What to expect at Farm World 2021 ag field days

Machinery will be demonstrated live at the soon to-start first major ag event in Victoria since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

Farm World at Lardner Park in 2016. A large turnout of machinery dealers is expected this year.

VICTORIA’S agriculture field days are well and truly back, with Farm World at Lardner Park opening its gates next week as the first major ag event to be held since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

And, with a renewed focus on agriculture machinery and demonstrations, it really will be an event not to miss for primary producers.

Running Friday, March 26 to Sunday, March 28, Farm World has made a few important changes to meet COVID-safe regulations.

Most importantly, tickets must be bought in advance online.

The well-known field days will also run for just three days, instead of the traditional four.

The machinery displays, networking events and extensive exhibitors that people have come to expect at Farm World will definitely still be on offer for all to enjoy, plus a return of live demonstrations of the latest gear.

Lardner Park chief executive Craig Debnam said staff had worked hard to deliver a COVID-safe event to support the local community and agriculture sector.

“It will be fantastic to see not only exhibitors again, but patrons and visitors including school groups who come to Farm World to learn about our primary production sector and the important role it plays in our state,” he said.

All tickets must be bought online before visitors turn up to the gate, to make contact tracing possible.

Mr Debnam said people would not be admitted to the grounds without a pre-purchased ticket.

“We need it for contact details so we urge people to please adapt and please change with us,” he said.

“We have a robust COVID plan and keeping the community safe is at the forefront of everything we do.”

Every exhibitor also will have COVID plans for their sites, with equipment and displays regularly disinfected. The carpark shuttle bus will also be cleaned after every run.

The new three-day program includes a “twilight trade” day on Saturday, when Farm World will stay open until 7pm.

Mr Debnam said the move to a three-day program was driven by feedback from exhibitors, who were surveyed to determine how Farm World should be staged.

“COVID gave us a chance to stop, breathe and listen to our customers,” he said. “We didn’t want Farm World to become a big market and lose its heart and soul.”

Feedback also inspired the major effort to return the event to its roots, with a core offering of live machinery demonstrations so farmers and visitors could see the latest equipment put through its paces in an arena.

This year’s theme, “Return to Heritage”, puts agricultural machinery and tools in the spotlight.

“It was up to us to create a theme and vision that revisited the traditional values of Farm World,” Mr Debnam said. “Part of that was putting farmers and exhibitors onsite – it has to be about demonstrations, seeing the latest tractor technology, efficiencies and productivity.”

Mr Debnam said it was about making it easier for patrons to look at products, compare prices and make decisions.

In addition to demonstrations, farmers can show off their own skills in a new tractor and trailer backing competition and obstacle course on Friday.

Cattle breeders can be found in a new pavilion this year, surrounded by a livestock hub featuring yards, fencing and all livestock equipment.

Sheep shearing demonstrations and alpacas will feature daily in the Lakeside Pavilion, while Kelpies will be on show in a working-dogs display.

The Telstra Women in Agriculture lunch will take place on Friday, and cooking demonstrations will be held in the Events Centre on Saturday and Sunday.