Waimate young farmer eyes another attempt
A young South Canterbury farmer is not discouraged at failing to win the FMG Young Farmer of the Year title and is already planning another attempt.
Tom Adkins, a block manager on Caberfeidh Station, in the Hakataramea Valley, won the regional Aorangi (South Canterbury, North Otago, Mid Canterbury) regional final in February and was sixth in the three-day grand final in Whangā rei that finished on Saturday.
‘‘Its was a good, gruelling and tough couple of days,’’ the 23-yearold said.
Adkins promised to be back again, but it won’t be next year.
‘‘The competition will be held in Aorangi next year and I’ll be helping with organising it.’’
He can compete until he’s 31 but can only contest one more grand final.
‘‘[I] have plenty of time to improve my skills, and I’ll be back in it again.
‘‘The events were designed to test you physically, mentally and test your knowledge in the field. The organisers did a great job.’’
Adkins said the theoretical day was well thought out, and he had a great time competing against the other participants.
‘‘The weather during the practical day was very wet which added to the challenge.
‘‘The agrisports was a highlight of the competition for me. We had to complete a combination of tasks in 45 minutes.’’
He said the event included cutting a 2-metre log into rings, put a K-line irrigation pod together, get a digger off a trailer, pick up two tyres with the digger and place them on road cones, fillet a kahawai fish, shuttle six 20-pound barrels scattered across a field back to the start line and extinguish a fire with hoses.
‘‘It [putting out the fire] was quite difficult. I was pretty knackered by then because it was the last event.’’
Adkins said operating the machinery is what he found most difficult during the competition and plans on working on the skill more in the future.
Adkins’ advice for competitors in 2023 is to have something to be judged as he struggled to complete a project for an event.
‘‘Having something to be judged in an event is better than having nothing at all.
‘‘Entering the contest is nothing to lose and everything to gain.’’
Auckland’s Tim Dangen won the title with David Reesby (Marton) second, and Mark Wallace (Tikokino) third.
New Zealand Young Farmers chief executive Lynda Coppersmith said Dangen was a ‘‘fantastic ambassador’’ for the contest and the food and fibre sector.