More than 600 exhibitors will descend on Quercus Park in Carrick from 7 to 9 May for Agfest, one of the largest agricultural field days in the southern hemisphere. Rural Youth Tasmania is targeting 60,000 visitors across the three days, and this year’s event will feature the Australian Young Farmer Challenge and the Junior Farmer Challenge, alongside a significant reshuffling of exhibitor sites across the grounds.
Agfest is the financial backbone of Rural Youth Tasmania. The organisation receives no ongoing government support and depends entirely on the event’s proceeds to fund its operations and programs across the state. This year’s chair, carpenter Jesse Macdonald, is blunt about what that means.
Letter to the Editor
“That’s what actually makes Rural Youth what it is,” he says. “That’s how it survives.”
Macdonald, who recently turned 30 and is chairing Agfest for the first time after serving as vice-chair, is equally clear about what the event offers beyond the balance sheet. Working on Agfest builds leadership capacity, practical qualifications, and professional confidence in young people who might otherwise have limited access to that kind of training in regional Tasmania. The connections forged through the organisation tend to last long after formal membership ends.
“You can be in a pinch somewhere and you just call someone up and everyone’s there to help each other,” he says.
The event draws the wider community into its orbit too. Local groups contribute to patrols, rubbish collection, parcel assistance near the car parks, and post-event site cleanup each year. The economic ripple effects of the event provide a boost for the Meander Valley’s economy, from overnight stays to spending in local cafes and shops.
The North Coast Post: BSB 633 000 · Account number: 2366 8 9535
Quercus Park, at 415 Oaks Road, is owned by Rural Youth Tasmania and available for hire throughout the year for weddings, product launches, machinery training, and equestrian events. The property serves the region well beyond those three days in May.
For Agfest, the car parks open at 6:00am daily, with entry gates opening at 8:00am and the event closing at 4:00pm.
Online tickets are $31 for adults, $24 for seniors and age pension holders, $12 for children aged 5 to 17, and $77 for a family pass covering two adults and three children. Gate sales via eftpos are $36 for adults and $14 for children. Children under five are free but still require a ticket. Pets are not permitted except for trained service animals. Tickets and information at www.agfest.com.au.
