"There was some fierce competition in our area. It's a great way to expand your knowledge, share ideas and common interests, and to socialise."
Macmillan and his fellow club mates also knew their way around a dance floor, regularly attending Saturday night dances in local halls.
Supporting NZYF is a legacy Macmillan wanted to create to help the next generation of agri-food producers reach their goals.
The unique gateway hinge spring, which is being marketed by Lomacs New Zealand, has even generated interest from the Australian states of Tasmania and Victoria.
"This product is different to anything else on the market," said Macmillan's son Michael Macmillan, who's a director of Lomacs New Zealand.
"Other devices for electric tape gates have the spring inside plastic handles."
"The Lomacs gateway hinge spring is permanently mounted on a post and all of the componentry, apart from the plastic anchor, is marine-grade stainless steel," he said.
A number of the devices are set to be installed at the Auckland dairy farm gifted to NZ Young Farmers by the late Donald Pearson.
"We've had considerable interest from farmers in coastal areas who're tired of replacing their current gate components every couple of years due to rust. The Lomacs gateway hinge spring will solve this problem," he said.
Alex Macmillan has dedicated his life to the agriculture sector.
