Young Farmer of the year starts in Manawatu

Palmerston North gears up to host this week's National Bank Young Farmer Contest Grand Final. The organisers expect hundreds of people to come to the region, to support the seven regional contestants who are now in the grand final reports The Manawatu Standard. The final is in its 41st year, and it is 16 years since Palmerston North hosted a Young Farmers final. Part of the joy of it is bringing the rural life into the town with all its inherent agricultural challenges, drama, the occasional tear and few tantrums, says Young Farmers chief executive Richard Fitzgerald. "The competitors grow their business and personal skills through competing in the contest. We recognise that Young Farmers has an important role in leadership development, so we're introducing a new section."It will test their leadership skills and their knowledge of meeting, planning and procedure. "We're having the practical competition on the Railway Land, near The Square, easy access and we want city people to come along," says Mr Cranstone. The finalists get to strut their stuff in a technical mode, with speeches, the presentation of an innovation project and interview and a technical exam on Thursday. Then on Friday, they get to do practical challenges. Contest operations manager, Roz Lever, says the practical challenge really tests the knowledge and skills of the competitors. "In the past we've had combine harvesters, which they've had to drive, usually there something to do with an ATV, there's a sheep and beef module we've had shearing and crutching and there is a dairy unit."