Harriet Stock and Alex Jones. Photo supplied.It will be a big day tomorrow for Ashburton College students Harriet Stock and Alex Jones, as they compete in the national final for the New Zealand Young Farmers TeenAg competition.

Held in conjunction with the Young Farmer of the Year grand final, which this year is being held in Invercargill, the TeenAg final brings together winners and placegetters from regional competitions held all around the country.

It’s the first time Harriet and Alex have reached the national final, and they’ve been working hard recently to give themselves the best possible chance of success in Invercargill.

Both of them are from farms, Alex living on a sheep, crop and winter grazing operation near Ealing, and Harriet a dairy farm near Hinds.

They said that a farming background was a definite advantage, although they each have different strengths.

Alex said he was better at the physical aspects of the competition, while Harriet is stronger at the numerical and theory side.

Although they are looking forward to the experience, the pair are also nervous as they don’t know exactly what to expect.

What they do know is they will have to complete a one hour exam and give a speech before undertaking a series of seven modules that will test their knowledge and expertise in a wide range of areas including nutrient retention against leaching, health and safety, tractor driving, management practices that influence water quality, sheep judging and meat and wool breeds.

They will also have to perform two tasks on a farmlet.

The top five teams will then go into a “face-off” quiz, which will be made up of agriculture and general knowledge questions.

Also being held in Invercargill tomorrow is the AgriKidsNZ national final.

A team from Mt Somers Springburn School, made up of Lachlan Rooney, Ruby Giera and Annabel Harmer, and another from Ashburton Intermediate School, featuring Tim Connelly-Whyte, Austin Watson and Henry Gray, both qualified for the final.

By Colin Williscroft © The Ashburton Guardian - 6 July 2018