Top young farmer eyes sharemilking job
The 2024 FMG Young Farmer of the Year George Dodson is hoping that the win is a stepping stone to his dream job of sharemilking next season.
Pete, 24, beat seven other hopeful contestants to take out the young farmer title in Telford, a division of Lincoln University in Balclutha. This will be Pete's second chance at the grand final; he placed second in Gore in 2010.
After his big win the Waitane Club member spoke about being excited to have a second shot at the grand final title; "I learnt a lot the first time – finishing second is hard."
A year off has given Pete time to relax and learn; "You need to be in the right head space [to have a go at grand final] and I really enjoyed just watching last year and helping with the organising at Regional Finals, which can be a lot more fun because you get to work in a team environment."
Pete won the regional final by about 20 points and led the field for half of the evening show at the Telford gym but admitted that he was a little worried for a while; "I thought it was going to be close – they [the other contestants] are a great bunch of guys."
Having another go at grand final was a must for the driven 24 year old; his short term goal is to take out the Contest title and long term he hopes to own his own farming unit.
Enjoying life is important to Pete – he lists that as one of his goals and it was a theme that came through in a speech he gave on getting the most out of his staff. Pete manages a 1600 acre sheep, beef and arable block and believes that doing jobs with a smile and a laugh is one of the best ways to get the most out of his workers.
Pete is married to Esther and has been very actively involved in New Zealand Young Farmers since the age of 15. He has an impressive resume of NZYF and Contest events along with leadership roles – including current chairman of the Otago/Southland NZYF Region.
On top of his NZYF commitments he also undertakes other community services by helping out at his local church where he takes on various roles and helps with events. He has also completed the Bronze, Silver and Gold Duke of Edinburgh Awards.
Like the other seven regional finalists, Pete is a product of Lincoln University and holds a Diploma in Agriculture and a Diploma in Farm Management (both with Distinction). He paid homage to the education provider on Sunday by pointing out that all eight of the regional finalists were Lincoln graduates.
