9 July 2008 Hoping to continue tradition of Young Farmer success

Three Lincoln University graduates are among the seven competitors in the Grand Final of the 2008 National Bank Young Farmer of the Year Contest being held in Ashburton over 10-12 July.

James Donaldson representing the Northern region, Steve Knight representing Tasman and Nick Webster representing Aorangi, carry into the Grand Final a strong tradition of success by Lincoln graduates in this iconic event. Former Lincoln University students have won 19 of the 39 contests since the Young Farmer event was established in 1969, and regularly feature among the placings too.

Nick Webster, for example, was third in the 2005 Grand Final in Whangarei, so with that sort of experience behind him he has to be a serious contender for a good showing this year.

Steve has solid credentials too, as a finalist in the Young Achiever Awards and a former Young Farmers exchangee to Sweden. And if knowing how judges think provides any advantage, then James will have it. He is a South Devon show judge and share farms a South Devon stud with his parents in addition to the sheep and beef property he farms with his wife.

James, who farms at Titoki near Whangarei, graduated Bachelor of Agricultural Science in 2004; Steve, who owns a vineyard in Marlborough and works as a finance manager for PGG Wrightson,  graduated Bachelor of Agricultural Science in 2000 and has a Postgraduate Diploma in Commerce awarded in 2001; and Nick, who is an Oamaru cropping farmer, graduated Bachelor of Commerce (Agricultural) in 2002.

The 2008 competition started in January and has progressed through 22 District Finals and seven Regional Finals. Lincoln University provides “grass roots” support for the competition by putting up seven study scholarships for awarding to Regional Final entrants. These scholarships have a potential value of up to $4000 each and cover a year of study at the diploma, undergraduate or postgraduate level.

District Final entrants compete for prizes from a pool to the total value of $52,000; the prize pool for the Regional Finals has a total value of $142,615; and prizes in the Grand Final have a total value of $160,810.

Events making up the Grand Final straddle three days. On Thursday 10 July there are the Technical Challenges, at the Ashburton Trust Events Centre; on Friday it’s the Practical Challenges day in the Ashburton Domain; and on Saturday there’s the Grand Final Show and emergence of a winner, at the Ashburton Trust Events Centre.

In addition to the three Lincoln University graduates, the other finalists are Grant Charteris (East Coast), Fraser McGougan (Waikato/BOP), David Skiffington (Taranaki/Manawatu), Kyle Thorburn (Otago/Southland).