Monday, 15 July 2024 10:55

Dunedin up-and-comers take top award

Written by  Staff Reporters
2024 FMG Junior Young Farmer of the Year winners Hayden Drummond and Shamus Young. 2024 FMG Junior Young Farmer of the Year winners Hayden Drummond and Shamus Young.

A duo from Otago Boys’ High School in Dunedin have been awarded the FMG Junior Young Farmers of the Year.

Shamus Young (18) and Hayden Drummond (17) secured the title at the FMG Young Farmer of the Year Grand Final in Hamilton over the weekend.

Their quick thinking, practical know-how and farming skills earned praise from judges as they successfully navigated the high-pressure challenges thrown their way.  

“We’re really excited,” says Drummond. “We put a lot of work into this.” 

The competition was fierce, with 13 other teams from schools across Aotearoa rolling up their sleeves in a bid to secure the coveted title.

Young and Drummond won both the farmlet and face-off challenges and dominated the quickfire quiz rounds and practical farming race with their agricultural knowledge. Both have a background in fourth-generation farming. 

Young says he’s pleased the hard work has paid off.

“The competition is so broad, so you’ve got to do well at everything,” he says.  

“It’s always a good feeling to represent your region and school, and do them both proud,” Drummond says.

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

More like this

Featured

Dairying deeply rooted in family

On the edge of the hot, dry Takapau plains, Norm and Del Atkins have cultivated a small but exceptional herd of 60 Holstein Friesian cows within their mixed breed herd of 360 dairy cows.

Mixed reaction to hiking levy rate

The DairyNZ board and management are currently trying to determine whether, and to what degree, their farmer levy payers will support any increase in their levy contributions.

National

Machinery & Products

Alpego eyes electric power harrow

Distributed by OriginAg in New Zealand, Italian manufacturer Alpego recently showed its three metre Alysium electric power harrow at the…

New seed drill tech coming

Incorporating Vaderstad's latest seed drill technology, the Proceed V 24, is said to improve precision and increase planting efficiencies for…

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

Waffle man

OPINION: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon sometimes can't escape his own corporate instinct for evasion, and in what should have been…

Banks on notice

OPINION: Shane 'Matua' Jones, crusader against all things woke, including "woke banks", couldn't have scripted it better when his NZ…

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter