Liam Barry

Named the Fleurieu Agriculture Fest, the inaugural one-day event in Yankalilla will highlight career options, as well as the latest trends in related industries, making it a great event for both younger generations and those already in the field.

Organisers of the Agriculture Festival are calling for primary producers, students, parents, teachers, and those already working in the industry to come along.

Amy Williams, an organiser for the event, has explained why it’s taking place:

“The event is designed to showcase the diversity and abundance of ag career and related pathways, including conservation and ecosystem management”, she said.

“It provides a networking opportunity for those already in the industry, as well as students and various other stakeholders, including  local community members”, she added.

With reports showing Australia’s loss of almost 50% of farmers in the last 40 years, events like these play an important role in the future of the nation’s farming industries.

Williams believes there is a strong need for local agricultural businesses to recruit those who are enthused about the industry.

“Our local businesses need to be able to recruit enthusiastic staff and there are also business opportunities, The better trained, better informed and better connected we are, the more successful and resilient our communities and economy should be.”, Williams stated.

She went on to say, “It’s critical that we communicate effectively the plethora of opportunities out there in agriculture and other primary production, ag services and supplies, and conservation and ecosystem management.”

Gum Park Beef, a local producer based in Mount Jagged, will be one of the companies presenting at the event.

They will be focused on communicating their messages to both younger generations and those who are already in the field, looking to “hopefully inspire others to think outside the box.”

Owners of the business, Trevor and Janelle Paech, believe it is important for the future of the industry to attract new faces.

Trevor and Janelle Paech stated, “While we are all living, breathing and eating, we strongly believe it is very important for the next generation to be not only interested in farming and related industries but also a part of them and engaged with them,”

‘“As the average age of a farmer on the Fleurieu is 65, we definitely need fresh faces and youthful enthusiasm.

“The difficulty lies in putting these people on farms, ideally, new farmers would be mentored by older farmers to transfer the huge amount of knowledge and experience they have”, the pair went on to say.

They also believe there is a social disconnect between the farmer who grows our food, and their buyers, stating a decline in farming communities as farms grow in size:

“Socially, the farmers don’t have a connection with where their food is going and end up being undervalued. This has a mental health impact on farmers. As farm sizes have got bigger, farming communities and the social networks that once existed have got smaller.”

Topics aimed towards attendees already working in the industry will be focussed on the practicalities of carbon farming, regenerative farming, animal and vet science, climate projections, heavy vehicle regulations, as well as the benefits of involving students in farming businesses.

While there is a lot of valuable information for those already in the field, it will not be hard for students to also take information away from the event, helping to gain ideas for school projects, inspiration for careers, as well as work experience and school subject choices.

The inaugural Fleurieu Agriculture Fest will be held on Monday 20 March at the Yankalilla Showgrounds, with gates opening at 9:30 am.

Those interested are encouraged to register for free at https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing?eid=1013174&.