Young Farmers club the best

Central Taranaki Young Farmers' booming membership has been recognised with a swag of accolades.

It's been named Best Club in the Taranaki/Manawatu region and won the coveted Membership Growth award.

The club's chairman, Toko sheep and beef farmer Nick Brown, has been honoured for Service to Young Farmers.

"I'm stoked. These awards show what a strong club we have, especially the hard-working executive committee," Nick says.

Central is now the biggest of the five Young Farmers clubs dotted across Taranaki. But it hasn't always been that way.

"When I joined two and a half years ago, the club only had six members," Nick says.

"But my predecessor, Jayden Harvey, set the ball rolling to grow the club and we now have about 40 members."

The club meets at the Toko Tavern on the first Tuesday of every month and has a busy calendar of social activities.

"My favourite event is the annual Young Farmers' ball, which is being held in Inglewood this year in May," says club secretary Kelsi Bayly.

"It's an awesome way to meet like-minded people from other clubs and provides an opportunity to dress up. Our club has a great mix of men and women, people who are farmers and those from other careers."

Kaponga farm manager Michael Stratton, 24, has been a member of Central Taranaki Young Farmers for two years.

"If you're new to the area it's the best way to meet new people," Michael says.

"When you're working alone on a farm you often only have your own thoughts, so it's great to get out and socialise.

The club's boats and bikes weekend at Lake Rotorangi is heaps of fun."