Welcome to this year’s Farmers Olympics for 2020 as we were rained out it was postponed to be harvest in 2021. A lot of work has gone into this year’s program from the FOC (Farmers Olympic Committee). It’s a much-anticipated event and one that’s on all of the 319,000 workers in Australian agriculture. With teams coming from far and wide this is sure to be a year to remember. We put out the feelers of what events should be held this year and the results are in. With the majority based around broadacre and livestock farmers across the Liverpool plains and over to Alice Springs to rustle in the yards of Newcastle waters.

Events for the Farmers Olympic Games are:

Events will be split into recognised sectors so please follow the flags to what you have on your farm. We highly recommend cross-over events to try something new and so we can get a good laugh.

• Getting bogged with style. (Deeper the better)
• Timed responses to consumer questions about what you do. Must do while also peddling farm products or doing a farm related activity. Points for clarity or snark.

Cropping Events

• Reversing a tractor into a shed towing a combine and roller behind, 2 articulations
• Give a truck directions and he actually makes it without another call or google maps
• Reversing a tractor into a shed towing a combine and roller behind, 2 articulations
• Non GPS sowing at night. I know a couple of blokes that would smash a gold
• Channel shovel pole vault
• 100 syphon sprint (Cotton growers receive penatly of 10 more syphons)
• Clearing a header feeder blockage by yourself on Saturday night when your supposed to be at a party
• Replacing belts on the header at 1am

Livestock Events

• Cutting the neighbours bull out of your paddock of heifers and repairing damaged fence for time.
• Drenching rams
• Crutching unmuelsed merino ewe weaners off a rape crop
• Opening an old cocky’s gate
• Open a tin of elastorator rings in the woolshed and not spill any on the grating
• Strain up 200m of rusty barbed wire
• Speed race – opening sown feed / seed bags w extra points for coming away w one piece of string
• Drench and vaccinate 1000 ewe weaners, timed event.
• 100m gumboot sprint in soggy wet paddock ending in catching newborn stud lamb for weighing and tagging
• Catching a flyblown sheep off a motorbike in the paddock
• Artificial insemination comp. WARNING IT GOES FOR LONGER THAN EXPECTED
• Separating calves from cows for yard weaning
• Mustering 100 goats for time
• Strain a fence & tie off a fence for time and style
• Draft a mob of weaners (loose a point for missed numbers)
• Count weaner lambs in threes

Horticultural Events

• Managing a seasonal labour force picking melons and pumpkins in FNQ
• Pick 1kg of blueberries without spill. Under 30 minutes
• Pick 1ha of watermelon for time. (Loose points for damage)
• Pick a row of organic mushrooms on Bulla Farms with Georgia Beattle

It was a great year to witness yet another cohort of farmer competitors. See you all next year pending if we’re rained, dried or in lockdown.