The Country 18/06/25: Warwick Catto and Jamie Strang talk to Jamie Mackay

We catch up with two iconic and long-standing judges for tonight's BFEAs in Wellington.

 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Okay. Wrapping the country today ahead of tonight's Balance Farm
Environment Awards in a flash place in Wellington. There are
a couple of long standing and iconic judges. I hope
I don't mind me calling them that. Warwick Kaddow nineteen
ninety five Young Farmer of the Year, Jamie Strang, You brilliant,

(00:20):
brilliant man at seventy six years of age, you rode
across the cook Strait. No time to talk about that.
Who's going to win tonight? I'll start with you, Warwick,
a farmer. Yeah, well that's a good answer. Well you've
got to plead the Fifth Amendment on that one, because
you guys are judges. But you've got a very strong field.
And Warwick, I know you were nineteen ninety five Young

(00:42):
Farmer of the Air, but I was just because I
used to MC the Balance Farm Environment Awards and I said,
look I'm getting stale, and I got out before they
sacked me. But I remember the first year we had
an outright winter because that was my beef with it.
We had all these presentations but not an outright winner.
And it's an old mate of mine from South and
Grant and Bernie Weller won it they beat Steve one Harris,

(01:02):
Steve and Jane, and Steve's never forgiven them for that.
Jane and Blairsmith, so that was twenty eleven. They were
twenty twelve. Craig and Rose Mackenzie really good arable farmers
in mid Cantery, just to name a few. So we've
got a rich history Warwick.

Speaker 2 (01:17):
Yes, certainly have much like young farmers, but the caliber
is just grown and grown over theirs and that's one
of the things that makes the task each year harder
and harder and harder, so to work out who it is.
But the one thing they all have in common, Jamie,
is they have an emotional connection to the land. And
it's Jamie or test too. It's not unusual to have

(01:38):
a farmer or grow with a few tiers and that
shows you how connected they are emotionally to their land.

Speaker 1 (01:44):
Well, that's a bit like me on the golf course.
I sheared a few tears as well. Not even emotionally connected,
Jamie Strang. We've got a twenty seven year old representing
Whitekatto or the White Caaddo region this year.

Speaker 3 (01:57):
Yeah, it's only a short time ago, maybe ta years ago, Jamie,
that we thought, well, some people thought we might be
running out of entrance for these awards, but it's the opposite.
We've got more and better people coming forward. And now
we've got twenty seven year old. Now I think it's
the first time we had someone under thirty and that's
a new generation coming thry, which has to be a
a good thought for the future, doesn't it.

Speaker 1 (02:18):
Yeah, Wark, when does this sitt? In terms of farming awards,
We've got the Primary Industry Awards and christ Church next week.
These tonight. I think these are right up there.

Speaker 2 (02:29):
Well, I've just walked out of the room where Minister
Patterson and Hogart are speaking and their quote was that
this would be the pinnacle Primary Industry Awards and I'd
agree with that, and particularly because it's pan sector you
mean across sectors, cross sector. Yep, yep, same, thank ye.

Speaker 1 (02:48):
You had me confused to weave it with you or
Young Farmer of the Year knowledge there? Okay, final word
to you, Jamie Strong. Are you stepping aside as a judge?

Speaker 2 (02:57):
Yep?

Speaker 3 (02:57):
Timer has come have been. I've been involved with the
family rather always in two thousand and one and I've
been a national judge of work for a long time.
But yeah, other things to do. Jamie don't really want
to see beside, but I think it's time to do it.

Speaker 1 (03:10):
Yeah, you got to know when your time's up, as
I did. I got out before I got pushed and
unfortunately for the balanced farm environment towards they were desperate,
desperate after I left them, and they got Graham Smith
to be the MC