Mr Strowger (20) was a late addition to the Aorangi regional final in Fairlie, receiving a call-up about 18 hours before the event.
He won the Christchurch district final last October but this year has had more time to prepare for the Tasman regional final, which will be held in Greymouth on February 18.
Not that he has had much time to study or practise over his summer holidays, as he has been busy working for a North Otago agricultural contractor.
Mr Strowger, whose parents Richard and Colette live at Waianakarua, is heading into his third year of study at Lincoln University, where he is completing a bachelor of agricultural science degree.
He was unsure, at this stage, of his career path, but it would definitely be in the rural sector.
A member of the Lincoln Young Farmers Club, he saw the Young Farmer Contest as a "good challenge".
He was not expecting to make it through to the grand final, which will be held in Dunedin in May, but was trying to build up his experience, with the intention of attempting the grand final in a few years.
He enjoyed his involvement with Young Farmers, saying it was a great way to meet many people. The Lincoln club has about 90 paid-up members.
The Otago-Southland regional final will be held on February 12 with both the practical day and evening show at Telford in South Otago.
The contestants are Dean Rabbidge, Hayden Peter, Simon Paterson, Craig Moffat, Peter Gardyne, John White, Simon Topham and Nathan Paris.
The Aorangi regional final will be held on February 25 with the practical at the North Otago A and P showgrounds and the evening show in the Waitaki Boys' High School auditorium.
The contestants are Tom Kearney, Campbell Tait, Andrew Wiffen, Andrew Scott, James McLeod, Reg Millar, Jared Clarke and Phil Wilson.
The 56 regional finalists nationwide will face a series of challenges that will test their knowledge and push them to their physical limits.
The agri-skills challenge will judge their practical know-how and the pressure-cooker agri-sports will further test that practical knowledge as they race against each other and the clock.
Contestants will also be quizzed on market knowledge and business sense in the agri-business challenge and finally face the agri-growth challenge that will involve interviews, speeches and human resources challenges.
AgriKids and TeenAg competitions will be held in conjunction with the regional finals.