June 30, 2025 • 4 mins
It’s four sleeps until he hands over the cloak of knowledge in Invercargill on Saturday night. Today, we ask the 2024 FMG Young Farmer of the Year how the last year has changed his life and what words of advice he has for the seven 2025 grand finalists.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
So four sleeps to go and we will have a
new FMG Young Farmer of the Year the twenty twenty
five version. Let's yeah into the twenty twenty four version.
His name is George Dodson dairy farming in Canterbury, but
originally from Southland. George, it'll be a bitter sweet I guess,
handing over the cloak and knowledge on Saturday night in
(00:22):
your home province of Southland.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Yeah, Jamie, I'm great to be on the show. Yeah,
we'll be a little bit bit asleet. Actually I'm a
little bit sad to be handing it over, but it's
part of the competition, I suppose, is that you give
the next person the opportunity to do some of the
incredible things that I've got to experience in the last year.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
You were quite well, relatively young at twenty three years
of age when you won it last year. Just remind
me because one year Dripson to the next one was
everyone a first time finalists last year?
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Yes, yeah, one was new last year.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
So we've got a few repeat offenders I think in
this year, which probably makes it easier for them. How
did how's the last twelve months changed your life? George?
Speaker 2 (01:07):
Oh, it's like you say, it's been absolutely life changing.
There's been so many opportunities, you know, through talking to banks,
through going into opportunities like contract or shea milking, getting
to the front of the line on those sorts of things.
Just about everyone in the farming sector sort of knows
your name now, so it's just that personal brand, I suppose,
being able to really drive yourself as an asset and
(01:30):
know people, and then that network as well has been
fantastic and done some pretty cool events like the Royal
Support Trust debate that you were at a few weeks ago, Jamie,
which was pretty incredible, So you know, that's something that
you don't get to do without sort of doing something
like the Young Farmer of the Year and getting your
name out there.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
So wow, you performed very well in front of what
how many people were there, three or four hundred, I
just can't remember exactly. Claudland's Events Center was absolutely packed,
it might have been more than that. And you were
by doctor Jaquelin Roweth is technically the best debater minds you.
You did have to take a bit of friendly fire
I think was it from James Meagher your fellows South
(02:09):
Island debater of course, the Minister for the South Island
calling you the most eligible rural bachelor in New Zealand.
But that's not quite true.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
Not quite my partner. She's been with her for a
couple of years, so going real well. But yeah, just
caught a few friendly for her shots I think from
James and that debate, which was good fun and all
in good humor.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
In the past twelve months, not only have you been
doing your commitments as the FMG Young Farmer of the Year,
your farming career has also taken quite a step forward.
Tell us about that, because I think this time a
year ago you were too ic on a farm.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
Yes, I was to icy on a four hundred and
forty cowd dairy farm this time last year, and then
in the last or of month just jumped onto a
seven hundred and thirty cowd dairy farm. So just got
a bit more scale I suppose in the business and
a couple more staff under me, so it's going to
be a pretty cool experience.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
So you're looking at farm ownership through the family.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
Yeah, we've been had a few cracks I suppose in
a few different farms. Haven't quite managed to pull anything off.
Just yet, but it's sort of one of those years.
I suppose with the payout and the cow price dictates
that things are potentially on a little bit of the
expensive side. It's certainly a big dream of mine to
go buy a farm with some family, and that's been
(03:28):
a dream for a long time.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
As we said, you've got four sleeps to go, then
your hand over the cloak and knowledge and in the
cargo on Saturday night. We don't know who to yet, obviously,
but if any of the seven Grand finalists are listening,
and hopefully they are, what would be your words of advice?
Speaker 2 (03:45):
I think it's all about carm under pressure, a like,
there's so much different stuff that's going to get thrown
at you, and it's so easy to lose your head.
So you've just got to keep kart Ian and if
you do something wrong, like I mean everyone does it.
I've definitely did something's wrong at Grand Final last year,
you've just got to sort of forget about it because
you can't do anything about it once that task is complete,
and you've got to move on to the next with
(04:07):
the clear head and try to do your best.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
See I could do with some of that advice on
the golf course. George, stay calm under pressure, don't panic,
don't panic. All right, hey, look, thank you very much
for your time. You've been a wonderful young Farmer of
the Air. We'll keep in touch. We're going to keep
you on a panel. So thank you very much for
your time, George, and I know you'll be able to
relax a wee bit and enjoy a few days and
(04:29):
in the cargo and on Saturday night we will crown
the new winner, the twenty twenty five FMG Young Farmer
of the Year.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
Go well, thanks Jamie, looking forward to it.
