Young winemakers
2015 saw the first ever Young Winemaker of the Year competition held in New Zealand.
The contestants will compete for a spot at the Grand Final in Auckland May 16-18 this year. They will also be vying for the winner's prize pack, valued at $9000, which includes a cash component from ANZ and AGMARDT, a Lincoln University Scholarship, and products from Ravensdown, Silver Fern Farms, Honda, and Husqvarna.
This round will see familiar faces back on the stage along with a few first time competitors in the mix.
Charlie Barr has been a member of the Whangarei Young Farmers Club since 2005 and this year will be the fourth time she has entered. Barr is engaged to her partner Lloyd, enjoys ballroom dancing, and works as a dairy farm manager in Oakleigh.
Ian Douglas, chairman of the Whangarei Young Farmers Club, is returning after placing second in last year's Northern Regional Final. The world traveller has been to over 50 countries, enjoys food, wine and has an interest in tropical agriculture. Douglas has a partner Rowena and works as a dairy farmer. He was previously employed as a restaurant manager at Gordon Ramsay's Maze in Melbourne. His long-term goal is to sharemilk 2500 cows in partnership with his brothers.
New to the scene, Jamie Lang has his work cut out for him. The youngest of the entrants at 22, Lang will have to battle it out against the more experienced competitors including his boss, Ian Douglas. He has a partner Katherine, and works as a dairy farmer in Titoki. Lang, who has worked in retail and in pig farming in England, is a bit of an adventurer and recently spent 10 days hiking over 100km in Sweden above the Arctic Circle.
Another first time contestant is Anna Simpson, chairperson for the Bay of Islands Young Farmers Club. A dairy herd manager and beef youngstock manager, Simpson holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Agriculture & Agri-Business.
The last of the Whangarei contingent is Benson Horsford. It's his second time around competing. The 29-year-old is married to Chevon with two boys Flynn, 5, and Lachlan, 22 months. Horsford is employed as a second in command herd manager in Kawakawa and enjoys gardening and toy helicopters.
Dan Smith joined the Kaipara Young Farmers Club last year and this will be his first appearance at regional finals. At 24 he is working on his motorbike mechanic apprenticeship and hopes to one day have his own workshop. When he is not fixing motorbikes, Smith can be found fishing, swimming or kite surfing. He has a partner, Amelia.
Also new to regional finals is David Kidd. He joined the Helensville Young Farmers Club last year. Kidd worked in Perth as an agribusiness manager and is now very happy to be away from the desk job and out on the sheep & beef farm in Kaipara Harbour where he is a manager. He enjoys all things outdoors – hunting, rugby, squash, skiing, travel and has a partner, Janine.
The blushing bride to be Rachel Rogers will be walking down the aisle to her partner Rob only one week after the Northern Regional Final. The 29-year-old is a long-time member of Young Farmers and currently belongs to the Auckland City Young Farmers Club. Rogers has a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture and Animal Science and works as a brand manager in Northland for Bayer NZ. She loves being on her farm, fishing and hunting.
Also taking place alongside the regional finals are the AgriKidsNZ and TeenAg Competitions – where the younger generation of participants will be competing for a chance at the Grand Final in Auckland May 16-18. The top three teams from each competition will have the opportunity to progress through.
If you miss the action at the regional final you can catch it on the 'Road To The Young Farmer Final'. The series, hosted by Mark Leishman, follows the seven regional finals and covers the seven top achievers who make it through to the Grand Final. Exclusive to TVNZ Heartland watch all the drama on the 'Road To The Young Farmer Final' starting Sunday, March 31 2013 8.30pm.
For more information go to www.youngfarmercontest.co.nz or contact
