A Massey University Agricultural Science student has inched closer to national victory after being crowned Taranaki Manawatu’s top young farmer, despite being the youngest competitor in the field.

Jock Bourke, 19, was announced as the winner of the Taranaki Manawatu FMG Young Farmer of the Year on Saturday evening, after spending the day competing in a series of challenges at the Stratford A&P Showgrounds. As the youngest contestant in the regional final, Bourke proved that age was no barrier, outperforming a strong lineup of experienced competitors.

Pictured above: Jock Bourke enjoying the challenge of the Farmlet!

The FMG Young Farmer of the Year competition celebrates top talent in New Zealand’s food and fibre sector. Now in its 57th year, it remains the country’s most prestigious farming award, with the winner's prize pool exceeding $90,000 thanks to the Contest's Sponsor family.

“I was shocked to see my name at the top of the leaderboard heading into the quiz, and to take out the win was really exciting,” says Bourke.

“I loved the entire day, the committee put on an amazing event, and the other contestants really pushed me to do my best.”

Participants entered one of three categories based on age, ranging from the AgriKidsNZ competition for primary school pupils, the FMG Junior Young Farmer of the Year for High School Students, and the tightly fought FMG Young Farmer of the Year category, where just seven contestants battled it out for the top spot. 

Bourke edged his way to victory by clocking up the most points on the day (274.75 points), defeating Opiki Young Farmers member Sheldon Mayo who finished up with a score of 268. Ethan Muir from Central Taranaki Young Farmers nabbed the final spot on the podium.  

Pictured above: Third place Ethan Muir, winner Jock Bourke, second place Sheldon Mayo

With a number of individual challenges thrown their way, including a head-to-head, general knowledge ‘buzzer-style’ quiz and sponsor-led modules, contestants were tested on a broad range of practical skills, technical know-how, and their ability to cope under pressure. 

“I really enjoyed the Farmlet challenge, it was a great way to show off my skills, and I was confident in what I needed to do. Building a chicken coop out of recycled materials definitely came with its challenges, but thinking on my feet helped massively,” explains Bourke.

“There’s a lot of preparation ahead for the Grand Final. I’ll be studying up on a bit of everything, especially sponsor knowledge and my agribusiness skills, to make sure I’m covering all bases.”

The AgriKidsNZ competition was another crowd-favourite. After a busy morning being challenged to their industry know-how, Rosie Baxter, Kendyl Humphrey and Emily Angove from Feilding Intermediate emerged as the region’s victors. Arie Jochem, Walter Tweedie and Quinn McNie, also from Feilding Intermediate, placed second, just ahead of Millar Mathews, Alannah Connor and Alex Mathews from Ross Intermediate. 

Meanwhile, Haylee Baker and Kate Hopkins from Feilding High School took out the title of Taranaki Manawatu FMG Junior Young Farmers of the Year, ahead of Charlotte Askin and Tabitha Askin from Palmerston North Girls’ High School. 

Along with Bourke, the top AgriKidsNZ and FMG Junior teams will now compete in July’s Grand Final in Invercargill. 

New Zealand Young Farmers Chief Executive Lynda Coppersmith says the competition continues to highlight the incredible skill and talent of young people in the food and fibre sector.

“Every year, we see more emerging talent stepping up to the challenge. It’s awesome to witness so many competitors putting their skills to the test and showcasing the depth of ability in our industry.”

The FMG Young Farmer of the Year contest is proudly supported by FMG, Ravensdown, Woolworths, Ministry for Primary Industries, Milwaukee, Honda, Lincoln University, Massey University, PTS Logistics, New Holland and Bushbuck.