Oct 9, 2026
SCNO Events for October | Issue 225 | October 2026
This month South Canterbury/North Otago is running two very high-profile events: The second Young Deer Farmer competition and the Raincliff Environment Awards field day.
Young Deer Farmers Competition – 9 October
The branch is excited to host the second ever Young Deer Farmers Competition on 9 October at Peel Forest Estate, with a full roster of 28 competitors aged 16 to 26. It's a full day of hands-on modules testing practical skills and industry knowledge including a quiz, grading, scoring, mock velvetting and deer handling amongst others.
Young Deer Farmers – Class of 2024
Entrants range from those new to the industry through to more experienced deer farmers. For us, the real win is bringing young people together to learn from each other, build connections, and grow their interest in deer farming. It's also a day worth turning up for — with great prize money on offer and the top placegetters heading to conference with us in 2027.
Raincliff Environment Awards – 21 October
The South Canterbury North Otago Branch is also looking forward to hosting a field day at the historic Raincliff Station on the 27 October (see DINZ Events page for registration details), one of South Canterbury's earliest runs — established back in 1853.
2025 Judges – Luka Jansen and Janet Gregory
We're pleased to have a strong line-up joining us. Janet Gregory, long-time lead judge of the Deer Industry Environmental Awards, judged Raincliff's own award-winning environmental work first-hand. Wayne Allan of Allan Agriculture will bring his farm consultancy expertise to talk production and performance, while Brad Olsen, Chief Executive and Principal Economist at Infometrics, will share his well-known insight into the wider economic outlook for farming.
The day will include a tour of the station itself, along with discussions on the Morgan family's environmental journey – recognised with the Premier Elworthy Environmental Award in 2025 for their farm management and planning for the next generation. We'll finish with a BBQ and refreshments.
