NZ Young Farmers

My farm host Marty took me to the Helensville A&P(Agriculture and Pastoral) show where there was the regional New Zealand Young Farmer contest was happening.  The Young Farmer contest is hosted by the Young Farmers social group.  The competition is open to anyone in the group aged 18-30, and it is a most strenuous event.  The participants have to go through many practical tasks such as build a fence gate, use a chin saw to make a boot, make a irrigation hose setup and put wheels on a 4-wheeler.  After the day activities, the contestants are in a game show type question and answer section.  The questions ranged from politics, sport, and many technical farm questions.  The winner of the competition goes to a national competition.  The prizes the people get are amazing.  The regional winner got a mechanical water pump, $100 in new clothes, Echo power tool vouchers, and $1000 in cash.  The National winner gets up to $100,000 in cash and a new pickup! 

Farming is the biggest industry in New Zealand and people take it seriously.  The quality of produce is valued highly.  No BGH is used in dairy cows, and no genetic engineered seeds are planted.  Most of the farms are family owned, there is little corporate farming. Small business are thriving all over New Zealand.  Small towns have main streets at full occupancy, a nice change from the states. 

I am in Auckland, getting my tax number, setting up a bank account and looking for yacht day work.  If I don't find anything by Friday, I will be leaving to go to Tauranga, in the Bay of Plenty and look for farm work.  Jobs are become scarce in the cities. Many people are leaving Christchurch looking for work in other parts of the country.   The summer season is winding down to a close.  Below are a few pictures of the Young Farmers contest and the A&P show.