You'll be so pleased to know

on Sunday I went to Dannevirke for the day (that involved 1hour plane trip, an hour driving there and in reverse to get home) for East Coast Club Training - now that doesn't mean anything to you and I'm telling you this because on the plane I got what I will now refer to as "Richie time" except that I won't use speech marks very often (mostly because I will forget).

Richie time (see, forgot already) is when there is undistracted time with Richie CEO of my new job, not my job alone of course, though some people would say that I need that kind of close direction. But the important thing is I checked with him as brand guardian if it was okey dokey for me to blog about Young Farmers - that is not specifically individual young farmers, but that is possible, but New Zealand Young Farmers (Clubs).

There are three wings to Young Farmers. NZYF being the main one that I manage, there's AgriKids that Bron manages - a massive programme in primary schools based around the clubs model that works so well from Young Farmers (since 1927). AgriKids is really popular and has the coolest activities for kids to learn farming skills with fun contest days...

and the super, the famous, the

National Bank Young Farmer of the Year Contest

which the very on to it Roz manages.

The Contest is a huge deal starting with District Finals, then Regional Finals and then the Grand Final which is what you will have seen on TV (this year live on Channel 6 and delayed on TV1), this is the 2009 final in Palmerston North

This year is in

Gore

in

July.

That's winter in Southland.. in Gore.

Did I tell you Swanndri is a sponsor?

Swanndri, please give me a jacket to wear in Gore.. in July.. in winter.. please.

The Contestants will be wearing theseglad I'm not them,

though they will have the considerable prize pool

to think about to keep them warm while they compete.