ACC backs young farmers with FMG Young Farmer of the Year partnership
The Government has announced that ACC will be a sponsor of this year's FMG Young Farmer of the Year competition.
Tim Dangen has secured himself the final spot at the FMG Young Farmer of the Year Grand Final for Season 54.
Danger, a 29-year-old beef farmer and calf rearer in Muriwai, was announced as the winner of the Northern FMG Young Farmer of the Year on Saturday night after a full day of challenges.
Following closely in the runner-up position was Lisa Kendall and in third place, Sam Waugh, both members of Franklin Young Farmers.
Dangen says he was rapt to take the win after putting in a lot of preparation in the lead-up to the event.
“It’s always bugged me a bit coming second in the previous three Regional Finals,” he says. “It’s nice to go one better and the hard work has paid off.”
In the lead-up to the Grand Final in July, Dangen says he will be calling on his support networks to help him prepare, including fellow Grand Finalist and brother-in-law, Chris Poole, who took out the Waikato Bay of Plenty FMG Young Farmer of the Year at the beginning of March.
“It will be a bit of fun, we will try and lean on each other’s strengths and help each other out,” he says.
Upon receiving the award at the evening show, Tim, an Auckland Young Farmers member, was extremely appreciative of the volunteers and committees behind the scenes.
“A huge thanks to the team of sponsors that make it all happen, without you the Contest can’t happen, and it’s such a vital part of the primary industries. It’s great to be out doing something like this with a bunch of great people!” he said.
The contest is based on four pillars – agri-skills, agri-business, agri-sports and agri-knowledge.
The FMG Young Farmer of the Year Contest Series is sponsored by FMG, Ravensdown, Worksafe, MPI, Environmental Protection Authority, STIHL, Massey University, Lincoln University, New Holland and PTS Logistics.
Matt McRae, a farmer from Mokoreta in Southland who runs a sheep, beef and dairy support business alongside a sheep stud, has been elected to the Beef +Lamb NZ Board as a farmer director.
Ravensdown's next evolution in smart farming technology, HawkEye Pro, was awarded the Technology Section Award at the Southern Field Days Farm Innovation Awards in February 2026.
While mariners may recognise a “dog watch” as a two-hour shift on a ship, the Good Dog Work Watch is quite a different concept and the clever creation of Southland siblings Grace (9) and Archer Brown (7), both pupils at Riverton Primary School.
Philip and Lyneyre Hooper of the Hoopman Family Trust have tonight been named the Taranaki Regional Supreme Winners at the Ballance Farm Environment Awards.
We are not a bunch of sky cowboys. That was one of the key messages from the chairperson of the NZ Agricultural Aviation Association (NZAAA) Kent Weir, speaking at an education day at Feilding aerodrome for 25 policymakers and regulators from central and local government and other rural professionals.
New Zealand's dairy and beef industries say they welcome the announcement that the Government will invest $10.49 million in the Dairy Beef Opportunities (DBO) programme.

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