From the fastest time to roll a swag, to classing wool, to sculling 500ml of milk, South Australia has won the 2025 National Young Farmers Challenge at the Royal Adelaide Show over the weekend, with a team comprised entirely of members from the Eudunda Show, beating other states for the top prize.
Among the greater Barossa region's many achievements to come out of the past week's Royal Adelaide Show, team members Kahlia Jenke and Samuel Doering told The Leader on Monday that they were certainly put to the test against strong competitors from other states.
"Once we had the briefing, (we had) a discussion around whose strengths are what out of the challenges, and we worked together as a team to focus on those strengths, and also be able to support…where the weaknesses were for each person," Kahlia said. "Which paid off!"
While the final moments of the competition came down to a nail-biting finish, with some five seconds separating them and runner-up Queensland, the SA team ultimately pulled through to take home the crown.
When asked what makes South Australia produce a champion farming team, Sam said: "We are resilient."
"We've got a whole variety of environments here, everything from growing fruit, growing stone fruit in orchards to growing vines to pastoral country to cropping, we've got such a variety of skill bases there," Sam said.
"I mean this is in the region, but also beyond the regions too, and because we've got that skill base and the networks that go along with that too, we have a bit of a broad understanding of these skills so we're able to put them to play here for the Young Farmers' Challenge."
The whole team was grateful to the volunteers that kept the event running behind the scenes, and to the other states for making the journey to Adelaide to take part.
