The Wānaka A&P Foundation is the sponsor for the upcoming 2025 Upper Clutha Winter Crop Competition.

Organised by the Rotary Club of Wānaka, the competition judges the quality of local winter feed crops based on entries received from local farms and donates proceeds to worthy causes.

It has become a staple in the agricultural calendar, bringing together farmers, agribusinesses, and the wider community to celebrate excellence in winter crop farming, Rotary Club of Wānaka Winter Crop committee chair Deans Hudson said.

“The Upper Clutha A&P Society has kindly offered to help with the promotion of the competition and provide its support, with an end goal of raising funds for the Otago Southland Rescue Helicopter Trust and the local fire brigades of Tarras, Luggate, and Lake Hāwea,” Deans said.

“These organisations will benefit from the fundraising dinner and awards ceremony, which will be held in the Upper Clutha Rugby Clubrooms on Friday, May 16, 2025.”

The Wānaka A&P Foundation is administered by the Upper Clutha A&P Society.

Society chair Keith Cooper said the initiative was a “particularly good fit with the Wānaka A&P Foundation’s strategy of supporting the Upper Clutha rural community.”

The collaboration between the Rotary Club of Wānaka and the Upper Clutha A&P Society strengthens the competition’s presence in the local rural community and ensures continued support for key beneficiaries, Deans added.

This will be the fourth time the Rotary Club of Wānaka has hosted the Winter Crop competition. 

Over the years, more than $120,000 has been donated to local beneficiaries, primarily the Otago Southland Rescue Helicopter Trust, through the generosity of Upper Clutha’s farming community and supporting businesses.

Both farmers and sponsors alike are encouraged to participate in the well-established competition, which helps ensure critical local services continue to receive funding.

PHOTO: Supplied