CLICK HERE FOR MORE PHOTOS FROM 2016 FARMER OLYMPICS
Farmers and spectators are invited for mid-season games in the fields of Cerridwen Farms at Green Mountain College
POULTNEY, VERMONT — Teams of farmers from all over Vermont will come together from 4:00 to 8:00 pm on Wednesday, August 2nd at Cerridwen Farms, on the Green Mountain College campus in Poultney, VT to compete in a wide range of events designed to challenge farmers’ field skills. The third annual Farmer Olympics, hosted by the Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont (NOFA Vermont), is a chance to take a mid-season break and enjoy some healthy competition with fellow farmers.
"The Farmer Olympics are a great opportunity for farmers and farmworkers to strut their stuff, and have a little competitive fun mid-season,” said Enid Wonnacott, NOFA-VT’s executive director. “Farm work requires a diversity of skills, and they will be comically showcased at the event.” Spectators are also welcome to come and enjoy the games, as well as delicious wood-fired pizza cooked in the NOFA-VT mobile oven.
For the third year, farmers will congregate to race each other in skill-testing events such as: Blind Seeding & Box Building Relay, Single Strand Fence Setting, Row Cover Race, and the classic Farmer Relay.
“We’ve been training for years and years,” said farmer Suzanne Long at least year’s games, “but we didn’t know what we were training for.”
Farmer-Olympians can register online at www.nofavt.org/events/farmer-olympics until July 31st. The registration rules dictate that teams must have 4-5 people to enter, and each team member must be a part of the farm crew or staff of an agricultural organization or business. Multiple farms may partner to create a joint team.
The 3rd annual NOFA Vermont Farmer Olympics will take place at Cerridwen Farms, located at 1 Brennan Circle, Poultney, Vermont on August 2nd. Teams are asked to arrive at 4:00 pm to check in and warm up. The competition events are from 4:30 to 6:30 pm, followed by pizza, the award ceremony, and other celebrating deemed appropriate at the time.
###
About NOFA Vermont: The Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont is member-based organization working to grow local farms, healthy food, and strong communities in Vermont. Our members are farmers, gardeners, educators and food lovers of all sorts – anyone who wants to help us create a future full of local food and local farms. Our programs include farmer and gardener technical assistance, farm to school support, organic certification, advocacy, an online apprentice and farm worker directory, an annual Winter Conference, and programs that work to ensure access to fresh, local food to all Vermonters, regardless of income.