20 June 2006 A day not to be missed in Greymouth

With a few weeks to go, organisers and locals are putting the final touches on what will be a huge event for the West Coast town. Local farmer and previous Grand Finalist Colin van der Geest is heading the local organising team and he is thrilled with the support locals have given.

"It is great to bring our event to Greymouth. Interest is huge already and we are aiming to put on an event which will be talked about for years to come. We have tried to involve as many people and groups from the community as possible which will give a very diverse array of entertainment."

The day not to miss is the practical day at the Victoria Park Raceway on the 7th July. We have got a full-on action packed day for the public. There will be something for everyone from townies and families to the most diehard of farmers. It will be a great day."

The Contest events will be running all day. These include seven contestants from around New Zealand who will compete Head to Head, tussle in the Agrisport skills-race or manage their own properties on their very own farmlets. As well as this, Agrikids, which will include seventy five local school children, will compete in a junior version of the Contest.

At the same time, New Zealand Young Farmers from around the country will compete in the National Stock Judging and National Fencing competitions.

There will be competitions with audience prizes to be won from Swanndri, Honda and Ford. The crowd favourite of 'Cow Pat Bingo' will feature during the day, as well as trade displays and food stalls to name a few of the extra activities.

There will also be a career's expo running for those interested in finding out more about agriculture as a career.

"Our aim is to have a fun day out for the whole family. For example, we will start Agrisport with the world's largest starting pistol; a 55 tonne army tank. Entry to the grounds is free and activities start around 8.00am and run through until 3.00pm."

If you're unable to get to the practical day make sure you catch the televised Contest show on TV One at 9.30pm on the 8th July and watch who will become the next champion of The National Bank Young Farmer Contest.

The National Bank Young Farmer Contest is an agricultural competition testing practical ability, problem solving, theoretical farming and general knowledge. Now in its 37th year of competition, the contestants aged up to 31 must compete in one of 21 district finals, one of seven regional finals and ultimately the grand final on their way to becoming the champion. A prize pool of nearly $330,000 is up for grabs, of which the winner's purse of nearly $80,000 is awarded during the televised show on the 8th July 2006.

Lincoln University is a major sponsor of the National Bank Young Farmer Contest.