of the Year Grand Final. 

About to enter its 57^th year, the flagship contest series will start with district contest competitions in October 2024, with up to 200 young farmers battling it out for a shot at rural stardom.  

Young Farmers chief executive Lynda Coppersmith said next year’s Grand Final (July 3-5) will be the culmination of many months’ hard work for New Zealand’s rising stars of agriculture.  

“After proving themselves at a district level, contestants will then need to go head-to-head against the best in their region. Only those who top their field will qualify for a spot on the national stage,” said Coppersmith.
“By that point, they will have put their blood, sweat and tears into it. Just making it to the Grand Final is an enormous feat, with only seven national finalists selected from across the country.”  

Fourteen FMG Junior Young Farmers of the Year teams will also compete for a national title, along with 21 AgriKidsNZ teams from across Aotearoa. 

Grand Final 2025 convenor and Otago/Southland Young Farmers representative Emma Wilson said she’s proud to be part of showcasing Southland’s unique farming flavour to the rest of the country. 

“We’ve got a lot of different industries in one small pocket – from vineyards to sheep, beef and dairy. There’s even tulip farming. Our secret is that we have so many different climate and soil pockets, so we’re lucky in that regard,” she said.

“There’ll be a few Otago Southland young farmers gunning hard to try and get that home Grand Final because farming is a big part of our identity down here. We have deep-rooted knowledge passed down through generations, but we’re also innovators with a practical ‘No 8 wire’ mentality – I’m excited to see what this year’s competitors have in store.”  

Season 57 entries for FMG Young Farmer of the Year open on Monday September 2, and entries for FMG Junior and AgriKids will open Monday October 21 on the New Zealand Young Farmers’ website. 

Rural Support Trust and New Zealand Young Farmers have signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen efforts in supporting the mental health and wellbeing of young people in the rural sector.

“We believe that by combining our efforts with Rural Support Trust [RST], we can make a meaningful impact on the lives of young people working and training in the food and fibre sector. This collaboration aligns perfectly with our mission to support and empower the next generation,” New Zealand Young Farmers (NZYF) chief executive Lynda Coppersmith said.  

RST general manager Maria Shanks echoed these sentiments, saying their shared  commitment to improving mental health and wellbeing in rural communities makes the partnership a natural fit, and “we look forward to the positive outcomes it will bring”.

Under the memorandum of understanding, RST and NZYF commit to working together to leverage their respective strengths and expertise and will seek to achieve several objectives:

• Increased awareness: The partnership aims to raise awareness of the existence and services provided by both NZYF and RST. By working together, they can ensure that young individuals working and training in the food and fibre sector are informed about the resources available to them for maintaining good mental health.

• Improved connections: One of the primary goals is to improve the connections between young people in the industry and the support they need for positive mental health outcomes. By fostering stronger relationships and networks, both organisations aim to create a supportive environment where young people can thrive.

• Enhanced access to support: NZYF and RST are committed to increasing access to appropriate support for young people with mental health and wellbeing concerns. This includes providing resources and guidance to those who may be struggling and facilitating referrals to the right professional support, ensuring they receive the help they need promptly.

• Strengthening rural communities: As a result of this partnership, rural communities and their connections will be strengthened, the organisations said. By focusing on the mental health and wellbeing of young people in the food and fibre sector, NZYF and RST said, they hope to create resilient and supportive communities that contribute to the overall wellbeing of their members.

Hamilton will host next year’s FMG Young Farmer of the Year Grand Final. 

The event, now in its 56th year, is a highlight on the rural calendar and will see seven national finalists battle it out over three days for the prestigious title.

Fourteen FMG Junior Young Farmer of the Year teams will also compete for a national title, along with 63 AgriKidsNZ competitors from across the country.

But to make it through to the final they first have to prove their worth. Between February and April, seven Regional Final competitions will be held across the country and only those who top their field will qualify for a spot on the national stage. 

