NZ's top young farmer found

Manawatu Standard

BIG WIN: Tim O'Sullivan is pleased the Young Farmer Contest is over.

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The newest Young Farmer Contest winner is Tim O'Sullivan, from the Aorangi region, and he said he was pleased the gruelling contest was over.

The 29-year-old from Pleasant Point is wearing the 'cloak of knowledge' and has picked up $90,000 worth of prizes, including a new ute and quad bike.

The seven grand finalists were competing in Palmerston North on Thursday, Friday with the final televised tonight.

Although obviously elated by the win, Mr O'Sullivan said he was thrilled the contest had finished.

He seemed to be something of an 'all-round-package' having come first in the practical challenge, which involved putting together sheep yards, using a digger to put in a culvert as well as fencing, putting in an irrigation system and landscaping.

''It's been pretty tough. The practical challenge is worth 30 percent of the total marks. So I was pleased to win that.''

The contestants spent eight hours working through the practical tasks and ended with the Agrisports race. The gruelling series of tasks pitted the finalists against each other and the clock.

Mr O'Sullivan took both the practical challenge and the Agrisports.

And although not finishing the Agrisports first, his workmanship won him the most points.

The three-day contest also included a technical challenge, at which contestants had to give a speech, conduct dispute resolution, as well as present a marketing plan to judges.

Overall second place-getter Richard Copland, from the Otago/Southland region won the technical challenge and with it a $28,000 career development scholarship.

In the end it was a close run final, with Mr O'Sullivan winning by only four points, with a 274 total.

He has a Bachelor of Agriculture from Lincoln University and works on his family's 1000 cow dairy farm and the 100 hectare run off. Mr O'Sullivan also co-owns and works in a company that specialises in irrigation and effluent pond liners.

Local farmer, Chris Will from the Taranaki/Manawatu region, came third.

- © Fairfax NZ News