Young farmers from around the country will be sharpening their agricultural skills with entries now open for the 2014 season of the ANZ Young Farmer Contest.

The competition gets underway Saturday, October 5, with the first district finals held at Hororata, Glenmark and Massey University.

More than 300 young farmers are expected to contend in the district finals, the first round of the competition.
The top eight contestants from each region will go through to their regional final and battle it out for their share of $14,000 worth of prizes and a spot at the grand final where they will vie for the coveted title of ANZ Young Farmer Contest Champion and a piece of the $162,000 prize pool.
The level of complexity and difficulty increases as contestants progress from districts to regionals – and finally to the grand final.
The seven grand finalists, one from each region, will meet in Christchurch from July 3-5 2014, for a gruelling few days of competition where contestants will be put through a diverse range of practical, theoretical and technical challenges covering all aspects of agriculture including an HR challenge and a business presentation.
The final challenge culminates in a live-televised show where the contestants are questioned on everything and anything. The 2013 ANZ Young Farmer Contest champion Tim Van de Molen from the Waikato had some advice for aspiring competitors looking to prepare. 'It's about getting out and getting involved in the industry and using those opportunities and connections to build your network and build your knowledge base.”
The ANZ Young Farmer Contest is New Zealand's ultimate rural challenge. It inspires excellence, showcases the innovation and growth in the agriculture sector and helps develop young kiwi farmers become the leaders of tomorrow.
The contest not only offers cash prizes and products from ANZ, Ravensdown, Silver Fern Farms, Honda, Vodafone and Husqvarna, there are also several scholarships and awards for career development programmes from AGMARDT and Lincoln University.
Contestants of all skill levels are encouraged to enter to improve their personal and agricultural skills with New Zealand Young Farmers CEO Richard Fitzgerald stressing that it's not all about winning.
'The contest is a great way to meet new people, learn some new skills, have a bit of fun and try something new.”
Entry for the ANZ Young Farmer Contest is open and free for all NZYF members between ages 15-31 (entrants must be under 31 years of age at January 1, 2014). For more information and a full schedule of events visit
www.youngfarmercontest.co.nz