New Zealand Young Farmers chief executive Lynda Coppersmith said farmers everywhere are still buzzing after this year’s winner, Emma Poole, made history as the first woman to top the podium. 

“I’d love to see Emma’s win give more young people the confidence to stand up and give it a go. Last year around 40% of competitors were female and we’d love to see that figure go even higher in 2024.”

Coppersmith said she’s looking forward to an action-packed event in the “mighty Waikato” on July 11, 12 and 13 next year. 

“The Waikato region really is a slice of paradise. It’s heartland, rural New Zealand and it has a long and proud farming history.”

The event is popular with contestants and a fan favourite. Season 55’s Grand Final in Timaru attracted thousands of spectators, giving a substantial boost to the local economy over three days. 

“It doesn’t matter whether or not you have a farming bone in your body, you’ll love being part of the action. The contestants that make it through to the Grand Final are the country’s very best young farmers. The competition is fierce, with high-pressure challenges that could focus on any aspect of modern farming across the whole supply chain,” said Coppersmith. 

Grand Final convenors and local Young Farmer members Nicole Cooper and Dannielle Imlig said they’re looking forward to showcasing Waikato to the rest of the country. 

Usually, a series of one-day district competitions kickstarts the contest, but this year’s format looks a little different with both the district and regional competitions rolled into a single weekend. Day one will resemble the traditional district contest while day two will align more closely with a Regional Final.

“It means we don’t have to organise 14 separate district competitions, which will be a huge weight off our incredible team of volunteers who support us year in, year out. They put so many hours into each competition, so hopefully by streamlining the contest in this way we’ll be able to take off some of the pressure,” Coppersmith said. 

The new format was trialled in the Northern and Waikato/Bay of Plenty Regions last year.  

Entries for all three levels of the contest open on Wednesday, October 18 on the New Zealand Young Farmers’ website.

Brian Peacocke, who has worked in the rural real estate industry for more than 30 years, including 11 years as rural spokesperson for the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand, stresses that due dilligence is key when considering a farm to buy.

This must include assessing the property’s suitability for day-to-day farm operations, writing up effective budgets for every aspect of the operation, weighing the risks and predicting opportunities. 

These key steps will save any headaches down the track and give bank managers the confidence to back you throughout your agri journey. They include: 

The overall operation 

Livestock numbers and production: Verify current and historical livestock numbers on the farm as well as livestock production. Once authorisation is given by the vendor, official documentation can be obtained from companies to verify production coming from that farm in terms of volumes and weights. This gives potential buyers a solid grasp on production coming off the farm against livestock numbers. Buyers should be aware that they have the opportunity to obtain information that is accurate and credible, which gives them the ability to budget much more accurately. 

Provision for existing feed: It is important to verify the accuracy of the agreed feed on the property (the correct quantity and quality of feed). If a specified amount of silage or baleage has been agreed on in the pre-purchase agreement, ensure the vendor is sticking to the agreement.

Dwellings and titles on the property: Builders’ reports, healthy homes certifications and a solid overview of the various dwellings on the property will save any headaches down the line. 

Review titles to the property, which should be done through a legal professional, who will carefully review the land titles and what the various items on the title mean. 

If needed, get an LIM (Land Information Memorandum), which is a legally-binding document that states everything local councils know about the history of a property, and any issues that may affect it. Purchasers who want to make an offer on a property can enter into a purchase contract subject to a LIM report. This provides information including rates, consents, permits and code compliance for work done on the property. 

Equipment and stock: If there is an agreement between the parties to sell certain stock and equipment, ensure both parties are satisfied – for example, if it is stated in the agreement that maintenance is to be undertaken on machinery, ensure this is done prior to settlement. 

Rural connectivity: Local schooling, rural delivery and availability of services are important when considering a property. Something often overlooked by people purchasing rural property is the availability of a strong internet connection. Rural internet can be expensive in some areas, although products like Starlink have lowered costs significantly. 

Fertiliser history: Soil tests using an agronomist as well as assessing historical fertiliser application records will determine this. Once authorisation is obtained by the vendor, agents can access official documentation from fertiliser companies about historical fertiliser records. 