So four sleeps to go and we will have a
new FMG Young Farmer of the Year the twenty twenty
five version. Let's yeah into the twenty twenty four version.
His name is George Dodson dairy farming in Canterbury, but
originally from Southland. George, it'll be a bitter sweet I guess,
handing over the cloak and knowledge on Saturday night in
(00:22):
your home province of Southland.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Yeah, Jamie, I'm great to be on the show. Yeah,
we'll be a little bit bit asleet. Actually I'm a
little bit sad to be handing it over, but it's
part of the competition, I suppose, is that you give
the next person the opportunity to do some of the
incredible things that I've got to experience in the last year.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
You were quite well, relatively young at twenty three years
of age when you won it last year. Just remind
me because one year Dripson to the next one was
everyone a first time finalists last year?
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Yes, yeah, one was new last year.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
So we've got a few repeat offenders I think in
this year, which probably makes it easier for them. How
did how's the last twelve months changed your life? George?
Speaker 2 (01:07):
Oh, it's like you say, it's been absolutely life changing.
There's been so many opportunities, you know, through talking to banks,
through going into opportunities like contract or shea milking, getting
to the front of the line on those sorts of things.
Just about everyone in the farming sector sort of knows
your name now, so it's just that personal brand, I suppose,
being able to really drive yourself as an asset and
(01:30):
know people, and then that network as well has been
fantastic and done some pretty cool events like the Royal
Support Trust debate that you were at a few weeks ago, Jamie,
which was pretty incredible, So you know, that's something that
you don't get to do without sort of doing something
like the Young Farmer of the Year and getting your
name out there.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
So wow, you performed very well in front of what
how many people were there, three or four hundred, I
just can't remember exactly. Claudland's Events Center was absolutely packed,
it might have been more than that. And you were
by doctor Jaquelin Roweth is technically the best debater minds you.
You did have to take a bit of friendly fire
I think was it from James Meagher your fellows South
(02:09):
Island debater of course, the Minister for the South Island
calling you the most eligible rural bachelor in New Zealand.
But that's not quite true.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
Not quite my partner. She's been with her for a
couple of years, so going real well. But yeah, just
caught a few friendly for her shots I think from
James and that debate, which was good fun and all
in good humor.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
In the past twelve months, not only have you been
doing your commitments as the FMG Young Farmer of the Year,
your farming career has also taken quite a step forward.
Tell us about that, because I think this time a
year ago you were too ic on a farm.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
Yes, I was to icy on a four hundred and
forty cowd dairy farm this time last year, and then
in the last or of month just jumped onto a
seven hundred and thirty cowd dairy farm. So just got
a bit more scale I suppose in the business and
a couple more staff under me, so it's going to
be a pretty cool experience.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
So you're looking at farm ownership through the family.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
Yeah, we've been had a few cracks I suppose in
a few different farms. Haven't quite managed to pull anything off.
Just yet, but it's sort of one of those years.
I suppose with the payout and the cow price dictates
that things are potentially on a little bit of the
expensive side. It's certainly a big dream of mine to
go buy a farm with some family, and that's been
(03:28):
a dream for a long time.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
As we said, you've got four sleeps to go, then
your hand over the cloak and knowledge and in the
cargo on Saturday night. We don't know who to yet, obviously,
but if any of the seven Grand finalists are listening,
and hopefully they are, what would be your words of advice?
Speaker 2 (03:45):
I think it's all about carm under pressure, a like,
there's so much different stuff that's going to get thrown
at you, and it's so easy to lose your head.
So you've just got to keep kart Ian and if
you do something wrong, like I mean everyone does it.
I've definitely did something's wrong at Grand Final last year,
you've just got to sort of forget about it because
you can't do anything about it once that task is complete,
and you've got to move on to the next with
(04:07):
the clear head and try to do your best.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
See I could do with some of that advice on
the golf course. George, stay calm under pressure, don't panic,
don't panic. All right, hey, look, thank you very much
for your time. You've been a wonderful young Farmer of
the Air. We'll keep in touch. We're going to keep
you on a panel. So thank you very much for
your time, George, and I know you'll be able to
relax a wee bit and enjoy a few days and
(04:29):
in the cargo and on Saturday night we will crown
the new winner, the twenty twenty five FMG Young Farmer
of the Year.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
Go well, thanks Jamie, looking forward to it.
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