Soil devotees heading to Underground Festival
Underground festival is an event for farmers and growers which celebrates the land through great food and inspiring conversations, says event organiser Fran Bailey.
Men who think they fit the description will be showing off their skills at this year's SFDs at Waimumu, near Gore.
The Southern Man competition is being held at the field days for the first time and the competition has attracted a dozen or so blokes keen to win the title.
Field days publicity officer Justine Williams said the idea for the Southern Man competition came after the last field days were held at Waimumu in 2014.
"It's something a bit different. We want it to reflect Gore's dinner jacket and gumboots theme," she said.
Williams stresses that the contest it is not a rural bachelor competition like the National Fieldays event – and that both single or married blokes have entered.
She says the competition was open to men over 18 years of age, but there was no requirement for entrants to be farmers or work in the rural sector.
"Anyone was able to enter, whether they are a farmer, plumber or chef, it doesn't matter. They just have to prove they are a southern man," Williams says.
She says the winner will prove to be a good all-rounder who can whip up a romantic dinner as well as shear a sheep.
The competition had attracted plenty of support from sponsors including from the archetypical southern man's favourite beverage brewer – Speights.
Each entrant gets a shirt, hat and a goodies bag.
Competitors must complete tasks at the various sponsors' sites, such as stacking blocks, competing in a fashion show and an exercise challenge.
The sponsors and a local personality would help judge the competition to find the Southern Man.
Williams says there are "substantial" prizes for the first, second and third place-getters, and for the crowd favourite.