Water supply: Ensure a solid understanding of water sources for the farm, as well as any water rights (rivers, dams, irrigation, springs), and check over rainfall records in the area. 

Overhead costs: Rates for the property, insurance and power costs. 

Securing finance 

Budgets: Consider having a property valuation done first via a reputable source. Then check the affordability of the property, which involves using various budgets and looking at debt servicing, interest rates and cashflow. A cashflow budget is critical at this stage. 

Come prepared: An important factor when trying to obtain finance is proving that you have done your research in regard to valuations, interest rates, production outflow on the property and how that will affect debt servicing. Financers will back the people who do their due diligence and present a solid business case. 

Opportunities 

Land use options: Understand which land use options are suitable given the property’s topography, climate, soils and location. This ties into financial sustainability as it determines the potential to diversify the operation into different products/markets. For example, some parts of a sheep and beef operation could be diversified into arable or vice versa. 

Given the current price of carbon, it is important to check whether there is scope for forestry, riparian plantings or other native plantings, and therefore the potential for carbon credits.

In many cases there are also opportunities for sand, minerals, metal deposits and other resources to be mined and extracted. An example of this is properties throughout Waikato that had sand deposits; they benefited hugely from the recent construction of the express motorway. 

Tourism is also allowing many New Zealand farms to diversify their operations, making it important to understand whether agritourism would be a viable option in the future. 

Risks 

Animal health: Buyers need to know if the area is prone to facial eczema, internal parasites or any other minor health issues that may affect stock, as well as a history of any serious health issues in the area, such as M bovis or TB. A good place to start is by talking to a local vet about what to expect in the area. 

Environmental: Look for improvements that have been made to improve biodiversity or preserve the environment on the property. It is important to look into current environmental regulations affecting the property, and if there are any potential liabilities surrounding this. 

Emissions: Ask about current on-farm emissions for the property, given the potential for He Waka Eke Noa-type emissions pricing in the future, and gain an understanding of whether on-farm emissions can be offset by forestry on the property. 

Climate and susceptibility to climate events: Get a clear handle on the climate history in the area, and potential risks based on climate changes. Look at rainfall averages for the area and whether it’s prone to flooding, strong winds or extreme temperatures. It is also important to understand the topography of the area, along with the soil’s ability to handle different extremes of weather. 

These guidelines for first-time farm purchasers should not replace liaising directly with  professionals such as lawyers, farm consultants and accountants when making these decisions, as they will ultimately provide the best hands-on advice. 

FMG Young Farmer of the Year Tim Dangen is keeping busy – dedicated to his work in the primary sector, he’s adding to his farming with a new role as a food and fibre ambassador. 

While working as a dairy farmer in Southland, Dangen was introduced to New Zealand Young Farmers (NZYF) by his boss, 2004 Young Farmer of the Year winner Simon Hopcroft. 

At the time Dangen wasn’t an NZYF member and didn’t know much about the organisation, but he was passionate about the agriculture industry, young, and keen to participate in the gruelling competition. 

After relocating back to Auckland, he finally went along to see what Young Farmers was all about.

“Meeting the people at the Auckland Young Farmers Club made me realise how special it is because everyone came from a different walk of life. I was the only farmer there at the city club, but everyone had an interest in agriculture or the primary sector, or a connection towards the industry somehow,”  Dangen said.

After that first meeting in 2017 he was keen to join, and jumped on the committee as vice-chair. Then he set his mind on participating in his first district contest, where he placed fourth. This put him through to his first regional final. He came super close to making it to the grand final, but missed out by 0.7 of a point.

“I was a bit gutted but still really happy with the first performance to come second. Being that close to going through gave me the confidence to know that I could get there one day,” Dangen said.

He didn’t know what he was getting into in terms of competing, but he enjoyed the experience and was planning his next entry. “I had an absolute blast participating! The best thing about NZYF and the contest is the people that are involved in it. It naturally attracts quality people who are willing to give up their time.”

