Contestants in this year's North Otago district young farmers' competition might need to glean a few tips from their great-grandparents if they want to gain the edge.
Organisers will not divulge what activities they have in store but have confirmed the contest, in November, will be held at the historic Totara Estate, near Oamaru as part of the estate's Victorian Heritage celebrations.
''So it might include a little bit of history,'' convener Andrew Cochrane said. The Five Forks club was charged with organising the district event and the historic theme was doubly appropriate because it was the longest-running club in New Zealand, he said.
In February 1882, 5000 sheep carcasses were loaded on to spring carts at the estate and driven to the Totara railway siding for the five-hour train trip to Port Chalmers where they were loaded on to the especially outfitted SS Dunedin to be the first shipment of frozen sheepmeat to Britain.
Around the country, young farmers are sharpening their agricultural skills in anticipation of the first of the district contests which open the 2014 season of the ANZ Young Farmer Contest.
The Christchurch District final at Hororata will be one of three around the country opening the contest on October 5.
Organisers say more then 300 are expected to enter this first round of the competition.
The top eight contestants from each region go through to the regional finals and the seven regional winners contest the grand final, in Christchurch in July next year.