First 'Young Farmer of the Year' chosen

Held at the South Pacific Hotel in Auckland, the competition was open to all members of the Young Farmers’ Club. The inaugural winner was Gary Fraser from Swannanoa, near Christchurch. The contest has since become an established part of the farming calendar.

From humble beginnings in 1969, the Young Farmer of the Year competition today attracts up to 300 entrants each year. They compete at district and regional level to win the right to represent one of seven regions in the grand final. The 2014 finalists competed for more than $300,000 worth of prizes with the winner, David Kidd from Shelly Beach, South Kaipara, scooping a prize package worth nearly $70,000.

By 2011 only two women had made it through to the grand final. Denise Brown was a finalist in 1981, as was Louise Collingwood in 2003, when she was runner-up, and 2004, when she finished third.

The grand final involves three days of physical and intellectual challenges that are designed to test the business skills of competitors as well as their ability to complete farming tasks. The role of technology in modern farming has become an important feature of the competition. The popularity of the event extends beyond the farming community and it is televised.

The first Young Farmers’ Club was formed in Feilding in 1927 and eventually a national organisation was established. The clubs give members the opportunity to develop working and social networks with other farmers aged under 31.