FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 21/02/2013
‘Contest bug’ comes to Palmerston North
Karl Dean can’t get enough.

The 23 year old divulged he caught the “Contest bug” and can’t stop. This will be the Kaponga sharemilker’s third time at Regional Finals for the ANZ Young Farmer Contest.

The Taranaki/Manawatu Regional Final will be held Friday 1st March in Palmerston North at the Railway Land and Awapuni Racecourse Silks Lounge.

By the end of the evening one contestant will have secured their spot at the Grand Final (16-18 May, Auckland) and their share of the Regional Prize Pool worth $13,000 thanks to ANZ, AGMARDT, Lincoln University, Ravensdown, Silver Fern Farms, Honda, and Husqvarna.

The competitors will have to complete a variety of practical, physical and theoretical challenges throughout the day. The modules will test the skills they possess and maybe some they don’t!

There is a mix of contestants on the bill for this round of eliminations.

Karl is not alone in his enthusiasm; Cam Brown, 29, who was a Grand Finalist in 2011, admitted he has quite the competitive streak when it comes to the Contest. Cam is the current Chairman for Fitzherbert Young Farmers Club and works as a dairy farmer based south of Pahiatua.

Luke Renton, 30, from the Opiki Young Farmers Club works as a contract milker in Palmerston North and is excited to be at a Regional Final for the first time.

Nigel Will has a strong family connection to the Contest – both his brothers were Grand Finalists and he met his fiancée Nicola at a Young Farmers speed dating event. Nigel, 26, is a farm manager of a beef and crop farm and a member of the Marton Young Farmers Club. This is his fourth time at Regional Finals.

New to the Contest scene is Roger Dettling, 25, from the Central Taranaki Young Farmers Club. Roger works as a Taratahi Taranaki Campus Programme Manager.

Pete Fitz-Herbert, 28, a Marton Young Farmers Club member, is no stranger to the Contest; this will be his fourth Regional Final. Pete is employed as a stockman on a 1500 acre farm.

Calvin Ball, will hopefully have more than just his birthday to celebrate after the Regional Final, he will be turning 23 on the day. Calvin is a technical sales representative for an agri-nutrients company based in North Wairarapa and belongs to the Massey University Young Farmers Club.

For Calvin’s fellow Massey member, Cam Shaw, this will be his second time at Regionals. The 22 year old is an agribusiness graduate in the banking industry and outside of work Cam enjoys helping out with the youngsters in TeenAg Clubs and AgriKidsNZ Club.

The TeenAg and AgriKids will also be holding their version Regional Finals in Palmerston North. The top three teams from each Competition will have the opportunity to progress to the Grand Final.

You can catch all the drama on the ‘Road To The Young Farmer Final’. The series, hosted by Mark Leishman, covers each of the seven Regional Finals and follows the seven top achievers who make it through to the Grand Final. Exclusive to TVNZ Heartland ‘Road To The Young Farmer Final’ starts on Sunday 31 March 2013 8.30pm.

For more information head to www.youngfarmercontest.co.nz
ENDS

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