Aorangi title claimed by alumnus

This follows last week’s trifecta of top placings by Lincoln alumni in the Tasman final.

Tom, 23, has a Diploma in Agriculture and a Diploma in Farm Management from Lincoln, and is a block manager on Caberfeidh Station.

Senior Machinery Operator Lachlan Angland, 28, was named as runner-up, while dairy farmer Peter O’Connor, 23, came in third place.  

Tom said the win was unexpected.

“I came to give it a good crack, take it all in and prepare for future Regional Finals.”

The contest is based on four pillars – agri-skills, agri-business, agri-sports and agri-knowledge.  

Tom will battle it for the title of FMG Young Farmer of the Year at the Grand Final in Whangarei this July against six other regional final winners from across the country.

New Zealand Young Farmers Chief Executive, Lynda Coppersmith, said entries for contest were up 30% this year despite the uncertainty of COVID, “which is a credit to all our amazing volunteers, members, sponsors, and staff who put this contest together,"

"The calibre of competitors at each Regional Final is the highest I have seen it and is an extraordinary showcase of the skills and knowledge needed to be involved in the primary industries in this day and age." 

Lincoln is a proud sponsor of the event and also contributes to the running of the finals.

Find out more about our agricultural courses here.