Echo Bay Resort

Technical skills tested on day one of Young Farmer contest

There were seven very exhausted Young Farmers in Masterton last night - mentally exhausted that is.

Day one of The Ultimate Rural Challenge tested the brain power of the seven Grand Finalists during the Technical Day (Thursday 30th June) at The National Bank Young Farmer Contest 2011 Grand Final.

The seven Grand Finalists have won the right to represent their Region after coming out on top during 22 District Finals and seven Regional Finals held throughout the country from late last year. The Grand Finalists are: Shane Munford from Northern, Tim van de Molen from Waikato/Bay of Plenty, Mike Croad from East Coast, Cam Brown from Taranaki/Manawatu, Cole Groves from Tasman, Will Grayling from Aorangi and Hayden Peter from Otago/Southland.

Yesterday morning the Grand Finalists headed to Brancepeth Station where the Technical Day was held in the historically impressive Brancepeth Homestead. The Contestants had to complete several different technical challenges under strict time constraints and the watchful eye of the judges. Technical Day Manager Mark Guscott says that the variety of tasks that make up the AGMARDT Agri-business Challenge and the Lincoln University Agri-growth Challenge are reflective of modern day farming and agri-business.

"We test everything that a farmer has to do in their home office and what a rural professional might do in their job too - that's everything from budgeting to mediation, they even have to present to a board plus a whole lot more."

The Market Innovation Challenge saw the Contestants present a supply chain innovation project of their choice to three judges; Graham Turley the Managing Director Commercial and Agri, ANZ Group; Stephen Macauley General Manager of AGMARDT and Shane McManaway CEO of Allflex Australasia.

The seven Young Farmers also had to face a 45 minute personal interview from a panel of three judges: Leo Vollebregt 1987 Young Farmer of the Year, Mavis Mullins from the Golden Shears and Dr Patrick Aldwell Dean of the Faculty of Commerce at Lincoln University.

A Human Resources Challenge saw the Contestants mediate a dispute between an employer and an employee that included issues such as wrongful dismissal and unsafe quad bike practices.

On top of all that the Contestants had to complete a technical exam throughout the day which saw them produce a detailed plan to maximise returns and profitability for Brancepeth Station.

Prior to the Grand Final the Contestants were also judged on their "community footprint"; a chance to see what the Contestant's put back into their community and to judge the gap they would leave if they were taken out of that community.

Echo Bay Makes The Best Of Challenging Times | mvprogress.com

Echo Bay on Lake Mead has experienced some drastic changes over the past two decades. The full-service marina was once a booming resort destination. But today visitation at Echo Bay has plummetted in sync with the water levels at Lake Mead. This has presented a unique set of challenges to those overseeing the facility’s future. Far from giving up, officials of Echo Bay’s concessioner Forever Resorts are putting into motion an ambitious plan for the facility that, they hope, will make the best out of a difficult situation.

A little over a year ago, Forever Resorts took over business at Echo Bay under a three year interim agreement with the National Park Service. During the past year, significant changes have been made to the operation of the facility.

“The low water levels at Lake Mead are, of course, a complete game changer in this business,” said Matt Harvey, Regional Vice President for Forever Resorts. “We have taken the better part of the year in coming up with strategies and plans for the property that we think will be fun and different and that will take into account the realities of the low water level.”

Harvey said that when Forever Resorts took over Echo Bay last year, the operation of the facility, in many ways, had not been brought up to date with the new economic realities. Bringing the facility up to date required making some rather painful decisions, he said.

By last summer, Forever had laid off most of the staff at Echo Bay and had closed down the hotel/restaurant building indefinitely.

In deciding to close the restaurant/hotel, Forever had to weigh the cost of keeping the aging facility open with the quality of the experience for the customer, Harvey said.

Built back in the 1960s, the restaurant/hotel is in need of significant and costly renovation. As the Lake waters have receded, the foundation of the building has settled causing structural damage, Harvey said.

“Let’s just say it would involve much more than just a coat of paint and new draperies,” Harvey said.

But even if all the renovations were completed, the building is still located in the wrong place, Harvey claimed.

“People want to be close to the water,” he said. “That is why they come here. But with the water so low, the hotel and restaurant are way up top, far away from the water. That’s not where people are going to go.”

For the past year, Forever Resorts has been puzzling over how to offer the full services of lodging and food, but offer them down closer to the water where their customers want to be. They have finally come up with plans to bring those services out on the water. The plans involve improving the Marina Store which is down on the water and adding to it a snack bar/cafe. Facilities for dining would be made available either inside the store or at tables outside on a nearby covered deck with a harbor view.

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