Dangen went on to participate in three more seasons over the years, putting in the groundwork to improve his knowledge and skills. “I was 23 or 24 at the time of my first season, then had a year off. I followed the contest though, as my sister Emma competed. She got through to the grand final that year.”

He was picking up bits of knowledge as he became more familiar with the process but realised he needed experience with public speaking. He signed up for Toastmasters to help, then set off on a talking tour in Southland where he met new people and built up his interviewing skills. Back home, his club would quiz him on a range of agri topics and listen to his presentation projects.

“You have to be comfortable being uncomfortable. I’d think about what pushes my buttons, what makes me sort of squirm, and then try to conquer it. That’s when you start to gain confidence because you’re ticking these things off. You look back and realise you’re doing things you couldn’t do before.”

In 2019, he entered his second contest. 

“I went to the regional finals again, and I put even more effort in and came bloody second again,” he laughed. “I was pretty gutted on this one but I lost to James Robertson who went on to win the grand final. It’s always good losing to a champion but I got smoked in the quiz!”

Despite placing second in two regional finals, his family encouraged him to keep at it. 

“Why would I stop trying, you know? Every year you develop and grow a new skill, and you’re constantly improving your people skills as you’re interacting with strangers all the time. You’re pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone. Participating at the club level and contest helps you realise that the personal development growth is massive.”

He explained: “I was getting so much out of contest, it was a no-brainer to keep chipping away at it. On the farm, it’s pretty easy to put your head down and stop developing new skills. You get really good at your system and what you’re doing on farm, but there’s always more growth opportunities out there.”

It was his fourth attempt in 2022 that he made it to the grand final, taking the title of Season 54 FMG Young Farmer of the Year.

“It has truly been life-changing. The contest has such credibility in the sector, and to experience it, where industry leaders come up and shake your hand, has been pretty amazing. I’ve been able to meet and have genuine one-on-one conversations about things that are happening within the sector, that’s been really rewarding.”

Dangen said he’s proud to represent the club at such a high level. 

“I want to make sure that I champion the clubs as much as possible. It’s important that Young Farmers stays front of mind for people within our rural communities, it has so much to offer.”

When asked if there were any surprises after taking home the grand final title Dangen didn’t miss a beat – “my only surprise is that I want to go back and do it again! I thought if I won that I’d be done with it, but I’d love to go back and improve on the things that I could have done better on.”

While his competition days have wrapped up, he’s keeping busy on the family farm. Later this year, they’re opening a wedding venue on the land, and looking forward to hosting open farm days for kids. He’s also taking up the personal development courses he took home as prizes, and working to raise the profile of the primary sector among young people.

“In June I’ll be starting the Kellogg Rural Leadership Programme. I’m really excited about that, as I’ve heard good things about it. And there are some other leadership courses that I’ve got my eye on. 

“After contest, I started doing a lot of speaking engagements within the local community. People seem to enjoy hearing the story of the Young Farmers Club and engaging with someone within the sector. Maybe it’s because I’m based on the edge of Auckland, but there’s a lot of city folk that probably don’t quite get the opportunity to engage with people from the rural community.”

Combining his love for rural communities and ambition to help young people find their way to the sector, he’s adding a new role to his farming workload as an ambassador with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI).

“The idea of the role is to get into schools within Auckland City, first and foremost, to promote the pathways and opportunities that are available for young people within the primary sector. I hope it sparks enthusiasm for the sector, and showcases the variety of career paths that are out there, other than just farming.”

The new role with MPI didn’t exist, but Dangen had an idea for it knowing it could help reach students at a time when deciding on the next steps is critical. He put his people skills to the test and approached his contacts at MPI to see if there was a way he could help.

“We never had someone in our high school in West Auckland telling us about opportunities in the sector. When I asked my career advisor about Lincoln University, she didn’t have any pamphlets on it or anything like that.”

According to Dangen, a school with 3000 kids should have 10% heading towards the primary sector.

