Monday, 07 January 2019 14:04

Eight vie for Otago/Southland FMG Young Farmer title

Written by 
Allen Gregory, one of the eight Otago/Southland finalists Allen Gregory, one of the eight Otago/Southland finalists

Two former workmates at the iconic Mount Linton Station are set to clash in the FMG Young Farmer of the Year contest.



Jacob Mackie and Allen Gregory, who are both 25, will go head to head in the Otago/Southland regional final in Milton next month.

“I can’t wait. I really enjoy the challenge of competing. It pushes your boundaries and makes you work on your weaknesses,” said Allen.

The Nightcaps Young Farmers member is a stock manager at Stag Valley near Lumsden.

The 1400ha property runs 5000 ewes, 80 breeding cows, beef finishing progeny and 280 dairy grazers.

“Most of this year’s finalists know each other. I used to work with Jacob during his first stint at Mount Linton Station,” said Allen.

Jacob Mackie is now a stock manager at the 13,500 hectare privately-owned station near Ohai, which runs about 100,000 stock units.

Another one of the eight regional finalists – Linton Palmer – is Allen’s neighbour.

The hotly-contested Otago/Southland regional final is being held on February 16.

Contestants will tackle a series of gruelling practical and theoretical modules at the Tokomairiro A&P Showgrounds.

It will be followed by a dinner and fast-paced agri-knowledge quiz hosted by Te Radar at the Milton Coronation Hall.

Riverton herd-owning sharemilker Luke Templeton, 30, is excited about competing in his second regional final.

“Hopefully I’ll be a bit wiser from the mistakes I made last year. This will be my last chance to make it through to the grand final,” he said.

Prior to going dairying, Luke spent four years working as a mechanical engineer for Carter Holt Harvey.

He’ll face off against Zac Thomas, 24, who’s a former Royal New Zealand Air Force safety and surface technician.

Zac is the chair of Waitane Young Farmers and helps his grandfather run a 400-hectare farm at Charlton.

“Performing under pressure in the contest can change a simple everyday task into something that can be quite tricky,” he said.

The other regional finalists are Tom Blackmore, James Robson, and Matt McRae.

Tom Blackmore, 23, is a block manager at Limehills Herefords in Roxburgh, which runs 13,000 stock units on 4000 hectares.

James Robson, 29, grew up in Balclutha is a shepherd on a 3500-hectare sheep and beef farm at Roxburgh.

He spent time in Australia sowing wheat, barley and peas, and harvesting sorghum.

Matt McRae, 30, is a former rural banker who now runs a sheep and beef farm in Wyndham.

The Otago/Southland event is the first of seven regional finals being held across the country between February and April.

The regional winners will face off at the FMG Young Farmer of the Year Grand Final in Hawke’s Bay in July.

 

More like this

Rural insurer pays out $228m

Rural insurer FMG has paid out $228 million to communities impacted by two major weather-related events - Cyclone Gabrielle and the Auckland Anniversary Weekend floods.

Featured

Sheep drench resistance costly

Analysis by Dunedin-based Techion New Zealand shows the cost of undetected drench resistance in sheep has exploded to an estimated $98 million a year.

Dairy sheep and goat turmoil

Dairy sheep and goat farmers are being told to reduce milk supply as processors face a slump in global demand for their products.

Hurry up and slow down!

OPINION: We have good friends from way back who had lived in one of our major cities for many years.

National

Knowing bugs means fewer drugs

A mastitis management company claims to deliver the fastest and most accurate mastitis testing available at scale for New Zealand…

Machinery & Products

AGTEK and ARGO part ways

After 12 years of representing the Landini and McCormick brands in New Zealand, Bay of Plenty-based AGTEK and the brands’…

100 years of Farmall Tractors

Returning after an enforced break, the Wheat and Wheels Rally will take place on the Lauriston -Barhill Road, North-East of…

JD unveils its latest beast

John Deere has unveiled its most powerful tractor ever, with the launch of the all new 9RX Series Tractor line-up…

Biggest Quadtrac coming to NZ!

In the biggest announcement that Case IH Australia/New Zealand has made around its tractor range, its biggest tractor is about…

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

Why?

OPINION: A mate of yours truly wants to know why the beef schedule differential is now more than 45-50 cents…

Fat to cut

OPINION: Your canine crusader understands that MPI were recently in front of the Parliamentary Primary Sector Select Committee for an…

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter