The Country
  • The Country home
  • Latest news
  • Audio & podcasts
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life
  • Listen on iHeart radio

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • Coast & Country News
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Horticulture
  • Animal health
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life

Media

  • Podcasts
  • Video

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whāngarei
  • Dargaville
  • Auckland
  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Hamilton
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Te Kuiti
  • Taumurunui
  • Taupō
  • Gisborne
  • New Plymouth
  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Whanganui
  • Palmerston North
  • Levin
  • Paraparaumu
  • Masterton
  • Wellington
  • Motueka
  • Nelson
  • Blenheim
  • Westport
  • Reefton
  • Kaikōura
  • Greymouth
  • Hokitika
  • Christchurch
  • Ashburton
  • Timaru
  • Wānaka
  • Oamaru
  • Queenstown
  • Dunedin
  • Gore
  • Invercargill

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / The Country

Retiring Young Farmer Contest Board members leave impressive legacy

The Country
10 Feb, 2019 11:30 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Cole Groves (left) and Dean Rabbidge. Photo / Supplied

Cole Groves (left) and Dean Rabbidge. Photo / Supplied

Two long-serving members of the board overseeing the FMG Young Farmer of the Year are set to retire.

Cole Groves, 32, and Dean Rabbidge, 33, will step down from the NZ Young Farmers Contest Board in July.

The pair first joined the committee in 2014, and both have a long history with the national agri-business contest.

"Cole and Dean are tireless volunteers, driven by a desire to give back to the primary industries," said NZYF Contest Board chair Rebecca Brown.

"Their contribution has been immense."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
NZYF Contest Board chair Rebecca Brown. Photo / Supplied
NZYF Contest Board chair Rebecca Brown. Photo / Supplied

"They have helped overhaul the contest to ensure it will continue to innovate, thrive and remain relevant," she said.

The FMG Young Farmer of the Year is an unrivalled event which challenges and educates the next generation of food producers.

Dean Rabbidge, is a sheep, beef and dairy farmer in Wyndham, and won the Otago/ Southland regional final in 2013 and 2014.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

He joined the committee in 2014 and served as its chair from 2016 to 2018.

"The two achievements I'm most proud of are getting the new board structure over the line and developing a formal strategy for the contest," he said.

"I got a lot out of competing and this role has been a way for me to give back to the contest."

Cole Groves, who's an Ashburton dairy farmer, won the Tasman regional final in 2011.

Discover more

Club life boosts young farmers' wellbeing - Study

04 Feb 03:30 AM

Book explores history of Young Farmer contest

05 Feb 12:45 AM

Farmer urges young people to take up career in fencing

06 Feb 11:15 PM

Franklin named best NZ Young Farmers club

07 Feb 09:30 PM

He started serving on the committee during his time as chair of NZ Young Farmers and was appointed for a second term in 2017.

"The formal strategy, which we launched last year, has given the contest some much-needed direction. It will ensure the event showcases the primary industries in an engaging and exciting way," he said.

"I've made some really good friends through my involvement with the contest and grown my own skills at the same time."

The NZYF Contest Board is made up of eight people, including four appointed members.

Applications are being sought from people interested in serving on the board.

"You don't need a huge amount of contest experience, you just need to understand the event and be passionate about helping it grow," said Groves.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Applicants are not required to be current NZ Young Farmers members.

"It's hugely rewarding, but it is a big commitment. We have four face-to-face meetings a year, attend two regional finals and then spend a week at grand final," said Rabbidge.

Applications open on March 1 and close on April 15.

Application forms will be available to download from the NZ Young Farmers website.

"This is a great opportunity for young people looking to broaden their governance skills and help drive involvement in the agri-food sector," said Rebecca.

Two successful candidates will be appointed following the grand final in July.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from The Country

Premium
The Country

'It was my calling': Inside the Taupō farm taming wild horses

20 Jun 10:00 PM
The Country

'Rusty but running': 1940s bulldozer still going strong

20 Jun 05:00 PM
The Country

One dead, three injured in Central Otago ATV accident

20 Jun 02:29 AM

Jono and Ben brew up a tea-fuelled adventure in Sri Lanka

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from The Country

Premium
'It was my calling': Inside the Taupō farm taming wild horses

'It was my calling': Inside the Taupō farm taming wild horses

20 Jun 10:00 PM

There are 93 horses still facing an uncertain fate.

'Rusty but running': 1940s bulldozer still going strong

'Rusty but running': 1940s bulldozer still going strong

20 Jun 05:00 PM
 One dead, three injured in Central Otago ATV accident

One dead, three injured in Central Otago ATV accident

20 Jun 02:29 AM
Tonnes of promise: Angus Bull Week set to make millions

Tonnes of promise: Angus Bull Week set to make millions

20 Jun 12:00 AM
Help for those helping hardest-hit
sponsored

Help for those helping hardest-hit

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP