rivettingKateTaylor

“Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrivettingkatetaylor!!!!”

The enthusiastic response from someone I interviewed recently (and then met at tennis!) who recognised me from my little stints every now and then with Jamie Mackay on the Farming Show.

In case you’re wondering, Rivett is my maiden name from growing up just down the road from Gorrrrrre, which was the original home of the Farming Show.

Today I had lots of things to talk about – a rates story I’m doing for the National Farming Review, all the bulls stories I am doing for the Dominion Post (Motere Angus is 100, Mt Mable Angus is 50 (funny story there), the upcoming Beef Expo and a few others. But more to the point today was whether That Guy should enter the Rural Bachelor competition at the National Fieldays and whether I could hold my own (aged just 21 after all – not) in the Good Keen Girl.

And can a woman win the National Bank Young Farmer Contest? Of course one can. We just have to find her. (I found myself a bit on the spot there!)

My sister Keri could have done it. My friend Sue Wylie could have done it. There are many women out there farming who could still do it. They need to get out there and give it a go.

There are two regional finals left for this year, Aorangi in Methven this weekend (coinciding with the world ploughing champs) and Tasman in Blenheim on the 24th. Then down to Gore for the Grand Final in July! Can’t wait.

The Contest has such a cool group of Young Farmers volunteers, contest staff, regional managers, former contestants… a pleasure to be part of.

And we talked about what I was blogging about. Mentioned quickly about the near-miss car crash but didn’t talk about my blog about stringing up tagging teenagers on the main street 🙂

We did talk about getting off the beaten track. Going down roads you’ve never been down before. Have a look at last week’s blog about “the end of the road”.

For now, Federated Farmers and their rates call. Procrastination mustn’t win out today. Deadline’s tomorrow and I’ve already given up golf for the week.