August 11, 2016 at 12:52PM

With the world’s attention focused on the Olympic Games in Brazil, a decidedly different type of competition was held in a small corner of New England, as farmers took to the field for the second annual Farmer Olympics in Vershire, Vt. After taking part in warm-up events that included a hay bale toss, the crowd gathered for an opening ceremony where a quartet performed the Olympic theme song on kazoo. When the competition began, 60 farmers sprinted up a hill, empty bins and shovels in hand, for the manure relay. The event was sponsored by the Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont. In the end it was a team from Cedar Circle Farm in East Stepford who took the gold. Their team’s name? Soil’d. -- By Jessica Rinaldi

Niko Horster of Shire Beef holds the torch during the opening ceremony of the second annual Farmer Olympics held at Broad Acres Farm in Vershire, Vt., on Aug. 9. (Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff)


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