From Sky Tower to cowshed
Every morning dairy farmer Sam Waugh sees the Auckland Sky Tower through his window. It's a great reminder of one of his key life goals - giving young people from towns and cities insights into farm life.
New Zealand Young Farmers chief executive Lynda Coppersmith says the stakes for 2022 are incredibly high, being the third contest season impacted by the global pandemic.
Entries for FMG Young Farmer of the Year were up 30% this year despite the uncertainty of Covid.
Coppersmith says this is credit to all the amazing volunteers, members, sponsors and staff who put this contest together.
"My gratitude for everyone's efforts extends beyond words and I am really proud to see how everyone has worked together to deliver another season, to pivot and adapt to new challenges, including the red light framework.
"The calibre of competitors at each regional final is the highest I have seen it and is an extraordinary showcase of the skills and knowledge needed to be involved in the primary industries in this day and age.
"Our competitors represent the full diversity of the primary industries - the array of opportunities available - and goes to show that New Zealand Young Farmers' members really are the best and brightest."
Rural trader PGG Wrightson has revised its operating earnings guidance, saying trading conditions have deteriorated since the last market update in February.
It's been a bumper season for maize and other supplements in the eastern Bay of Plenty.
Leading farmers from around New Zealand connected to share environmental stories and inspiration and build relationships at the Dairy Environment Leaders (DEL) national forum in Wellington last month.
AgriZeroNZ, a joint venture fast-tracking emissions reduction tools for farmers, is pouring $5 million in a biotech company to develop a low emissions farm pasture with increased productivity gains.
Fonterra is teaming up with wealth app provider Sharesies to make it easier for its farmer shareholders to trade co-op shares among themselves.
Te Awamutu dairy farmers Doug, Penny, Josh and Bayley Storey have planted more than 25,000 native trees on the family farm, adding to a generations-old native forest.
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