Farmstrong is an initiative designed to give farmers the skills and resources to live well, farm well and get the most out of life.
The total figure raised is yet to be finalised but Pendarves Young Farmers president David Bell said, ‘‘it was a ripper’’.
There was an impressive figure raised by donations on door entry alone, he said.
Money was raised through door entry, through an on-site auction, a bucket collection during the night and, generously, from a percentage of the bar takings on the night.
Mr Bell said 18 shearers got involved helping to raise money for the organisation and making it an enjoyable event for all involved.
They were mostly experienced shearers who took to the stands in one of three competition categories (clean, won by Tes Paewai; senior, won by Izaac Duckmanton; open, won by Hemi Power) but a couple of first-timers were keen to give it a go and no doubt a little fazed being watched by a world blade shearing champion.
The Pendarves Young Farmers were joined by all the young farmers clubs in the district at the beginning of the night to take part in a boot challenge. It was won by the Pendarves club.
Also attending on the night were a group from the Waimakariri Young Farmers, as well as shearers from Rangiora along with some international shearers from Wales.
The Pendarves members wanted to support Farmstrong as it was an organisation which could help members in its community.
Farmstrong events encourage farmers to get off the farm for a few hours and have a chat to people or just simply get off farm for a beer and a break. The speed-shear event ticked all those boxes.
Mental wellbeing of farmers is becoming a very large issue in our rural communities with all of the external pressures that are being placed on them such as national policies, the weather and market prices.
