FARM SKILLS

Sponsored by FBD

Purpose

• To help young farmers develop the skills required in modern farming.
• To create greater awareness of farm safety.

Team Size

Teams must consist of three members from the same club.

Entries

Counties/regions can enter one club to the national rounds.

Eligibility

• All team members must be 17 years of age or over and under 35 years on September 1st, 2020.
• All members of a county winning/representative team can enter the following year’s competition.
• National winners are ineligible to compete for two years. A maximum of one previous national winner can be on a team at any one time.

Format

At inter-club rounds of the competition, counties will decide themselves what skills will apply.  At inter-county rounds the following will apply:

• Tractor Teamwork (Task 1)
• Farming knowledge – written team quiz (Task 2)
• Stock-Proof Fence (Task 3)

Safety competition – A safety competition will be incorporated into all of the above tasks, and a special award will be given to the team that scores the highest safety marks in the national final.

Task 1: Tractor Teamwork

Team member A using tractor 2 takes two round bales from X and places them at Y on two pallets using a bale handler on the rear.

Team member B using tractor 1 reverses the roller through the course to X and unhooks it from the tractor. Team member B then takes one pallet and bale from Y and places it on a raised platform at Z.

Team member B then places the tractor in the parked position and team member C places the remaining bale and pallet on the remaining platform. Member C then places the tractor in the parked position. Meanwhile, team member A has removed the bale handler and attached tractor 2 to the roller. Member A then drives through the course and places the tractor in the parked position. Team member A with tractor 1 then removes both pallets and bales from Z to Y. The bales are then removed from the pallets manually. During this time, team member C has reversed the roller through the course to X where it is unhooked and the bale handler put back on to tractor 2. The team then returns all bales to their original position at X. Team member B, using tractor 1, finally hooks to the roller and all tractors and machines are returned to their original positions.

Time Bonus: Teams will be given 120 marks at the beginning of Task 1 and will lose three marks per half minute used or part thereof.

Task 2 – Farming Knowledge - Written Team Quiz

Competitors will be required to answer 30 questions. Each team will sit together and answer on one answer sheet.

This will happen for all National Rounds.

Questions will be evenly divided among the following subjects:  farm management; farm safety; crop management; machinery management; animal husbandry; and general farm issues.

Teams will have 30 minutes to complete this task.

Task 3 – Stock-proof Fence

Teams are required to manually erect an approximately 10m-long, L-shaped, stock-proof fence using machined 4’’ posts, with which will be driven manually by the teams as part of the task. Each end will have an H-Frame and the corner post will have a double H-frame. The stock-proof fence will consist of two strands of high-tensile wire. Teams must form a 90o angle between the two end posts using the third turner post.

Teams must use the gripple method to tension the wire midways between post A and post B. Each strand of wire must be cut and joined using only the wire itself and using a knot suitable for purpose, e.g. a reef or figure of 8 knot, midway between post B and post C. Teams must use two insulating eggs at post C and may decide what insulating method they use at post A. Teams must use an insulator around post B to make the corner. Teams have 60 minutes to complete the task.

Time Bonus: Teams will have 60 minutes to complete the fence task with a 10-mark time bonus available. The marks will be awarded as follows:

No marks will be lost for the first 50 minutes.

From 50 minutes to 60 minutes, teams will lose one mark per minute or part thereof.

The stopwatch will be started at the beginning of the task.

Chainsaws and Power Tools:

No chainsaws or angle grinders will be allowed at any stage of the competition. Safety must be adhered to when using other power tools and the appropriate safety gear used with them.

Judges

The judges will judge the competition in communication with each other and their decision is final.

Result

Final overall placings will be decided on the aggregate placing system. If teams finish level on aggregate placing, the team that finishes highest in the safety competition will be deemed the winner. If teams are still level at this stage then the team with the highest mark in the academic test will be deemed the winner.

 

Marking System

Task 1: Tractor teamwork:

Loading and Unloading .............. ……30 up/30 down

Safety ........................................ ……40

Driving and Reversing       ........... ……40

Teamwork .................................. ……40

Attaching and Removing Implements…20

Task 2: Farming Knowledge – written team quiz

Academic Test ............................ ……30

Task 3: Stock-proof fence

Finish, appearance, effectiveness.....................35

90o Angle..........................................................10

H-Frames..........................................................30

Efficiency and teamwork...................................20

Safety................................................................20

Wire height and spacing...................................10

Wire tension......................................................15

Joining wire.......................................................20

Closing Date

The closing date for entries to National Office is Wednesday, June 16^th, 2021.