Fonterra opens organic milk supply to South Island dairy farmers
South Island dairy farmers will soon be able to supply organic milk to Fonterra.
Andrew Welsh, a sheep, beef, deer and cropping farmer from Mandeville, has been in charge of the Speed Shearing since its first inclusion in the biennial Field Days about five events ago.
As part of the national Speed Shearing circuit it is expected to attract top professional shearers and will be judged by the national judges.
“We try to time it and work in with the other [events],” said Welsh.
“But it’s just something we run every second year for the Field Days. It is just another attraction for spectators who come along to our event.”
It will run in two categories, Open and Senior, with entrants limited to 20 in each section.
Each entrant gets to shear one sheep then the fastest eight in each category compete in elimination heats.
“They’ve only got like 25 seconds to put their best foot forward,” said Welsh.
“And it’s all professionally judged. So, it’s a nice event and there are certainly some talented shearers out there.”
Speaking about a month out from the event, Welsh said entries were still open but filling fast and he was confident of full fields.
The event will probably also feature a celebrity shear-off although Welsh had yet to finalise it. Past participants have included popular local radio personality Jamie Mackay, former Prime Minister Sir Bill English and shearing icon Sir David Fagan.
“We just try to try to give something here as a spectacle for the farmers,” said Welsh.
Welsh said they were planning to keep it simple this year with just the two categories, Open and Senior, despite having had Women’s and Farmers’s categories in the past.
But he points out that women may still compete in the Open, local Gore shearer Megan Whitehead having done well in the Open in 2024, after winning the Women’s section.
The contest takes place on the back of a curtain-side truck parked up in what Welsh calls the best place for it – out in front of the venue’s licenced bar – with room for about 500 spectators.
It will be one of the last major events of the Field Days, scheduled to start at 1.30pm on the Friday.
