Competition raises record $68,000

Gathering for the presentation of the certificate for ‘‘the crop that caught the judge’s eye’’ are (from left) Catalyst Performance Agronomy regional manager Geoff Mavor, Jackie, Dave, Merv and Jill McCabe and Catalyst Performance Agronomy senior agronomist Sam Sturgess. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

"It’s the best we’ve ever had, which is good because we were uncertain at the start of this year," Lions spokesman Murray Linwood said.

"We’re really happy with it, very pleased."

This year, 95 crops were entered in the competition and Lions Club volunteers put in more than 1000 hours of work to organise the event.

An awards night was held at the Loan and Merc on May 21, attracting a "spirited" 300-strong crowd, Mr Linwood said.

The competition was first run in 2015, and most of the money raised came from auctioning donated goods on the awards night. Thousands of dollars have been given to worthy causes in the past, in keeping with the Lions’ philosophy of service to their community.

Winners:

Irrigated fodder beet, Dave McCabe. Dry fodder beet, Dave McCabe. Irrigated kale, Ross Isbister. Dry kale, James McNally. Irrigated rape, Rogan Borrie. Dry rape, Murray Rodger. Irrigated swedes, Rogan Borrie. Dry swedes, Philip Nicholson. Crop that caught the judge’s eye, Dave McCabe’s irrigated fodder beet.