National winners visit Fieldays from Canterbury
Canterbury turned out the best of the best in farming this year, and the three winners are on the bus to Fieldays.
Three national farming winners have trekked north from Canterbury for Fieldays.
Canterbury/North Otago’s Enda Hawe was last month named the New Zealand sharemilker/equity farmer of the year.
The 34-year-old went through a two-hour judging process with 11 other regions from around New Zealand.
Hawe is attending the Fieldays for two days this year and says it’s a meet-and-greet with the major agricultural businesses and sponsors.
He’s joined with Nathan Christian, the national dairy trainee of year, and Mick O’Connor, the national farm manager of the year.
“We’re visiting the RD1 stand, the Fonterra stand, AgITO,” Hawe said.
Like Hawe, both Christian and O’Connor are from the Canterbury area.
New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards executive committee chairman, Matthew Richards said the three men were the best of the best in their respective fields.
“It’s the first time ever we’ve had three national winners from Canterbury, so they’re hogging it all,” he said.
Richards visits the Fieldays every year to host the national winners, and this year is catching the bus to “save some money”.
Hawe, who is also catching the bus, said it’s the grassroots way of getting to the event. He hasn’t been to the Fieldays before.
“[We are] looking forward to the event, it’s a big day on the farmer’s calendar and we’re happy to be part of it,” he said.
