“Now or never” for Young Farmers’ finalist
Riverton sharemilker Sam Hodsell is in the running for the Young Farmers’ grand final in Christchurch. Karen Trebilcock slipped on her redbands to find out why the competition is so important for Sam.
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am Hodsell is going to have to find some time off work to study for the Young Farmers’ grand final in Christchurch at the start of July. With 600 cows to look after, the busy 28-year-old 50:50 Riverton sharemilker spent only the Friday beforehand swotting up for the Otago Southland final in early March. But winning that means he’s now heading for what he knows is a “now or never chance” of having a crack at the grand title. A member of the Thornbury Young Farmers Club since 2015, he’s entered the competition once before, coming third in the regional final in 2016. When at Southland Boys High School he was part of Teen Ag, the junior Young Farmers, but left the area to study a Bachelor of Agriculture at Lincoln University. While there, he picked up a DairyNZ scholarship in his second year and still takes part in scholarship activities when needed. Back home on the family farm after university, he realised he didn’t know many people around him. His family is from Northland and moved to Southland when he was eight, selling the family farm along the way. “Mum and Dad went 50:50 sharemilking in Southland, I think to see if they liked it down here, and then bought the farm we’re on now.” His older brother does the tractor driving and maintenance and his sister works in Invercargill but none of the extended family moved south.
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The Thornbury Young Farmers Club member won the Otago Southland title and is heading to Christchurch for the grand final at the start of July.
Join the club “So I joined the club to meet people. We’ve got a really good crew of young people around here, all doing different things.” Club members come from as far away as Ohai and Drummond. They include sheep and beef, deer and dairy farmers as well as rural professionals including vets. Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | May 2021