“I think the pathways are there, but it’s not well enough advertised or promoted within the city. MPI was the perfect outfit to start with. It’s a pilot programme and it will be great to get in there to plug these opportunities to the kids.”

He said it’s more than just attracting people towards the sector, it’s about the people doing the work.

“I’m hoping the programme will help share positive stories and case studies of the rural community. By nature, we’re quite reserved people. So if we can get out there and tell these amazing stories, it will put the sector in a strong position going forward.”

Reflecting back on preparing for last year’s season, he said: “Support crew around you is vital. My wife Jenny was enormous in the grand final for me. Another thing I found supportive was the willingness of people to help you prepare. I asked complete strangers for help and they would take half a day out to show me how to do something like welding. It blew me away that people were more than willing to help because they know the contest. It’s another great thing about competing, meeting all these people. You make great friends, it’s fantastic.”

As for other young people hearing more about the contest this year, Dangen said: “Don’t be afraid to give it a go. I guarantee you will get something out of it. Same for participating at a club level. Young Farmers is an awesome organisation to be a part of. There’s so much personal growth you will achieve just by participating.”

Kiwitahi School students pulled on their gumboots and overalls to learn new rural skills in a fun Young Farmer Competition on May 2.

A variety of challenges were run at the Waikato school by parents and rural organisations including DairyNZ, Beef + Lamb New Zealand and the Rural Support Trust. These included herding sheep in real yards brought onto the school grounds, custom-building a child-sized grain auger and seed sorting. 

DairyNZ’s challenge was to put up a break fence, helping children learn new skills while having fun. Other challenges taught children the principles of milking a cow and how to check if a calf is in the right position for birthing. 

All 70 Kiwitahi School pupils participated – 5-to 10-year-olds in Years 1-6. 

Principal Nicholas Jensen said the feel-good event celebrated rural living and schools. 

“Our community wants their pupils to gain a solid educational foundation in literacy and numeracy, but also a set of practical skills and theory that will contribute to life in or around the primary sector.”

This is the second time the annual event has been held. Last year it was run entirely by parents and teachers. This year, rural organisations got involved – including Rural Support Trust, PGG Wrightson Seeds and Orion Haulage.

DairyNZ education and community engagement manager Phillipa Adam was excited to be involved in the day as part of the industry good body’s broader education programme, connecting young New Zealanders with dairy farming. 

“The young farmer contest was a brilliant opportunity for children to experience the many hats farmers wear and learn what farmers do. Young people are our future farmers,” Adam said.

DairyNZ’s education programme creates in-school science resource kits aligned to the NZ curriculum. The kits support schools to teach curriculum-based subjects such as science and maths within a unique dairying context.  

DairyNZ also organises visits to dairy farms for schoolchildren and gives children the opportunity to learn more about dairy farming at home on the Rosie’s World website.  

With no way out and his farm severely battered by Cyclone Gabrielle, the prospect of making it to the East Coast Young Farmer regional final appeared out of reach for Patrick Crawshaw.

He had a couple of contingency plans to get out to Dannevirke to take his place in the regional contest, but what lay ahead of him on his farm was too daunting to even contemplate going.        

The devastation was acute, with his farm’s recovery cost estimated at this stage to be in the vicinity of $200,000.

The hardest call Crawshaw and his wife Isabelle had made was the decision to move their two young daughters, Charlotte, three, and Millie, six months, away from the farm to safer surrounds.

“Grandma in Wellington came to the rescue for a couple of weeks,” Crawshaw said. 

“Looking back it was the hardest thing ever letting them go but it was the right decision for them and Charlotte got to go preschool with her cousin down there and she thought that was a great holiday. 

“It sure is a breath of fresh air having them back home now, though, but it’s taking a bit to settle in and find a routine. Not going to town every day for day care yet.”

Access was the key issue, with no way out to the closest towns of Napier and Hastings.

“We weren’t so bad on farm as many others, we were okay really compared to some. It’s access and infrastructure that are the biggest issues.

