“Make sure you do your prep, a little bit of study goes a long way.”
That’s the message from NZ Young Farmers Taranaki Manawatu co-convenor, Kendall Berry, to contestants polishing up their skills ahead of this year’s regional finals event set to take place on Saturday 7th March at Feilding High School.
While contestants can expect to be put through their paces – as usual – event organisers are ensuring there will be plenty to keep contestants on their toes as they make their way through a series of tough challenges designed to test their practical skills, technical knowledge, and ability to work fast under pressure.
It’s set to be a fun competition for engaged couple David Reesby and Sarah Lockhart, who met through Young Farmers and will go head-to-head for the chance to compete at the FMG Young Farmer of the Year Grand Final. But their approach to the competition is one of collaboration.
“We’ve both got different strengths, so we really just want to learn from each other and have fun on the day,” says Sarah.
“I’m not particularly competitive, and I’m really just Dave’s biggest cheerleader,” she laughs.
Reesby says his motivation this year is about measuring personal progress after several seasons of involvement behind the scenes.
“After a few years of helping out and convening, I just want to give the competition a go and see how I do on the day. There’s such a broad range of aspects in this rural industry and this captures all of them in one competition.”
Both members of the Marton Young Farmers Club, Lockhart works as a sustainability advisor, and Reesby works on his family's dairy farm. Even with full‑time jobs, a lease block to run, and a wedding to plan, the couple say the preparation is worth every minute.
“It’s never a waste of time, all of our practice and everything we learn can be applied to our everyday lives,” Sarah says.
Berry says that contestants like Reesby and Lockhart should expect the unexpected but also make sure they’re rock solid on the fundamentals.
“Of course, they all should brush up on their fencing skills, because it’s a given at an event like this.”
The FMG Young Farmer of the Year is a highlight in the rural calendar, boasting a strong track record of showcasing the rising stars in New Zealand’s food and fibre sector – igniting contestants’ competitive streak and setting the bar for excellence in farming.
NZ Young Farmers CEO Cheyne Gillooly says the long-standing contest is well-loved in Taranaki and Manawatu and around the country because it gives talented young farmers space to shine in the spotlight and connect with like-minded peers, which can be hard to do in the industry.
“With our AgriKidsNZ events for primary-aged competitors and FMG Junior Young Farmer of the Year competitions running alongside the Regional Finals Young Farmers event, collectively the day is a true celebration of agriculture and the people who drive it – with a healthy dose of competition of course,” says Gillooly.
This year, 15 primary schools (32 teams), and 3 high schools (18 teams) from Taranaki Manawatu have thrown their hat in the ring.
Berry says that she knows the event can be stressful but urges the contestants not to get tripped up because they haven’t properly read the brief.
“Don’t just build the best-looking fence. Make sure you don’t lose points just because you missed something in the brief. “
The FMG Young Farmer of the Year contest is proudly supported by FMG, Ravensdown, MPI, Milwaukee, Honda, Lincoln University, PTS, New Holland, Bushbuck and ACC.
For more information on the regional finals across Aotearoa visit youngfarmers.co.nz/contest/regional-finals
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