Sheep and beef farmer Patrick Crawshaw wins East Coast Regional Final of the FMG Young Farmer of the Year

Sheep and beef farmer for Foley Farming Enterprises, Patrick Crawshaw can’t believe he is the new East Coast Regional FMG Young Farmer of the Year after a stunning performance that saw him take the title.

The elated 24-year-old, was humbled by the win especially knowing the caliber of competitors in the field, but all the hard work had definitely paid off. “It’s still sinking in. I really can’t believe it!”

In his second Regional Final, Patrick used this experience to his advantage, playing to his strengths taking home all technical challenges including the AGMARDT Agri-Business exam, the Massey University Agri-Growth interview and the Meridian Energy Agri-Knowledge quiz under the lights at Wairarapa College this evening.

The Dannevirke Young Farmer, also performed well in the practical component of the final and will now go on to represent the East Coast at the 50th Anniversary FMG Young Farmer of the Year Grand Final in July.

A busy start to the year, with a wedding in January, Patrick has recently returned from his honeymoon, with wife Isabelle joking ‘it was all study’ ‘but now it was totally worth it!’.

For winning the final Patrick takes home $12 500 in prizes including a Honda XR150 motorbike.

Second place went to 25-year-old Hugh Abbiss, also of Foley Farming Enterprises. The Sheep and Beef Farmer in this his second Regional Final taking home the coveted Ravensdown Agri-skills Challenge.

Having both returned home to the East Coast from the Aorangi region, Robbie Hill took home third place and Richard Falloon won the highly contested Agri-sports Challenge to round out a success event in Masterton.

AgriKidsNZ place getters; with the top three also qualifying for the Grand Final in Invercargill went to:

Third Place - The Rockey Riders from Kumeroa Hopelands;
Second Place - The Tinui Whips from Tinui School; and
First place The Ongaonga Milkyways from Ongaonga School.

The TeenAg place getters with only the top two places qualifying for the Grand Final;

Third Place – Napier Boys High School;
Second Place – Dannevirke High School; with
First Place going Finnigan Beamish and Matthew Halford also of Napier Boys High School.

The 50th Grand Final of the FMG Young Farmer of the Year will take place on July 5th to 7th in Invercargill with seven Grand Finalists from around New Zealand.

How the FMG Young Farmer of the Year works:

300 contestants competed in 22 District Contest and Skills Day nation-wide where they can opt to 'Have a Go' which means they cannot progress to the next level – or they can enter competitively.

56 contestants compete in seven regional finals from Northern, Waikato-Bay of Plenty, Taranaki-Manawatu, East Coast, Tasman, Aorangi, Otago-Southland from February to April. The seven winners of the regional final will go the Grand Final in July 2018 in Invercargill

In 50 years only four females have ever made the Grand Final:

Denise Brown who placed seventh in 1981

Louise Collingwood who was RUNNER UP and third place in 2003 and 2001

Katherine Tucker placed seventh in 2012

Lisa Kendall who placed fourth in 2107.

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