Methven A&P show growers won big at this year’s regional wheat competition.

It’s the third year the Combined Mid Canterbury A & P Associations Wheat Competition has run, which merges the winning croppers from the Methven, Ashburton and Mayfield shows in a head-to-head battle.

Facilitator Nicola Pace said it had been tough pickings for this year’s judges.

“We take the top five from each [show], and we group them together to get a top 15, to a top five, to our overall winners.

There had been a few points of difference between the feed wheat finalists, but milling wheat had been a really close call.

“There’s something like one point between first and second, and one point between second and third.

“We had to keep coming up with other things to judge them, on just to find a winner.”

Taking out the milling wheat category was Viewmount Farms.

“Good to see that our hard work paid off,” Douglas Richards said of the award.

He and dad Ross run wheat, barely and other small seeds on their 400 hectare farm near Methven.

Douglas hopes to carry the farm through to a second generation.

“[Dad] took it over in the late 90’s [from] his old boss, bought the land from him.”

He said the award was proof of consistency and communication with advisors.

“We’ve got a good farm advisor helping out, a good agronomist; We just do our job properly.”

Lyndhurst farmers Roger, Jude and Aaron Henderson took out first in feed wheat for Limewood Farm.

Roger and Jude were there to collect the award, but said it was due to son Aaron’s “attention to detail”.

“Aaron is very particular; he’s the fourth generation,” Jude said.

They grow mostly small seeds now, carrots and spinach and such, but take pride in their wheat.

There was a special father and son moment, during harvest, when Roger realised they’d grown a bumper wheat crop.

“Aaron and I were sitting in the header… we looked at it.

“We just had grins like you’ve never ever seen.”

He said it was wins like those that kept arable farmers going.

“Aaron had been over that paddock probably 15 times with spray fertiliser; it makes all that hard work worth it.

“To get this award, it was genuine - it was obviously a good paddock of wheat.”

Competition founder David Weith was also honoured with a A&P service medal for his contribution to the shows over the decades.

Pace said the competition was a show of Mid Canterbury excellence.

“We’re in the land of bread and honey.

“Mid Canterbury is where we produce the best grain in New Zealand, and we’re really proud, and we want to showcase that.”

The wheat competition started as a Methven-only competition around 28 years ago.

This year’s competition saw 54 entrants, 32 vying for best feed wheat and 22 for best milling.

In second place for feed wheat were Tim and Jane Robinson, for the Robinson Farming Partnership, and Craig and Angela Muckle for Millisle Farm took out third.

For milling wheat, Craig Clucas from Clucas farms won second, and Karl and Megan Henderson for Urrallyn Partnership came third.

by Anisha Satya