Christchurch Girls’ High School final year students Erin Humm and Amelia Ridgen are the 2022 FMG Junior Young Farmers of the Year after the Grand Final in Whangārei.
Cameron Brans and Quinn Redpath from Napier Boys’ High School were named runners-up and third place was another pair of young women, Tia Fowle and Renee Zwagerman, ex Southland Girls’ High School students.
The grand final was for 14 teams from all over New Zealand, two teams of two contestants from each of the YFC regions.
Amelia and Erin were overwhelmed and humbled by the win and very proud that two young women beat all the boys to take the title.
“It’s pretty cool that we’re both girls,” said Erin, originally from Pigeon Bay.
“It’s really empowering, it’s a good boost to get into the industry and it’s really encouraging,” said Amelia, from Greendale.
They are boarders at Christchurch Girls’ High and are both 17 years old and plan to being a bachelor of AgriScience at Lincoln University next year.
Read: Hometown hero wins FMG Young Farmer of the Year
Their second grand final, the pair competed last year and placed first in the exam.
This year, they battled through a day of rain, bad weather and modules involving kumara – a Northland staple but somewhat foreign to two Cantabrians.
“I found parts of the farmlet generally the toughest for me, I had to rely on Erin for the practical side of it a lot so it was definitely a team effort,” Amelia said.
Three 12-year-old boys from Waikato won the AgriKidsNZ grand final.
They are Liam Hodgson (Pirongia School), Arche Keelty (St Patrick’s School) and Leighton Barnett (St Columbus School).
Second was a team from North Loburn in Canterbury; Hamish Webb, PJ Mackintosh and Annabelle Birchler.
Third was Edward Pottinger, Liam Lash and Edward White from Longbeach School, Mid-Canterbury.
