Growing a Passion for Agriculture: Tabitha and Mikayla
For Year 13 ākonga Tabitha White and Mikayla Molloy agriculture has always been part of their lives, but four years of competing in the FMG Junior Young Farmer of the Year competition together as Rangi Ruru students has deepened their passion for, and connection to, the primary industry.
Tabitha grew up on a cropping farm in Mid Canterbury, while Mikayla was raised on a sheep and beef farm in North Canterbury. With grandparents on both sides also involved in agriculture, they have both grown up immersed in rural life. Tabitha’s connection to agriculture extended into competition from a young age. While at Longbeach School she competed in AgriKidsNZ, giving her an early taste of the practical challenges and knowledge involved in the Young Farmer competitions.
Although their families had known each other for years, the pair met on their first day of boarding at Rangi Ruru in Year 9. By Year 10, they had teamed up to compete in the FMG Junior Young Farmer of the Year competition—a partnership which would see them taking on the challenge for the rest of their high school years.
Of their first meeting, Mikayla says: “Tabitha knew we were going to be a team from then but I didn’t even really know what the competition was!”
After learning more through Tabitha’s brother, who also competed, Mikayla was sold and their pair entered in 2023, placing second at the FMG Junior Young Farmer of the Year Tasman Regional Final and earning their place at the national grand final.
“We wanted to enter regionals because it was something new to do, we could learn new information, meet new friends and contacts within the industry,” she says.
In 2024, they won the regional final before heading to Hamilton for the national competition, where they placed an impressive sixth overall. Fast forward to this year when the pair placed second in the Junior Young Farmer Regional Final once again, earning another place at the Grand Final in July.
Mikayla says preparation included competing in a fencing competition at the Geraldine A&P Show, as well as drawing on the knowledge and experience they have gained through previous competitions and their studies.
She says the Young Farmer competition has tested a wide range of practical and theoretical skills, from fencing and livestock anatomy to machinery, animal welfare, farm safety and written exams. One year they even had to build a wētā house; this year’s challenges included plumbing a stock trough, identifying cheeses and cutting plywood into the shape of Mt Taranaki for a cheese board.
Their success has also expanded beyond the national competition. In 2024, Tabitha and Mikayla were part of the Rangi Ruru senior team that won the Canterbury Clash of the Colleges at the Ashburton A&P Show. The Amazing Race-style event challenged competitors in practical areas including quad bike safety, tree identification, first aid, wool classification, fencing and irrigation.
The pair credit the school’s thriving Young Farmers Club and new Primary Industries subject for nurturing their interest: “It has helped us meet lots of girls that are also passionate about agriculture in all different years. The primary industries class this year at school has been good learning about the business side of agriculture.”
Rangi Ruru Head of Geography and teacher in charge of the Young Farmers Club, Mrs Kate Grinter, Tabitha and Mikayla’s perseverance and enthusiasm over the years has been a joy to watch.
“These competitions have been about far more than results,” she says. “They genuinely love the challenge and opportunities that the competitions provide, from developing new skills and knowledge to building connections with like-minded young people from across the country.
“The competitive aspect motivates them to keep improving, while the networking and learning experiences have been equally rewarding.”
She says their dedication has been unwavering.
“Tabitha and Mikayla’s journey has not always been straightforward, and the results have not always gone their way. However, they have consistently demonstrated resilience, returning year after year with renewed determination to train harder, learn more and push themselves further.
“Even the challenge of fundraising to attend the Grand Finals has become part of the experience, teaching them valuable lessons in perseverance and commitment.”
Mikayla and Tabitha encourage other ākonga to get involved: “Just go out and enter a regional final because it’s really fun, and the people you meet are awesome and great connections for later in life.”
From their farming backgrounds to the opportunities provided through Rangi Ruru, both are well on their way to building futures in an industry they know and love, with their Young Farmers journey an important part of the story.
Mikayla is working as a seed shed assistant while training as an agronomist, and Tabitha is heading to Lincoln University to study a Diploma in Agriculture, followed by a Diploma in Farm Management.
Words by Lucie Fallow
Marketing Coordinator