Over 50 farmers entered the West Otago Lions Club and West Otago A and P annual fundraiser, with a total of 94 entries across five categories - small hay, hay, cereal baleage, silage and lucerne.
Athol Lawlor, of Lawlor Farms, won the overall prize as well as winning the lucerne section. Bales were judged on the crop's state of maturity, smell and tightness, and how well the bale was wrapped.
The bales were then auctioned, raising about $6700 for the West Otago community.
West Otago A and P immediate past president Robert Bray said he was pleased with the number of entries despite the cold snap.
Some areas of West Otago had up to 15cm of snow, with schools in Tapanui, Heriot and Waikoikoi closed for the day yesterday.
Graders were busy clearing roads around West Otago and will be out again today.
Roads around Clinton and the Owaka Valley were also affected by snow, and parts of Waipori, Mahinerangi, Waitahuna and Mt Stuart by large snow drifts in places. The top of Finlayson Rd, between Waihola and Taieri Mouth, SH1 between Balclutha and Gore and SH8 between Lawrence and Beaumont were affected by black ice or snow.
Results.-
• Small hay: Peter Byars 1; Emily Byars 2; Alan McPherson 3.
• Hay: LWB Crawford 1; Ivan Roulston 2; MT Allan 3.
• Cereal baleage: George Hutson 1; Maitland Contracting 2; B Norman 3.
• Silage: Ivan Roulston 1; Clayton and Lyn Chittock 2.
• Lucerne: Lawlor Farms 1; Gem Lake 2; Crown Rock 3.
• Tallest kale: J Marshall 1; Kerren Pilgrim 2; Bradley Catto 3.
• Heaviest swede: Archie Body (10.2kg) 1; Henry Power (9kg) 2; Jack Body (8.8kg) 3.
• Ugliest swede: Cole Scammell.
• Overall winner: Lawlor Farms.
