In 2008, the Irish Farmers Journal ran a very successful heifer competition for young people aged from 12 to 18. It attracted over 600 entries from across Ireland and we held the final in Strokestown Show in September 2008.

The prizes included a pair of Limousin cross heifers and an incalf Limousin heifer for the runner up. All other finalists received a €100 voucher from the Farmers Journal.

We believe that young people are the future of the agricultural industry and the objective of this competition is to encourage them to engage with farming and develop their interest in a tangible way.

How you help, top 5 tips:

• Encourage your child to enter the competition by both answering the questions in the How to enter section and also by creating their own farming profile here.
• Signing up online will help improve your children’s computer skills in a safe environment.
• Always monitor your children’s posts and their internet activity.
• Provide suggestions about farming life that they can write about, for example, looking after cows calving, managing young stock, the use of AI or stock bulls on your farm etc
• Contact us if you have any queries – heifers@farmersjournal.ie