Producers were out in force at Elders FarmFest this week, with 35,000 visitors coming through the gates throughout the three day event.
In a record showing, 750 primary exhibitors were on show at the event, but the Elders tent remained a favourite among both clients and visitors.
State Rural Products Manager Nathan Surawski said traffic through the tent was excellent, with plenty of interest in the latest innovations featured.
“In all, we are very pleased with the results, the crowds were steady across the three days,” Nathan said.
“Larger products like cattle crushes are always a big hit for visitors, and we also saw a lot of interest in some of the ag tech offerings we had onsite, such as Farmbot, Grassdale Fertilisers, Precision Ag and Sentek.”
Aside from the regular offering, the Elders team added a range of new activities for attendees this year, all of which proved to be popular.
An expert speaker series, ‘Farming Forward’, saw specialists across the spectrum of agriculture delve into the latest trends, technologies and best practices for producers. All three sessions, featuring Ian Loeskow from Sunfam, Elders’ own Todd Donaldson, and a ‘Pitch to Paddock’ ag tech competition, were very well attended, and left producers feeling inspired for the future of Australian agriculture.
Perhaps even more popular was a first-of-its-kind breakfast event on Wednesday, which Elders hosted in partnership with Humans of Agriculture. Oli Le Lievre facilitated a panel session with third generation farmer Mark Porter, fifth generation farmer Tom Coggan and Elders technical services manager Maree Crawford, and the Elders tent was absolutely packed for a morning of networking and interesting discussion among young farmers.
State General Manager Qld/NT, Lisa Hewitt, commented that the event was an outstanding opportunity for the next generation of producers to come together and share insights.
“This is the first time a social networking function of that type has been brought to FarmFest, and it was a really great event to connect our customer base, particularly in southern Queensland,” Lisa said.
“It was a packed house and it really brought together the next generation, talking about what's important for them in their businesses and what they're trying to do.”
State Rural Products Manager Nathan Surawski said he was proud to see the Elders team out in full force, with staff from across Queensland making the trip to be involved.
“The team has done another amazing job over the last three days, and it is a proud moment to watch staff interact, meet new people and learn about emerging products,” Nathan said.
“It has been great to see in particular our young people from Elders come from as far west as Roma and St George to as far east as Beaudesert. It is great to see them exposed to more experienced staff and connect with the whole range of suppliers we have on site, learning more about their products and the key selling points to then take back to their local regions to support their local communities.”
Lisa commented that Elders FarmFest is always a fantastic display of services and equipment available to the agriculture industry, and this year was no exception.
“Aside from giving us an opportunity to connect with our clients, Elders FarmFest allows us to showcase our products and the products of our suppliers for our customers in a one-stop shop,” Lisa said.
“They are able to fulfil all their needs with Elders; from fencing and larger infrastructure, through to ag chem and animal health.”
Elders looks forward to joining producers at next year’s FarmFest, which will be the 50th anniversary event