“Mid-February is when we usually have 140 cattle exit, so the logistics of getting them out is a bit tricky but not the end of the world.    

“It will be a year or two until we are back to an operation we are comfortable with. Meantime it’s making a plan we can cope with.”

Getting fences and access reinstated will be the initial cost, and Crawshaw is also facing a decrease in foreseeable income as he manages stock control going forward.

“That will be the bigger bite, more than the expense of fencing and repairing access.

“It’s the cumulative loss of grass production, and stock control accordingly, and we will have this and maybe next winter a bit understocked to ensure future capacity.

“At the moment we are having the driest spell in about 12 months with moisture content the driest since October so that is playing in our favour and giving us a chance to make some headway.

“We have a lot of help coming in this next couple of weeks.”  

Crawshaw grew up on the family farm at Nuhaka, Hawke’s Bay, where his parents run the Kenhardt Angus stud.

He moved to take up his own beef and lamb enterprise at Patoka in 2018, the year he and Isabelle married and also the year of his first attempt at the FMG Young Farmer of the Year. 

Since completing his Bachelor of Commerce (Agriculture) at Lincoln University, he has been immersed in the beef and lamb industry.

He is involved in the Informing New Zealand Beef (INZB) programme and is a candidate for the upcoming Beef + Lamb NZ Eastern North Island director election. 

Amid the devastation of the cyclone, Crawshaw did make a last-minute call on the East Coast Young Farmer of the Year regional final.

That call turned out to have a silver lining and was the much needed “morale boost”.

“At one stage it seemed all too hard. A few days after the cyclone I thought to pull the pin was the best option.

“Then two days before the final we made the call to get out of the mess we were dealing with, apply the mind and see some faces away from the battle and challenges on farm.

“It was the best call ever. For the mental health and general wellbeing it was the morale boost we needed.”

Arriving at the event was a “surreal feeling” for 29-year-old Crawshaw, who hadn’t been into town since the cyclone.

“Driving into town and seeing the damage made it tough to get into the right headspace, but I knew I needed to focus on the competition and set myself up as well as I could for the day ahead.”

The competition was a close match, with Crawshaw finishing on a score of 581.8 – less than a point ahead of last year’s winner, 31-year-old Mark Wallace on 581.5 – to take out the East Coast FMG Young Farmer of the Year.

Jack Scahill, 27, from Dannevirke Young Farmers secured the final spot on the podium with 486.5 points.

Crawshaw’s win earns him entry to the Grand Final in Timaru in July.  

The 2023 Grand Final will be his second attempt at the title of FMG Young Farmer of the Year. He competed back in 2018 and always knew he wanted to give it another shot. 

“With everything that’s happened back home, it’s all a bit hard to comprehend. We know it’s going to take years to repair the damage that the farm sustained in the cyclone, so I’m just enjoying the win for now.”

Leading into the Grand Final, Crawshaw has no expectations.

“I haven’t really had time to reflect on what’s ahead from here, but the battle of the farm repair to restore fences, culverts and floodgates so we can move stock is first and foremost right now.

“This Grand Final will be a whole different experience and not near so daunting as real life back home on the farm. 

“I am at a different stage of my career [than in 2018] and I see the networking opportunities a focus for me as I hope to use the platform to open some doors to further my interests in future farming.

“I have had a lot of opportunities from the farming industry and I want to give back on that front, particularly in the areas of innovation and governance.”

NZ Young Farmers has existed for over 90 years, and a large number of readers no doubt remember with affection their time as members of the organisation. The good news is NZYF is still flourishing and, even though farming has changed immeasurably during its lifetime, there is a great deal of evidence to suggest young farmers today are just as capable and every bit as passionate,  and willing to adopt new technologies alongside traditional farming methods.

The most impressive aspect of NZYF is its largely voluntary structure. Apart from a national office co-ordinating main activities like the FMG Young Farmer of the Year, and helping the clubs put on events, the whole organisation operates on a volunteer basis with some 1600 members and 140 clubs across New Zealand. These members hold over 800 club meetings and organise more than 150 events a year, including the qualification series for the FMG Young Farmer of the Year. The flagship event celebrates its 55^th anniversary in 2023. 

