He's not your usual cow cockie but Calvin Ball reckons he could have the right mix to take out out 2016's FMG Young Farmer of the Year contest.

And despite the 26-year-old achieving his goal of being a grand finalist before the age of 30, Calvin didn't believe 2016 would be his year in what he calls a 'weird scenario”.

You see, Calvin is representing the Waikato/Bay of Plenty Young Farmers region in what's often called ‘the Olympics of the Agricultural world'.

But he's not a ‘young farmer' as such – and he's about to leave the country.

Calvin Ball showing his skills in regional contest of Young Farmer of year.

'The regional contest was in March and I booked flights to go overseas after that. So I quit my job as with Ballance Agri-Nutrients, then I ended up winning the regional competition.”

He's just spent five weeks travelling overseas and has been at home on his parents' Ruawai dairy farm practising skills for this week's FMG Young Farmer of the Year showdown.

The contest has, for 48 years, captured the fascination of many of the primary industry's current leaders and has proven to be most difficult to win.

'I'm back off overseas in a week pretty much. I should be over there now but this competition has changed my plans. It's a weird scenario, I know.”

He lived in the Waikato and BOP for about 18 months after entering the fertiliser industry with Ballance straight after university. There he completed a Massey University AgriScience degree with First Class Honours.

'I started in Masterton then got a promotion to key accounts in Hamilton and ended up in Mount Manganui's for six months, doing strategy and business development projects”.

So why sign up to the Young Farmer contest? 'I've been very involved in the Young Farmer organisation for the last seven years,” says Calvin, who sought out the group at Massey University and became chairman of the largest, 150-member YF club in the country.

'I like to think I've been an ambassador for the contest – trying to get people involved – so you've got to ‘walk the walk'. I've entered regionals before this.”

'I've had a goal to win a regional final before I was 30 – but I never thought it would be this year,” says Calvin, who admits 'I'm a bit nervous”.

Why? He'll be pitted against the country's top young farmers, who are on the job every day.

'All the other guys are on on-farm – I'm a bit of an office chump – and would-be farmer.”

'But at least now I can show that you don't have to be an everyday farmer to enter – you just have to be as passionate about agriculture. And the technical aspects maybe allow those not from farms to do a little bit better.”

Growing up rurally Calvin always knew he'd be in agricultural sector 'but didn't know which part”.

He went to university 'and figured I like science” then got a Ballance scholarship.

So will he go on-farm or keep climbing the corporate ladder? 'I'll make that decision when I come back.”

Yesterday, the grand final contest began in Timaru with an opening ceremony – and Calvin and six fellow contestants had to tackle the Massey University technical exam, AGMARDT Agri-Business day challenge, and the Meridian Energy Agri-knowledge quiz and speech evening last night.

But today the heavy lifting really begins, with a day of practical challenges including stock judging, fencing, and much more. Tomorrow night the Young Farmer of the Year 2016 will be crowned, winning more than $80 000 in prizes, but more importantly the opportunity to wear the coveted ‘Cloak of Knowledge'. Will Calvin win? Watch this space.