Latest news with #HughJackson
NZ Herald
3 days ago
- Business
- NZ Herald
Meet Hugh Jackson, FMG Young Farmer of the Year 2025
He's the fourth generation of his family to farm in the area, when his great-grandparents, John (Hool) and Margaret Jackson started farming after World War II. Initially interested in a rural professional role in banking, Jackson attended Massey University and studied for a Bachelor of AgCommerce majoring in Farm Management. Unable to get his foot in the door of a banking graduate programme, he applied for the DairyNZ graduate programme. 'In 2020, I was a trainee consulting officer with DairyNZ in Invercargill, followed by an extension partner role on a dairy farm in mid-Canterbury in 2021, then back to a Southland dairy farm in 2022 as a herd manager,' Jackson said. Returning to his roots Baling hay was challenging for Hugh Jackson, who hadn't done it before. Photo / NZ Young Farmers On June 1, 2023, Jackson moved back to the family farm where his dad, John Jackson, was keen for a hand running the 1800-hectare family farm and 150-hectare lease property. 'We winter around 2000 Friesian/beef-cross bulls for finishing and 2500 odd ewes,' Hugh said. 'I always planned to come back to the farm one day, and the time was right. 'I've become an equity partner in the family business, and I'll be here for the rest of my life.' Jackson wants to look after the land for future generations and loves the fact that he helps feed the world and generates income for the country. He is outspoken in his views about carbon credits and feels the industry is shooting itself in the foot by turning prime agricultural land into pine forests. 'Monoculture and blanket-planting good farmland into trees that we will never get back is not the way forward.' Like most of his generation, Jackson enjoys the use of science and technology in farming. While he loves dog work with the stock, he reckons by the time he reaches his dad's age, everyone will probably be bringing their stock in using a mobile phone. He expects to be doing everything differently and moving with the technology. Young Farmers Hugh Jackson enjoys the camaraderie and connections the NZ Young Farmers clubs offer. Photo / NZ Young Farmers 'I first became a Young Farmers member in 2017 with Massey Young Farmers,' Jackson said. 'I've been a member ever since, competing consistently over eight years.' While working in Southland, Jackson won the Otago Southland FMG Young Farmer of the Year title, earning him a place in the 2023 grand final. When he came back to the Waikato, Jackson joined the Hamilton City Young Farmers Club and has since become chairman. 'I've suffered from depression and I know how important it is to get off-farm and socialise,' he said. 'I like getting out for recreational activities when I can, like fishing and freediving and am fortunate to be based near the coast. 'NZ Young Farmers is a great organisation where you can catch up with mates and keep making connections.' After coming so close to winning the 2023 FMG Young Farmer of the Year, Jackson was keen to give it another shot. Just like the actual job of farming, the challenges and modules cover both mental and physical aspects, and the requirement for resilience and adaptability. None of the grand finalists know what they will face, and this year they were confronted with modules that included baling hay, fish filleting, heavy machinery, bridge building, sheep shearing and many more. 'It's tricky to prepare for, as you have no idea what is going to be there until the day,' Jackson said. Listen to Jamie Mackay interview Hugh Jackson and 2024 winner George Dodson on The Country below: 'The baling was challenging for me as I've never done that before. 'Shearing is always good fun, and the bridge building was a very cool challenge.' Jackson is starting to think about how he can use his role to advantage others in the industry and showcase farming in a good light. NZ Young Farmers chief executive Cheyne Gillooly said Jackson impressed everyone with his innovative thinking and shining talent across the agricultural sector. 'It's inspiring to see the recognition go to someone who will not only be a strong ambassador for the next generation of young farmers, but across the agricultural industry. 'The future is bright and forward-thinking for New Zealand's food and fibre sector.'
