A trio of Hawke's Bay youngsters put in a commendable performance over the weekend, taking out awards at the TeenAg and AgriKidsNZ national finals in Invercargill.
The event saw 14 teams from across New Zealand clash in wet conditions at Donovan Park, where competitors had to erect a fence, construct a chicken coop, score deer velvet and analyse breeds of sheep.
Year 12 Napier Boys' High School student Matthew Halford was named the TeenAg Competitor of the Year, as well as taking out an overall runner-up place with fellow student Finnigan Beamish.
The winners were announced in front of a 400-strong crowd at Southland Boys' High School.
In the AgriKidsNZ section, Jorja Fountaine from Kumeroa School near Woodville was named the AgriKidsNZ competitor of the Year.
The event saw 21 teams tackle challenges testing their practical and theoretical skills.
Competitors had to assemble a beehive, put together a water trough, sit an exam and cook a pancake with no recipe.
The Year 6 student said the hardest module was the hour-long written exam.
"Even though we were under a lot of pressure we kept calm and if we didn't know the answer we moved on," said Jorja.
"In the end it doesn't really matter where you place, just as long as you give it a go, have fun and enjoy yourself."
Teams from the South Island won the overall awards in both the TeenAg and AgriKidsNZ events.
NZ Young Farmers chief executive Terry Copeland said it was a decade since the first AgriKidsNZ Grand Final was held alongside the FMG Young Farmer of the Year Grand Final.
"This year we have had more entrants in the AgriKidsNZ and TeenAg competitions than ever before.
"More than 1100 students took part in the two competitions at regional finals across the country."
TeenAg and AgriKidsNZ are a key part of the work being done by NZ Young Farmers to attract students into the agri-food sector.
Agriculture Minister Damien O'Connor was one of a number of MPs who attended the awards ceremony.
"You are all inspirational at every level. You have gone out of your way to push through the boundaries and learn more," he told the students.
