Cam Clayton Eyes Last Shot at FMG Young Farmer Title
“Pack your thinking caps. You need more than just farming knowledge for this one.”
Douglas McGregor is the seventh grand finalist to be named in the 2015 ANZ Young Farmer Contest.
The thirty-year-old dairy farmer took first place at the Northern Regional Final in Dargaville on Saturday 18 April after a very tense and closely scored competition.
McGregor went home with a prize pack worth over $10,000 including cash, scholarships, and products and services.
This was McGregor's second attempt at regional final level of the ANZ Young Farmer Contest. He is a very active member of the Bay of Island Young Farmers Club and is the Northern Region vice-chairman. McGregor was competing against 26-year-old Anna Simpson, who doubles as the winner's partner.
Second place went to 28-year-old herd manager, Guy Bakewell, of the Bay of Islands Young Farmers Club. He took home $2,900 worth of prizes. Bakewell also took home top honours in both the Lincoln University Agri-Growth Challenge and the Ravensdown Agri-Skills Challenge.
Third place went to Whangarei Young Farmers Club member, Jake Thompson (26). Thompson won the AGMARDT Agri-Business Challenge. Fourth place went to Colin Beazley (28) from the Kaipara Young Farmers Club – Colin was called up to compete a week before the regional final after one Contestant broke his collarbone.
The Silver Fern Farms Agri-Sports Challenge winner was 26-year-old Kelvin Meek of the Franklin Young Farmers Club.
Douglas McGregor is the last Grand Finalist selected for the 2015 ANZ Young Farmer Contest. He will join six Contestants from around the country in Taupo 2 – 4 July at Grand Final in a bid to take home the title of 2015 ANZ Young Farmer Contest Grand Champion.
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson says his party – NZ First - isn’t opposed to the “trade element” of a free trade deal with India.
The managing director of a company seeking to build a solar farm in Canterbury says receiving fast-track approval is a “really positive outcome”.
Retiring MP and dairy farmer Mark Cameron is blasting the Green Party for proposing to ban the use of synthetic fertiliser and cutting cow numbers.
A huge reduction in ACC claims from on-farm accidents over the last five years is due to thousands of small, practical decisions being made in sheds, yards, paddocks and around kitchen tables across the country, says Safer Farms ambassador Lindy Nelson.
Wayne and Ange Moxham of Horowhenua have just been named as Fonterra's top organic performer for milksolids. As well as providing organic milk to Fonterra, the couple also sell Udderly Organic milk to more than 100 outlets in the region and are embarking on another exciting venture producing organic gelato. Reporter Peter Burke went along to see their farming operation.
Certainty and a clear understanding of the needs of rural communities is a critical outcome in the series of government reforms that are taking place at present.