NZ Herald
5 days ago
- Climate
- NZ Herald
Listen to The Country online: Philippa Wright on 48 years in the wool industry
George Dodson and Hugh Jackson: Today's farmer panel comprises the two most recent winners of the FMG Young Farmer Grand Final. Canterbury's Dodson won in 2024, and Waikato-Bay of Plenty's Jackson is this year's winner. Philippa Wright: A queen of the Hawke's Bay wool industry has sold her wool business in Waipukurau and is retiring after almost 50 years in the industry. Today, she looks back on 48 years working with wool and forward to a positive future for strong wool. Barry Soper: The Country's political correspondent wraps up another busy week in the Beehive. Chris Brandolino: Earth Sciences New Zealand's principal scientist, with a weather forecast for the weekend and beyond. Listen below:
NZ Herald
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- NZ Herald
NZ Herald Live: David Seymour responding to migration statistics
Young Farmer of the Year: Hugh Jackson The newly-crowned Young Farmer of the Year winner Hugh Jackson joins Ryan Bridge on Herald NOW to talk about his win and what it means for his future in farming. Video / Herald NOW
News.com.au
09-07-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
‘Ridiculous': AFL legend Nick Riewoldt ‘staggered by ‘dirty' act
Dayne Zorko says Hugh Jackson 'got away with one' after the Port Adelaide young gun escaped without a suspension over a kneeing incident during the Lions win over the Power. AFL legend Nick Riewoldt on Monday led the criticism of the Match Review Officer's verdict that the cheap shot was only worth only a $2000 fine. The St Kilda icon called Jackson's act 'dirty' after cameras captured the 22-year-old sticking his knee into Zorko as the former Brisbane captain was lying on the ground. The MRO judged the third quarter incident was 'low impact' to Zorko's ribs, despite the strike looking ugly to the naked eye. FOX FOOTY, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every match of every round in the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE in 4K, with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer. Riewoldt said on Channel 7's Agenda Setters it was 'ridiculous' that Jackson was not suspended. 'Hugh Jackson got a 'B' on this segment last week. This week it's an 'F',' Riewoldt said on his weekly segment. You can watch the incident in the video player above. 'Look at the knee here into the ribs of Zorko. It's an 'F'. It was dirty and cleared by the MRO.' He said the AFL was sending a message to players that knee kicks like that were not going to be judged harshly. 'Get this, players, you can drop the knee into a player when they are on the ground,' he said. 'Go your hardest because you won't get suspended. You'll only cop a fine. Ridiculous.' Zorko on Tuesday addressed the incident during a regular segment on SEN Queensland. The Lions veteran appeared to be in pain after the knee, but got back to his feet to kick the ball after a free kick had been given. 'Well, he definitely got me. I think it was more the surprise that when someone is on the ground curled over like that after being hit in the head, and you've just sunk the slipper in,' Zorko joked on SENQ Breakfast. 'I think that was more the surprise to me. But that's alright, I handled it well. 'You just try to unsettle them. He knows he did something wrong, it was more importantly trying to get in his head and make sure he knew it. 'I was trying to throw him off his game a little bit. I might have looked like I was carrying on, but inside I was actually quite calm. 'I just wanted to off-settle him because he's quite a handy little player the young fella. 'He got away with it, I think he only copped a fine so he'll be right to play again this week. I did say you'll be spending some time on the sidelines but the MRO has let me down and only given him a fine, so he's probably laughing at me.' Hawthorn legend Dermott Brereton said on Fox Footy at the time, there was going to be a gentlemen's agreement that there would be a 'square up' at some point in the game. Zorko walked off the ground all smiles after the Lions wrapped up a 28-point win at the Gabba on the back of an eight-goal first quarter blitz. The win further cemented their bid for a top-two spot and made Port's task of playing finals football this season all the more difficult.
Otago Daily Times
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Waikato farmer wins title at nationals
Try and try again proved to be a winning formula for a 26-year-old Waikato-Bay of Plenty sheep and beef farmer who won the 57th Young Farmer of the Year title on Saturday evening in Invercargill. Hugh Jackson, a former member of the Thornbury Young Farmer club, was "over the moon" about his winning his second shot at the national title. For Mr Jackson the last couple of hours of the competition were "a nerve-racking time". "I knew it was going to be tight, but credit to the guys." Winning the national prize had been a dream of his for several years, he said. "It's been a lot of years in the making". "I've been there before and got in the top three, which gave me a bit of confidence knowing that I'm capable of doing it. "Every season is different and you never know what to expect." Mr Jackson worked on a Southland dairy farm before heading back to his family's Te Akau farm, north of Raglan. Otago-Southland's hope Cameron Smith, of the Thorn-bury Young Farmer club, who placed fourth overall said his friend, Mr Jackson, had a well-deserved win. "He's an absolute champion — he does a lot of studies." Mr Smith won the best agriskills award for Friday's practical challenges. "I knew I'd done enough to sort of keep myself in the running ... but ended up dropping into fourth after the quiz." Southland was awarded best region award for its contributions to the community and Southland Food Bank. Mr Jackson, who had a strong interest in new farming technology and mental health, believed technology would play a "massive part in the future" of farming. He hoped the win, alongside his role as chairman of Hamilton City Young Farmers Club, would champion Waikato's agriculture industry. "With this title, I really hope to help showcase the talent we have coming through and highlight the opportunities that are there for young people." "Where the industry is moving in terms of technology is exciting and there is an opportunity where we can really grow people and provide career opportunities within that." Mr Jackson also claimed first place in the community footprint module, the agri-business challenge and the agri-sports section. Competition convener Emma Wilson said they had "an awesome group of competitors this year" who had prepared well. "They've done really well and they're definitely work-[ing] pretty hard and put a lot of prep in." Finalists had been preparing since about February, she said. On Friday the crowd was captivated by the contestants as the showcased their practical farming skills with tasks such as shearing, building bridges, filleting fish and making hay-bales. The grand final challenges focused on heavy machinery and livestock coupled with exams, interviews, quizzes and public speaking. The seven finalists were in a head-to-head, attempting to gain precious competition points. Gareth McKerchar, of Pleasant Point, missed out on the title by 68 points in second place, with George Letham, of Lincoln, finishing up in third place. New Zealand Young Farmers chief executive Cheyne Gillooly said Mr Jackson impressed everyone with his innovative thinking and shining talent across the agricultural sector. "FMG Young Farmer of the Year is one of the most prestigious farming awards in the country. "It's inspiring to see the recognition go to someone who will not only be a strong ambassador for the next generation of young farmers, but across the agricultural industry. "After seeing the talent from this weekend, the future is bright and forward-thinking for New Zealand's food and fibre sector." By Toni McDonald
