Dairy farmer takes out Tasman FMG Young Farmer of the Year
A Darfield Young Farmer is one step closer to winning one of New Zealand’s most prestigious farming awards after being crowned the Season 56 Tasman FMG Young Farmer of the Year.
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.
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.
Shipping disruption caused by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea has so far not impacted fertiliser prices or supply on farm.
The opportunity to spend more time on farm while providing a dedicated service for shareholders attracted new environmental manager Ben Howden to work for Waimakariri Irrigation Limited (WIL).
Federated Farmers claims that the Otago Regional Council is charging ahead unnecessarily with piling more regulation on rural communities.
Dairy sheep and goat farmers are being told to reduce milk supply as processors face a slump in global demand for their products.
OPINION: We have good friends from way back who had lived in one of our major cities for many years.
OPINION: A mate of yours truly wants to know why the beef schedule differential is now more than 45-50 cents…
OPINION: Your canine crusader understands that MPI were recently in front of the Parliamentary Primary Sector Select Committee for an…