{"id":45958,"date":"2022-07-12T11:34:36","date_gmt":"2022-07-11T23:34:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.farmersweekly.co.nz\/?p=45958"},"modified":"2022-07-12T12:26:18","modified_gmt":"2022-07-12T00:26:18","slug":"fmg-junior-contests-bring-out-the-best","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.farmersweekly.co.nz\/people\/fmg-junior-contests-bring-out-the-best\/","title":{"rendered":"FMG junior contests bring out the best"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading Time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>\n

Christchurch Girls\u2019 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 Whang\u0101rei. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cameron Brans and Quinn Redpath from Napier Boys\u2019 High School were named runners-up and third place was another pair of young women, Tia Fowle and Renee Zwagerman, ex Southland Girls\u2019 High School students. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The grand final was for 14 teams from all over New Zealand, two teams of two contestants from each of the YFC regions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s pretty cool that we\u2019re both girls,\u201d said Erin, originally from Pigeon Bay. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really empowering, it\u2019s a good boost to get into the industry and it\u2019s really encouraging,\u201d said Amelia, from Greendale. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They are boarders at Christchurch Girls\u2019 High and are both 17 years old and plan to being a bachelor of AgriScience at Lincoln University next year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read: Hometown hero wins FMG Young Farmer of the Year<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their second grand final, the pair competed last year and placed first in the exam. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year, they battled through a day of rain, bad weather and modules involving kumara \u2013 a Northland staple but somewhat foreign to two Cantabrians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI 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,\u201d Amelia said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Three 12-year-old boys from Waikato won the AgriKidsNZ grand final.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They are Liam Hodgson (Pirongia School), Arche Keelty (St Patrick\u2019s School) and Leighton Barnett (St Columbus School).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Second was a team from North Loburn in Canterbury; Hamish Webb, PJ Mackintosh and Annabelle Birchler.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Third was Edward Pottinger, Liam Lash and Edward White from Longbeach School, Mid-Canterbury.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Christchurch Girls\u2019 High School final year students Erin Humm and Amelia Ridgen are the 2022 FMG Junior Young…\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":45959,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_FSMCFIC_featured_image_caption":"Erin Humm and Amelia Ridgen, both 17, are winners of the FMG Junior Young Farmers of the Year and plan to go to Lincoln University.","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_nocaption":"","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_hide":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[16,25],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t