The Young Farmers Clubs (YCF) throughout NZ provide the competitors to compete at seven Regional Finals, with the winners going through to the Grand Final held over three days at Timaru in July. The process of finding the qualifiers for the Grand Final begins in October for most of the clubs, when the competition starts to get serious with the District Finals finding the young farmers who will take part in the Regional Finals between February and April.

This year for the first time the organisers are trialling a shortened process in the Northern and Waikato/Bay of Plenty Regions, with a two-day competition on consecutive days, the first day equivalent to the District Final and the second to the Regional Final. The concentrated schedule is still designed to find the best young farmer to compete in the Grand Final, but to streamline the means of getting to that conclusion. If it is introduced for all clubs in future, NZYF CEO Lynda Coppersmith says, this will potentially reduce the pressure on members to deliver multiple events over a very long season.

Having said that, the local Kaipara Young Farmers Club, which is part of the Northern Region, has been busy putting on a series of skill days designed to prepare its member entrants for the competition. After hosting the 2022 Grand Final in Whangārei and producing the winner – beef farmer Tim Dangen from the Auckland City YFC – the Northern Region is keen to repeat last year’s success.

The Kaipara YFC has four entrants in the two-day regional finals in February, including Zarnie Fergusson, currently Northern region secretary and Kaipara chair; Daniel Richards, Kaipara vice-chair; and Kate Hawkings, who was on the Grand Final Committee last year as health & safety officer and is Northern region events co-ordinator this year, as well as secretary and publicity officer for the Kaipara club. The final member of the quartet is 20-year-old Jamie Hodges, who recently completed his NZQA agriculture internship through Whangārei A&P Society.

What is notable about these four young farmers is their enthusiasm for belonging to the Young Farmers organisation, their passion for farming and their eagerness to learn how to improve their skills. They are almost certainly identical in these respects to their counterparts in other clubs throughout the country, which holds out great encouragement for the future of farming, in spite of what sometimes look like insurmountable challenges.

Fergusson performs the duties of farm owner on her 89-year-old grandfather’s dairy farm in Kaukapakapa, which is run by 50/50 sharemilkers, but her main farming involvement is beef breeding. She leases land in Kaukapakapa and Waitoki on which she finishes whiteface steers and breeds registered Hereford bulls, having sold her registered Angus herd last year.

Her goals for the year are to produce sound, high-finishing-weight, low-birth-weight Hereford bulls with a focus on the dairy market, and she has been putting a lot of energy into the genetic recording and background of her Herefords in order to achieve this.

She is also experimenting with more obscure beef breeds for her finishing stock, trialling Friesian cross with Fleckvieh, Normande and Viking Red. She maintains “all three of these breeds produce excellent herd replacements, so if their male offspring finish well as beef steers, it will give dairy farmers another viable option for breeding their herds other than the standard Angus or Hereford”.

She finished fourth in the regional final last year and says she really enjoys the social side of the competition as well as the opportunity to measure herself against other young farmers, as she works alone most of the time.

Richards finished second in the 2021 Northern region dairy awards and is currently managing his family’s 300-cow dairy farm with split calving at Tomarata near Wellsford. He has ambitions to go contract milking or become a 50/50 sharemilker when the right chance presents itself. 

Hodges attended Taratahi Training Centre in Masterton for one day a week while at high school, completing Level 2 Agriculture before moving north to live on a farm, where he finished his internship. He now works on a bull beef farm at Topuni near Wellsford, gaining experience in stock and dog work, fencing and tractor driving. He has entered the FMG Young Farmer of the Year competition to learn the skills he knows he will need when he runs his own farm.

Hawkings currently works as a digger operator near Warkworth and finished first in the digger-driving module in her first District Final in 2020. She found the learning experience of working on the Grand Final committee last year very beneficial, as it gave her a much better understanding of the skills required to compete in this year’s competition; above all, she enjoyed the challenge of organising the Grand Final programme as well as its social side.

