The Freak’n Farmer contains challenges meant to mimic farm chores
By Diego Flammini
News Reporter
Farms.com
Between Tough Mudder, Spartan Race and Warrior Dash, there’s no shortage of local obstacle courses for people to challenge themselves on.
And now there’s an obstacle course that tries to implement the manual labour that can be found on some farms.
Covert Farms, a 650-acre produce farm and winery located in Oliver, British Columbia, hosts the Freak’n Farmer Obstacle Race.
The 20km course, which can be done as a 5km or 10km configuration, includes a total of 31 different obstacles, many with agricultural themes attached.
Some of the challenges include dirt shovelling, feeding pigs, turning over compost, pulling pallets and flipping tractor tires.
And they’re all designed to show participants the hard work farmers perform on a daily basis.
“It’s about getting people back into the dirt,” Shelly Covert told Penticton Western News. “And getting them close to the farm and seeing what we do here.”
Tackling the course makes some participants feel as if they’re competing on a popular game show.
“I would say the event is a cross between outdoor school and American Ninja Warrior,” food columnist Gail Johnson told CBC’s On the Coast on Sept. 25. “We were running through corn fields and vineyards.”
Johnson participated in the sixth Freak’n Farmer race on Sept. 24. And even with all of the mud surrounding her, she took a moment to appreciate the farmland around her.
“Remember, this is all taking place amid absolutely gorgeous surroundings,” she told On the Coast. “On a produce farm, you’ve got to stop and admire the edible bounty all around you.”