Your kids don’t need a farm to work in ag, and FarmFest proves it
More than 30,000 people – including hundreds of school children – have converged in Toowoomba this week as the farm field day season kicks off.
It is officially FarmFest season in Queensland.
If you’ve never been, the outdoor field day is like a supermarket for farmers – a place where you can buy a silo, tractor or watch a demonstration on the latest AgTech.
And increasingly, they are becoming a rite of passage for Queensland kids considering a career on the land.
Hundreds of students from more than 30 schools are expected to attend this year’s Elders FarmFest Toowoomba, held in Kingsthorpe Park, organiser Craig Chapman says.
“We cater for primary school and younger kids, right up to school leavers,” Chapman told InDaily.
“We have everything from our AgKids’ trail – where children walk around the site – up to career panel discussions.
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“It’s all about getting kids interested in agriculture, which I think is fantastic.”
That’s why for the first time in 2026, the event has partnered with the University of New England (UNE) to highlight the slew of careers available across the agricultural sector.
Visitors to this year’s event will have the opportunity to meet UNE experts and academics, explore study options and discover career opportunities they may not have previously considered, Chapman says.
“You don’t have to come from a rural background or a farming family to get involved in agriculture,” Chapman says.
“You don’t even need to want to be a producer or grower. You could be a lawyer, or a technician.
“The diversity of careers available in the sector is endless.”
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UNE director of marketing Michaela Lobb agrees.
“We have everything here to help young people discover the beauty and the science of ag – from agronomy right up to medicine and nursing,” she said.
“It’s a whole community focus.”
Along with the study options, there would be serious machinery and technology from about 750 exhibitors on display at the 26 hectare site.
With winter being farm field day season, exhibitors will move throughout the state before travelling to the big one – Agquip in Gunnedah, NSW, in August, which is the largest field day in the country.
But back in Toowoomba, the event has been running for 51 years.
Elders managing director and chief executive Mark Allison says it’s a “true highlight on the agricultural calendar”.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity to catch up … and explore the innovations and advances across our sector,” he says.
FarmFest is on now and will finish tomorrow.
Organisers expect more than 30,000 people to attend this year’s event.
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