That sums up the Young Farmers experience – work hard, enjoy the friendships and learn a lot of new skills.

New Zealand Young Farmers has launched an alumni network to help former members stay connected with the organisation. 

The network will also offer past members a channel for offering up their expertise and support, contributing to the goal of becoming a sustainable organisation.

Chief executive Lynda Coppersmith said New Zealand Young Farmers (NZYF) has been a part of the food and fibre sector since 1927 –  “so we know there are hundreds of ex-members out there doing amazing things”.

“We’re excited to now have the opportunity to stay connected and give our alumni a network to share their knowledge and offer support for the organisation, on a local, regional and national level,” Coppersmith said.

A group of former members have been supporting NZYF in developing the network.

Advisory group member, NZYF alumna and author of 50 Years Young: A History of the Young Farmer of the Year Kate Taylor is excited for ex-NZYF members to be able to stay connected to the organisation and one another, and have the opportunity to pass along their knowledge and support to the next generation.

“Our alumni are on farms, in businesses and at boardroom tables around the country, from the big corporates and councils down to rural school boards of trustees,” she said.

“It’s a vast and valuable resource for today’s Young Farmers to tap into.”

Currently, a member ages out of the organisation at 31 years old, but the network recognises their involvement can continue beyond this point. Alumni are invited to stay connected with their former clubs by acting as mentors for current members and getting involved with local NZYF events and initiatives.

Former NZYF members can find out more about joining the network at www.youngfarmers.co.nz/nzyf-alumni

The 55th season of the FMG Young Farmer of the Year gets underway next month, with the first of 11 district contests being held on October 15.

New Zealand Young Farmers (NZYF) members are invited to register for the agricultural challenge, where they’ll show off their practical and theoretical know-how in a bid to make it through to the next round, the regional finals.

The contests are one-day events organised by NZYF clubs. 

Whether it be through organising, competing or coming along as support, all members are encouraged to get behind their local district contest to be a part of NZYF’s largest event.

At the regional finals, the top contestants from each district contest will once again demonstrate the broad and varied skillset of a modern farmer. Seven regional finals will be held between February and April 2023.

From there, the highest scoring contestant wins the honour of representing their region at the coveted FMG Young Farmer of the Year grand final in Timaru in July 2023.

Recently, beef farmer Tim Dangen became the latest FMG Young Farmer of the Year to join the long line of champions.

“We’re fantastic farmers, we know it, we just need to continue to tell the positive stories from our industry,” Dangen said.

He is a member of the Auckland City Young Farmers Club and came out on top at the Season 54 FMG Young Farmer of the Year grand final in Whangārei last July, earning him hometown hero status in the Northern Region.

“It was a great day, we had a great time and worked through a bunch of different modules, had our farmlet that we kept going back to, and then we closed it out with agri-sports at the end, which was a highlight for me,” he said.

Dangen is keen to inspire young people to “get amongst it” and is full of praise for the contest’s platform in New Zealand’s primary sector.

“It’s such good advocacy for the industry,” he said. 

“I love this competition to bits. We need to be proud of what we do, we’re world-leading farmers, there are challenges out there, but solutions are available to all these challenges, we just need to make sure we continue to attract the right people towards the sector, and we’ll carry on being world leaders like we are”.

The FMG Young Farmer of the Year contest is trialling a new structure this year in the Northern and Waikato/Bay of Plenty regions. 

These will be two-day events, with day one resembling the traditional district contest and day two aligning more closely to a regional final.

The end goal remains the same – to find the region’s best to represent it as grand finalists, NZYF chief executive Lynda Coppersmith said.

“We know that FMG Young Farmer of the Year is a long season normally and it puts a lot of pressure on our member volunteers to deliver a lot of events.

“We’re trialling this to look at ways that we can still find New Zealand’s best young farmer, but in a way that is potentially more streamlined.”