Final Winner’s field day on 3 April

MEDIA RELEASE – 27 03 2017

Final South Island Farmer of the Year Winner’s field day on 3 April

The end of an era will be marked at the Lincoln University Foundation’s South Island Farmer of the Year winner’s field day on 3 April . . . it will be the last such field day in the more than 30 year history of the competition.

Registrations are rolling in from throughout New Zealand for the day at the Fairlie property of winners Lyn and Neil Campbell, with participants keen not only to get information on the unique success story of the Campbell’s farm business, but also wanting to mark the occasion as the competition comes to an end.

Lincoln University Foundation Chair Ben Todhunter said that after 30 years of recognising the highest achievers in the South Island’s farming community, the Foundation decided to call time on the South Island Farmer of the Year competition in order to shift its resources to increasing scholarship opportunities for young farmers and other agriculturalists to study at Lincoln University.

“The Foundation,” Todhunter said,” is moving from identifying farming excellence to creating farming excellence.

“The competition has been a wonderful medium to promote farming excellence, and we are very proud of what it has achieved. But the Foundation now wants to focus more on the scholarship side of our programme to achieve our purpose of growing excellence in New Zealand’s primary industries.

“We believe the most gain will be through increasing the number of young people who can enter university to study agriculture and bring that knowledge into New Zealand’s primary industries.”

Todhunter said it would be hard to find a more fitting farm to showcase as the last winner’s field day. He said the innovative success story of the Cambell’s operation is one that will add value to any farmer looking for ideas on how to optimise systems and maximise efficiency and profit in their farm business.

“Throughout their career they have been quick to adapt the most modern tools to create the systems that allow them to generate the most profit at the most effective point of time.”

Todhunter said the Foundation intends to make sure it is a celebration of all that has been achieved in the past 30 years.

The winner’s field day will be held on Monday 3 April commencing at 9:30am at the Fairlie Community Centre, 53 Main Street, Fairlie. The day’s programme will include a vehicle tour of the property and presentations from the Campbells and a number of other agricultural specialists on subjects such as succession planning, growing equity, growing leadership in agriculture, and the New Zealand deer industry.

Registration is essential and can be completed at: http://www.lincolnuniversityfoundation.org.nz/farmer-of-the-year-field-days/

ENDS

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