Apollo Bay Ag Show rebuilds

THE Apollo Bay Agricultural Show committee is recruiting new members and volunteers as it prepares to return after a four-year hiatus.

The Apollo Bay Show Committee held its Annual General Meeting last Tuesday, the gathering a culmination of its community callout for people to come together and resurrect the show that’s showcased the region’s food and fibre producers for over 60 years.

“With the last few years in particular being hard on people with the pandemic and resulting restrictions and lockdowns etc. we want to give everyone something to look forward to by putting on a banger of a show next year, but in order for that to happen we need people,” show president Mick Nyhof said.

An Angus cattle producer in Sugarloaf, it was via a similar callout for arms by show organisers five years ago that brought Mr Nyhof to the event.

“I was made treasurer and vice-president basically on the spot,” he laughed when talking about showing up to his first meeting.

“The call had gone out to the community that the show was at risk if more volunteers didn’t put their hand up…now I’m doing the same thing.”

He’s only partially joking, given agricultural shows around Australia were struggling prior to the pandemic, but COVID-19 knocked many off their feet.

Mick Nyhof sees it as an opportunity to do things differently in the future, catering to the growing number of people who’ve fled the city and are turning their hand to rural living and farming, as well a chance to develop a new and more sustainable funding model.

“Traditionally, organisers have gone cap in hand to businesses for sponsorship to help run the event, but after COVID that just didn’t feel right. We’ve been looking at other fundraising techniques.

“Like the Shelford duck race, or something similar on the Barham to raise funds during summer when people are here.”

Many of the roles on the show committee have also been made more flexible, allowing for multiple people to fill them, and both year 11 and 12 students looking to do some community work to help bolster their skills and resume are similarly encouraged to apply.

For more information about the show and how you can help out visit: www.facebook.com/apollobayshow