Lincoln Young Farmers chair wins title

Originally from Westport, O’Connor is currently finishing his Bachelor of Agriculture at Lincoln University.

He was announced as the winner of the Tasman FMG Young Farmer of the Year on Saturday after competing in a range of practical and theoretical challenges at the Amuri A&P Showgrounds.

O’Connor says he went into the Regional Final aiming for a top-three position.

“After winning the Agri-Knowledge challenge, I knew I had gained some ground, but it was still pretty crazy to have my name announced as the winner,” he says.

He says the head-to-head contest was a major highlight, “going flat out and giving it your all was really fun”.

“They were the perfect amount of challenge, and you had to be a bit strategic in deciding whether you were going for speed or quality,” he says.

O’Connor says he is excited for the Grand Final set to take place in Timaru later this year, and is enjoying the win before planning out his preparation approach.

“At this stage, I will be talking to as many people as I can from across the industry, and I know I need to work on the quality and speed of my fencing!”

NZYF Board chair Jessie Waite says this year’s Grand Final is shaping up to be one of the best yet.

“We’re starting to get a glimpse of the impressive array of skills and talent coming through with the next generation of young farmers. There’s so much happening right now in the primary sector with science, innovation and new technologies. The future of farming is certainly bright.”

Waite says she’s thankful for the support of volunteers and sponsors who continue to back the event, year after year.

“The contest wouldn’t be what it is today without them. There’s a lot of hard work that goes on behind the scenes – from coming up with ideas for the competition, to supplying the equipment needed on the day and helping with the set-up of the event. We’re so grateful to everyone who has played a part”.