Young Taranaki farmers meet, compete in Whanganui

South Taranaki farmer Hannah Brewer was overall Taranaki/Manawatu champion at a NZ Young Farmers Stock Judging Competition in Whanganui. Photo/ supplied

South Taranaki farmer Hannah Brewer aced this region's New Zealand Young Farmers Stock Judging competition last weekend.

The competition was held in Whanganui, alongside an annual general meeting for the 11 young farmers' clubs across the Taranaki/Manawatu region.

There were 18 entrants and the stock judged were sheep, beef and dairy animals. Ms Brewer was the best judge of each.

She helps run the family farm near Manutahi, which has 2200 ewes and 300 cattlebeasts. But before returning home she spent seven years as a shepherd on a 760ha farm near Masterton. It finished 15,000 to 20,000 lambs and 400 cattle a year.

She was rapt and surprised with her win, especially since she hadn't worked in dairy.

It gets her a place in the final Stock Judging Competition that will be held in conjunction with the FMG Young Farmer of the Year final in Invercargill in July.

She may not be able to go to it - she's due to be a bridesmaid at a friend's wedding in the United Kingdom around that time.

Kaponga contract milker Guy Harvey came second in the stock judging, with Eloise Campbell third.

The 11 clubs competed for other honours at the weekend. The Inglewood Young Farmers' Club was judged best in the region. It has 23 paid-up members, who meet weekly and monthly and help out in the community.

Its chairwoman, Kenzie Bellringer, was judged best club chair. She's 26, and a dairy farm assistant. The chairwoman of the new South Taranaki Young Farmers' Club, Amelia Nicholl, also won an award for leadership.

Central Taranaki Young Farmers member Jessie Waite was elected chairwoman of the large region.