Young Farmers from around Aorangi are set to battle it out in a fun day aimed at boosting social connections in the sector.

Club members from the Aorangi region will converge on Hinds on Saturday for the local Gumboot Games.

Hinds Young Farmers are organising the fun networking event on event on January 13.

Chairperson Abby Cook said the event ran for the first time last year and was now on the annual social calendar.

The event helped to build a regional connection between young farmers, she said. And like other social events, it was an excuse to break the potential isolation of farm life and get off the farm to meet like-minded people.

The clubs tended not to interact on a regional level unless it was for something like the Young Farmer of the Year contest - and even then, there weren't that many people who attended the regional contests, Cook said.

Around 40 people from six or seven young farmers clubs in the region attended thegames last year. Upper Waitaki emerged as the ultimate winners with Hinds in second place.

"Last year was really good. We managed to get almost every Young Farmers club in the region to send a team along."

Some clubs sent teams of three or four - some had teams of up to 10 or more, she said.

This year the Hinds club hopes to attract the same support, or possibly more, to the games on Saturday.

Last year the games included good old favourites like a three-legged races, egg and spoon races, tug-o-war and gum boot throwing, as well as touch rugby.

Participants can expect a number of new farm-related challenges this year - like seeing who can wind up reels the fastest, Cook said.

It will run from midday to 4pm at 34 Isleworth Road in Hinds.

By Sharon Davis