Young Farmer Of The Year Looks Back Over 50 Years

Kate Taylor still vividly remembers the agony of crossing the line at the end of the gruelling agri-sports challenge in her only Young Farmer of the Year regional final. “I was absolutely shattered. I totally get the mental and physical boundaries competitors push themselves to,” she said. Using chainsaws, fencing, swinging a gate, scanning ewes, driving farm bikes and tractors, were just some of the modules in the East Coast regional final at Dannevirke in 2001. “I remember fighting with the fence. It was supposed to be five wires, but I only got two up,” said Kate, who was still breastfeeding her daughter at the time. Almost 20 years on, the Hawke’s Bay freelance journalist has written a book on the colourful history of the prestigious agricultural contest. Photo: In 50 Years Young: A History of the Young Farmer of the Year, author Kate Taylor meets winners, finalists and organisers. For more on this and other great Hawke’s Bay stories go to hawkesbaytoday.co.nz Posted: 13 February 2019