Today there are more than 1400 full members and about 100 clubs nationwide.
While "The Contest" is an event that attracts great interest each year and lifts NZYF's profile, the organisation offers many more and less publicised events and activities, says Nicola Henderson, communications co-ordinator for NZYF.
Prior to 2006 membership numbers had been steadily declining, but today that is very definitely not the case.
"We have many events now that are attracting great support, such as AgrikidsNZ for the 8-13 year olds which has 1200 members nationwide, and TeenAg which began in 2011 and already has about 380 members and about 20 school clubs nationwide; it's numbers are just growing and growing.
"Something else we are now running is the Get Ahead Careers Programme which we're contracted to run alongside DairyNZ and Beef&Lamb New Zealand. The programme started in 2011 and through Career Experience Days and the Field Mentor programme we have helped educate nearly 850 students from over 60 schools on the exciting and varied career opportunities in agriculture."
Other programmes include the Rural Business Network which provides the opportunity for rural-based people in business on or off the farm to come together to grow their businesses through networking, education and learning with others in similar businesses to themselves. This programme is being piloted in the lower North Island and is to date attracting great interest.
National chairman Paul Olsen says the publicity around The Contest was significant in the turnaround in membership numbers, but says it's thanks to these other initiatives and a lot of industry backing which has really helped NZYF gain some major momentum.
Returning to the family farm near Palmerston North after studying farm management at Lincoln University, he sought out the local club.
"You could count the members on one hand but I thought it could be a good social network. There were no real social things happening in the local rural community and you want something happening so you actually have time away from the farm.
"Every club has its own culture, its own activities. We've got fencing which is run on a regional basis and the winner goes through to the National competition; stock judging; photography competitions. Debating is quite strong throughout some regions and then you've got your small bore and clay bird shooting.
"There are lots of hunting competitions and prizes regionally. I think it's just getting back to basics really, all that rural sort of stuff that used to be quite common I guess.
"NZYF did die off very much a few years ago but there is a pretty strong driving force there now from the staff and the members throughout the country."
