The event ran over two days and tested the knowledge along with the practical and problem-solving skills of the competitors.

Arriving on Thursday, 11 July, Oliver and Connor started the competition by sitting a written exam, which tested their general knowledge, mathematical ability and essay writing skills. On Friday, they arrived for the practical day on a cold frosty morning.

The first half of the morning was spent completing seven 15 minute modules from a range of industry organisations.

• FMG – looking at tractor incidents and ways to minimise risks on farms.

• Lincoln University – Investigating where nitrate in food comes from and testing nitrate levels in different foods.

• Ospri – Showing knowledge of main pest species in NZ and techniques that are used to control pests.

• MPI – Looking at antibiotic usage on dairy farms in New Zealand and ways that we can avoid antibiotic resistance.

• Massey – Showing knowledge of a ewe’s reproductive system and ways to safely assist a ewe when having lambing difficulties.

• Milwaukee – Assembling equipment in the Milwaukee pack out range

• New Holland – Programme the GPS guidance system and drive the tractor around the field using the guidance system.

The second half of the competition saw the boys completing the practical farmlet. They had to repair a broken fence, including putting in an angle stay, digging in a fence post and tying and tensioning three wires. They also had to plumb in a water trough and build a weta motel. During this time, they also had to present a five-minute speech on “Making NZ the world’s most sustainable producers of food and fibre products”.

After an exhausting morning, they got the afternoon to relax before heading to the quiz and awards night. Unfortunately, they missed out on qualifying for the quiz (top five only) but enjoyed watching the quiz and awards. They finished 10th overall, getting 3rd place in the exam and competed very well for the entire competition.

The boys got a lot out of the competition, meeting other like-minded young people and seeing the large number of highly motivated young people in the agricultural sector.