Eight contestants will gather in Oamaru early next year for the FMG Young Farmer of the Year Aorangi regional final.
The event will take place in conjunction with the North Otago A&P Show, at the Oamaru Showgrounds on February 23.
Several of the finalists have competed before at this level.
One of the newcomers is the only female in the field - North Otago dairy farm worker Kerry Watson (27). She told Central Rural Life she was not too worried about the physical challenges.
''It's the theory that gets me.
''I'm pretty experienced at the practical side.
''Dad's always been really good; I was out on the farm more with him than my brother was.''
Miss Watson grew up on a sheep and beef farm in Cumbria, northwest England, before her family moved to New Zealand when she was 11.
She has worked at a harness racing stable, the Five Star Beef feedlot, and a veterinary clinic, and taught horse-riding at a United States summer camp.
Her foray into dairy farming was unplanned - she agreed to fill in on an Enfield farm for a fortnight, then stayed three years. She took up her current job at Five Forks in June, but is not interested in becoming a sharemilker.
''Dairying's not really my passion.
''I won't take it any further. I'll do it as long as I do it.''
Miss Watson will represent the Five Forks Young Farmers Club at the Aorangi regional final, alongside clubmate Alan Harvey (28). The agricultural consultant has returned home to Oamaru after being an Otago-Southland finalist the last two years and a Tasman finalist before that.
The Methven Young Farmers Club has contributed three contenders: Campbell Sommerville, Ezekiel Turner, and Billy Dowle.
Mr Sommerville (25) was an Aorangi finalist last year. The arable farmer is following in the footsteps of his father, Baden, who was runner-up in the 1991 grand final.
Mr Turner (26) is a stock manager at the 3800ha High Peak Station in the Rakaia Gorge. He was raised on sheep, beef and dairy farms in Gisborne and Canterbury and has harvested crops in Western Australia.
Mr Dowle (26) farms across the Rakaia River from Mr Turner and was encouraged by him to sign up for the competition. Mr Dowle is a stock manager at Redcliffs Station, which runs about 3800 merino ewes and 240 Angus cows.
Two finalists from the Timaru Young Farmers Club are finalists for a second year. Adam Judd (28), the assistant manager on a 720-cow Pleasant Point dairy farm, has a Bachelor of Science degree and is learning to speak Spanish.
William Ellis (28) was the 2014 Registered Master Builders Carters Apprentice of the Year for Hawke's Bay-East Coast and has become a sheep and beef farmer.
The eighth finalist, another returning from last year, is Hinds Young Farmers Club member Josh McAtamney. Having reached the age limit of 30, this is the final attempt for the Carew contract milker and bull fattener.
