“I’m in farm heaven!” laughs Katrina Nothdurft, as she eyes rows and rows of tractors, at Farmfest — Queensland’s largest farm field day on the outskirts of Toowoomba.
Winter is farm field day season.
If you’ve never been to one, imagine a cross between an outdoor hardware store and supermarket; a place where you can buy a silo, a windmill and a million-dollar tractor — then watch a demonstration of the latest water pumps.
There’s also a lot of kids.
Ditching school for a day of tractor-tyre kicking is almost a rite of passage for country kids.
“It’s better than sitting at a school desk,” according to Maddie Austin, who is visiting exhibitor stalls with her sisters, filling sample bags along the way with free merchandise.
“We got a bag full of caps, beanies, and a stubby cooler – I’ll give that to mum,” she says.
Eighty-year-old Graeme Greenup has been coming to field days for years.
“Machinery is getting bigger and bigger, and more expensive of course,” he says.
“I saw the same tractor I started out with — an old TE Ferguson tractor — at a display. I couldn’t get over how small it was compared to the tractors available now.”
Mr Greenup says a visit to a field day is always inspiring.
“I just found a thing down there where you can put a thing on the back of the tray of the ute, and step up into it,” he says.
“So I’m off home to make one — I’ve got a lot of ideas out of visiting this place over the years.”
‘Meeting place’ of rural Australia
Farmfest organiser Kate Nugent says several schools have visited this year to take part in livestock competitions.
“And we’ve seen such growth in ag tech, we now have a dedicated tech pavilion,” she says.
“We know it’s still a challenging time on the land, and we know a field day is the meeting place of rural Australia.
“So we’ve got a number of non-profit organisations at the ready … Rural Aid, Salvation Army and mental health organisations are all at the ready for a chat and a cup of tea.”
Grain farmer Bill Allan reckons he has been to 30 farm field days over his career.
“It’s a bit of a ‘play section’ for farmers,” he laughs.
“I’m always interested to look at tractors … I’m probably not in the market for one at the moment, but I am here to get security cameras.”
The Farmfest visit is a family affair for Mr Allan, whose daughter Celeste Barnes and grandson Talon are with him.
“I’m here to soak up information,” Ms Barnes says.
“I’ve learned I need deep, long pockets.
“But we’ve been interested in buggies and side-by-sides, and cattle crushers and wands and scales.
“We do a lot of grain, so [we’re] looking at boom sprays and tractors for down the track. There’s heaps of things you need on a farm.”
Tractor sellers are now on their way to Emerald for the next Queensland field day, and then it’s onto the big one — Agquip in Gunnedah, NSW, in August, the largest field day in the country.
If you’re keen for a field day visit, and want to fit in fashion-wise, Ms Barnes says there is a “uniform” – and unlike the tractors, the clothes don’t change much from year to year.
“Jeans, a long-sleeved shirt, and a vest,” she says.
“And a hat.”
But if you leave your headwear in the car, chances are you’ll be able to grab a free one — or six — at the closest tractor stall.
They might even throw you a free stubby cooler.