Bartender turned into young farmer
A former cocktail bartender from Feilding will contest the Young Farmer of the Year national grand final.
Will Taylor, 26, won a hotly contested Taranaki/manawatu¯ regional final in Wellington on Saturday. The technical field representative for PGG Wrightson now goes toe to toe with seven of the best young farmers in New Zealand, when the national competition heads to Invercargill in July.
Taylor won almost $12,000 worth of prizes, including a farm bike.
He grew up on a sheep and beef farm before driving tractors and combine harvesters in Western Australia for three years.
Upon returning, he joined the Marton Young Farmers Club, where he is the vice-president.
The Taranaki/manawatu¯ final was contested by eight finalists from across the region and they tackled a series of gruelling modules, including a fast-paced agri-knowledge quiz.
‘‘I’m completely surprised, I wasn’t expecting this,’’ said Taylor. ‘‘I’m absolutely chuffed.’’
Second place went to Emma Dangen, who is in her final year of a bachelor of veterinary science degree at Massey University.
The 23-year-old also won the Massey University Agri-growth Challenge.
Feilding High School took top honours in a 32-team field for the Teenag regional final, claiming the top three placings.
Palmerston North Intermediate Normal School won the Agrikidsnz contest which saw 16 teams tackle fun challenges, testing their practical and theoretical skills.
It’s the 50th anniversary of the Young Farmer of the Year contest, which started out as a national radio quiz in 1969.