We are approaching the end of A&P Show season and heading into awards season, with regional competitions for some of New Zealand’s most prestigious titles underway now.

The FMG Young Farmer of the Year, the Ballance Farm Environment Awards, and the Dairy Industry Awards have begun, with national finals on the horizon. The Dairy Woman of the Year will be announced at the Dairy Women’s Network conference in May, and the Arable Awards will be held in August in Christchurch.

These awards are important because they showcase the good work our sector is doing in sustainable agriculture and inspire others to raise the bar.

When I interview award winners or even finalists, they tell me how rewarding the experience is, how much they have learned through the judging process, and how much they have benefited from the connections they have made.

There is the added benefit that some of these stories may filter out beyond the farm gates into mainstream media, where the urban demographic can better understand the inroads farmers are making as guardians of the land.

So why don’t more farmers throw their hat in the ring for these awards?

Some farmers are reluctant to put their heads up with the negativity that seems to have attached itself to agriculture; others fear that good old tall poppy syndrome will rear its head, and they will open themselves up to criticism from their peers.

In reality, we need to stick our heads up now to remind ourselves and the urban demographic just how good New Zealand farmers are at what they do.

Maybe these awards feel too daunting, in which case that’s where A&P Shows come into play.

A&P Shows are a great mini-showcase of agriculture, and we should never underestimate their power for reaching the urban demographic.

The wool and sheep categories, hoof-to-hotplate, and wheat competitions are a more low-key but still valuable way to tell our story and highlight what we, as farmers, do.

We need to celebrate our success on as many levels as we can so we can remind ourselves we have so much to be proud of in primary industry and to keep raising the bar for the future of New Zealand agriculture.

by Claire Inkson