Chandra Garrod-Harvey now has a major incentive to join Central Taranaki Young Farmers.

The Opunake vet nurse won a NZ Young Farmers membership at the club's annual barbecue to welcome new people to the district.

"It was a great night. I had heaps of fun," said Chandra, who works at Coastal Vets.
About 40 people attended the event at the Pembroke Hall last week.

"It was fantastic to see lots of new faces," said the chairman of Central Taranaki Young Farmers Nick Brown.

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"Many of them were young people working in the dairy sector who'd moved into the district at the start of the month."

Several of Taranaki's five NZ Young Farmers clubs hold special social events in June to help new arrivals make friends.

"I've found it really hard to meet other young people in Opunake," said Chandra.

"This has been a good event to make me get out and socialise. I'm so glad I came."

The Taranaki Halal Butchery donated meat for the barbecue and three $100 meat pack vouchers.

One of the vouchers was won by Brandon Holdt, who's just moved back to Taranaki.
"I've been down in Foxton where I was a senior farm assistant on an 1800-cow dairy farm with an 80 bale rotary milking shed," he said.

"It was a massive operation." Brandon now works as a second-in-charge for James Holgate and Tracy Kivell who contract milk 350 cows at Midhirst.

"It was great coming along and meeting new people and catching up with a couple of former schoolmates," said Brandon.

Central Taranaki Young Farmers holds monthly meetings on the first Tuesday of the month at the Toko Tavern.