Cam gunning to win Young Farmer of the Year

Cameron is one of three Lincoln alumni taking part in the FMG Young Farmer of the Year Grand Final in July. He took top spot in the Otago Southland Regional Final and is a first-time entrant into the Grand Final.

He first arrived at Lincoln University in 2014, where he and his high school sweetheart enrolled in a Bachelor of Commerce (Agriculture) together. Now nine years after graduating, Cameron is a self-employed contract milker working a 600-cow dairy farm.

The farm and the competition were keeping him busy enough, but in those nine years his partner became his wife and recently the mother of his first child.

“It’s been a busy time between all that and a bit of study. You’ve just got to make it work.”

Cameron grew up on a dairy farm and has always been numbers driven. Being able to combine farm experience with a nuanced understanding of commerce has helped him forge ahead in the milking world.

“It was the difference between being a farm worker and owning our own business. You need to understand tax, cashflow, budgeting, accounting, all of it.

“Some people tell you uni is a waste of time, but then you get out the other end and realise it was definitely worth doing.“

He’s feeling very confident in his dairy, fencing and business skills, but it takes a lot more than that to be Young Farmer of the Year.

“I’m nervous. You’d have to be pretty naïve to say you’re not.

“What concerns me is it’s hard to know what to study. You don’t know what you don’t know.

“The ones who typically win it are those that can do everything at about 70%, not just a few things at 100%.”

Cameron is gunning for the win, but is grateful for any opportunity to both hone and show his skills.

The Grand Final will take place from July 3rd to 5th. You can register for the Young Farmer of the Year Grand Final livestream here.