Competition committee member Paul Urquhart said more than 80 farmers in the wider Taieri area entered about 120 winter crops.
About 240 people attended a prizegiving and auction last month.
The auction raised more than $83,500.
"We were thrilled."
The recipients are the Otago Rescue Helicopter Trust ($25,200), Otago Community Hospice ($24,100), Hawke’s Bay Disaster Relief — Rural Support Trust ($7500), the Outram Historic Park walking track ($7500), three rural scholarships which are available to be applied for ($6000), the Otago Youth Adventure Trust — Berwick Lodge ($5000), Taieri Lions ($4000) and Taieri Rotary ($4100).
Nearly $70,000 of goods and services were donated for the auction.
Business which gave good and services to the charity auction deserved praise, especially as many face cost pressures.
"Full kudos to them."
Among the competition winners was dairy farmer Philip Wilson for his cultivated swede crop on a 4ha run-off block in Momona.
He had been dairy farming in the district for more than 50 years, Mr Wilson said.
The run-off was once a market garden and had fertile soil, which gave him an advantage to farmers on the hill.
A secret to growing great swedes was to get a crop sown before November 5.
Contractor Total Harvesting used a precision seeder to sow palletised seed variety Hawkestone.
To boost the yield, he increased the seeding rate.
Di-ammonium phosphate fertiliser was put in the ground with the seed.
The yield was pleasing considering the same paddock had a crop of fodder beet in it last winter, he said.
He either grew swedes or fodder beet for yearling calves to eat in winter.
At the inaugural competition in 2014, Mr Wilson won a prize for a crop of fodder beet.
Swedes were his winter crop of choice.
He liked big swedes and he had plenty of them this season.
"I’m pretty impressed — there’s some bloody good swedes here."
One of the benefits of growing big swedes was cows needed to chew on them.
Smaller swedes were a potential chocking hazard because a cow might attempt to eat one whole.
He had witnessed it once and had to act quickly to stop the cow from choking to death.
"That’s when you need a broom handle real quick."
Members of the Taieri Lions Club and Taieri Rotary Club unite to organise the crop competition.
Mr Wilson praised the work of the clubs
— "as a farmer, I’m extremely thankful to the clubs, working together to do this — it’s a huge effort."
He also praised the businesses who gave goods and services for the charity auction.
"They are the real heroes."
Winners
Taieri Winter Crop Competition
Crops on the flat:
Dairy platform fodder beet: the Kerr family.
Run off fodder beet: Geoff Edgar.
Direct-drilled swede: Gavin Russell.
Cultivated swede: Philip Wilson.
Cultivated kale: Ryan Sutherland.
Direct-drilled kale: Hamish Jenkins.
Crops on a hill
Cultivated swede: Cameron Doherty.
Direct-drilled swede: Verterburn.
Cultivated kale: Mount Gowrie.
Direct-drilled kale: Mike Cowie.
Turnip: Richard Nicol.
Fodder beet: Pāmu Hindon.
Donaghys Cup for the most outstanding crop: Geoff Edgar.
Runner-up: Hamish Jenkins.
