All roads lead to elders farmfest 2024 as the site prepares to welcome almost 750 primary exhibitors
Queensland’s largest agricultural field day and now one of Australia’s biggest, Elders FarmFest has long staged an event that serves as a one-stop-shop for farmers in terms of new products and industry advice, but which also caters to a range of interests when it comes to a great day out for everyone.
The diversity in people, businesses, products and services also makes it an invaluable opportunity for anyone interested in agribusiness and agriculture, says Lisa Hewitt, Elders’ state general manager QLD/NT.
“Elders FarmFest for us is really an ability to bring our farming communities together and have them experience what is innovation in agriculture currently,” Ms Hewitt said.
“I’d say to everyone, particularly the younger generation, events like this are critical for getting to know people in the industry. We’re such a diverse industry, we think it’s all very traditional, but there are so many people with so many different skill sets that sit along the value chain, and FarmFest is a great time to come along and meet them.”
Expanding its purpose-built site last year to more than 26ha to accommodate the growing demand for exhibitor places, in 2024 the site, just outside Toowoomba at Kingsthorpe, will also host the Clipex-sponsored livestock competition, which has continued to grow with the stud cattle judging and junior led-cattle competition, and the demonstration area that showcases dozens of new products across the three days.
The AgSmart Connect Pavilion is making its debut, a larger dedicated Agtech space reflecting technology’s growing influence over increased efficiencies and productivity within farm businesses and featuring a schedule of industry talks and panel discussions.
It will also host a ‘Pitch to Paddock’ competition, where Agtech start-ups will ‘pitch’ their innovations to a panel of judges, with one selected to win $10,000 worth of promotional opportunities.
Visitors can also take advantage of the Elders’ Farming Forward: Expert Speaker Series, which are on at 11am each day, where industry experts will share their insights, and the Elders FarmFest Breakfast Event on June 5, hosted by Oli Le Lievre from Humans of Agriculture and featuring a number of special guest speakers. Go to https://elders.com.au/elders-farmfest-2024/ to register for either event.
“In our 49th year, we couldn’t be more excited about how far this event has come, and what still lies ahead as we prepare for next year’s 50th anniversary. Some of our exhibitors and suppliers have connections to FarmFest going back to the beginning, so to be still attending after all that time shows the value they see in being in front of so many new potential customers over a busy three-day period,” said ACM Agri’s Sean McKeown.
Elders FarmFest 2024 runs from June 4-6, and organisers are urging those planning on attending to prepurchase tickets online to maximise their time at the event. Tickets are available at:
https://tickets.acmruralevents.com.au/events/40321/elders-farmfest-2024