Monday 17th September 2018

The first qualifying rounds for the next FMG Young Farmer of the Year kick off next month.

Twenty district contest and skills days will be held across the country before Christmas.

The events will help find 56 competitors who will clash in seven FMG Young Farmer of the Year regional finals early next year.

The first two district contests will be in the Manawatu and Canterbury on October 6th.

Roshean Woods, 27, has entered several district contests and is looking forward to competing again.

“Last year I entered as a pair with another Christchurch City Young Farmers member who wanted to give the contest a go,” she said.

“It was heaps of fun and is a great idea to help boost the confidence of people who had never done it before.”

“I found a lot of the modules were right up my alley and this year I want to compete seriously,” she said.

The events will test the practical and theoretical skills of contestants.

“The district contests are a great opportunity for members to benchmark themselves,” said NZ Young Farmers’ events manager Bridget Johnston.

“It’s a chance to test their knowledge, make new friends, and also to have a go and enjoy the day.”

Roshean is a farm environment consultant and is encouraging others to sign up.

“You only get better at these things with practice. Each time I’ve competed I’ve improved. It’s all about the challenge,” she said.

Christchurch-based NZ Young Farmers staff members Jake Lonergan, Maxine Wilson and Danielle Holland are also giving the contest a go.

“I’ve never been on a tractor in my life, so I guess we’ll find out what my strengths are on the day,” he laughed.

The Christchurch district contest is being held at Courtenay near Darfield.

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