Dusting off the textbooks for Young Farmer finals

He’s already come out on top in the Tasman regional competition and is now preparing for the Grand Final of the FMG Young Farmer of the Year.

George is one of three Lincoln University alumni in the final. He graduated with a Bachelor of Agricultural Science with Honours in 2020.

George has had a rich and varied career since then. He’s been an agronomist for PGG Wrightson Seeds, a Run-off Manager on the family farm, and now works as a Farmer Support Advisor for Fonterra.

Operating out of Lincoln township, George travels the South Island helping farmers keep on track with their compliance and assessments. His patch covers about 840 farms.

“It’s all the real sexy paperwork and legal stuff. I help support farmers through that, so they can get back to the work they love.”

George’s farms are spread all throughout the north half of the South Island and are hugely diverse in scale. He’s hoping the exposure to a broad spectrum of the agricultural world will help him in the upcoming competition.

While studying, George was a keen member of the Lincoln Young Farmers and since graduating has been an avid member of the Banks Peninsula club. It was one of them who tapped him on the shoulder and told him he should give Young Farmer of the Year a go.

So George did, last year. He thought it was a bit of fun, but didn’t put much thought into it. While competing he realised it was something he could really shine in. This year, he’s going all in.

“I’ve come back ready to give it a proper lash.

“The difference this year is I’m really focused on trying to learn anything that’s not a strong point for me in the sector. We can be tested on anything from horticulture, dairy, sheep and beef, deer, agronomy, health and safety. Anything to do with farming really.”

George grew up on a dairy farm in Methven. He’s got plenty of confidence in that field, but is trying his best to skill up in other parts of the sector.

“The old uni textbooks have come out and had the dust blown off them. There’s a lot of googling going on as well. I’ve just got to brush up on everything that I don’t see in my day job.”

He’s also been reflecting on the many field trips he took as a student. He visited farms from all across the sector, providing a practical view of different agricultural sectors.

“It gave me a good foundation for the job I’m in now and also for the competition.”

He’s been calling contacts all across his network, asking to spend some time on their farms or for help with certain areas.

“I’m really just trying to use that local network to learn a thing or two from everyone.

“There’s always something you’ll feel the pressure on, like how do I put this sprinkler together? What kind of apple is this? How do I put this stoat trap together? It’s all about having a bit of kiwi ingenuity and thinking on your feet.”

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