Emma Poole is the Waikato-Bay of Plenty Young Farmer of the Year
A Pirongia dairy farmer has been crowned the Waikato Bay of Plenty young farmer of the year – and Trav Miers and Caleb Van Der Bijl from St Peter’s Cambridge are the region’s junior young farmers of the year.
The Waikato Bay of Plenty FMG Young Farmer of the Year awards were announced in Morrinsville on Saturday.
Emma Poole, 28, from Te Kawa West Young Farmers is a second-time regional final winner and this time goes to Timaru in July for the grand final.
It’s an extraordinary family affair – her husband Chris was the reigning title holder and her brother Tim Dangen won last year’s grand final.
“It’s safe to say we’re pretty competitive in our family,” said Poole, who last went to the grand final in 2019.
Waikato Bay of Plenty FMG Young Farmer of the Year Emma Poole
The awards followed a series of competition at the Morrinsville A&P Show.
The two-day event was the first of its kind in the contest’s 55-year history. Usually, district contests are held months in advance of the regional final.
The new formal involves a district final on day one and a regional final the next day.
Poole was one of eight to make it through to the regional final on Saturday.
“After coming up short in 2019, I felt like now was the perfect time to give it another crack. Chris and I have a one-year-old son, so I have something bigger motivating me this time around,” Poole said.
“The challenges were quite physical, so being a female, you wonder if you have what it takes when you’re competing against men who have an advantage in that area, but I pushed through, and I’m so stoked with the result. I feel like it shows women can do anything.”
Emma Poole competing in the head-to-head
