Students and farmers filled the Campbell Town Showgrounds for day one of Australia's oldest continually running agricultural show.

Oatlands District High School teacher Janene Isles took her pupils to the event.

She said it was a good opportunity for pupils of the regional school to showcase their talents.

"It's really the Campbell Town-Oatlands show - Oatlands wouldn't be big enough to hold one of its own," she said.

Grade 6 pupil Jimmy Small and his grade 4 schoolmate Zack Page particularly enjoyed looking at the sheep on display in the show's sheep pavilion.

Jimmy said he often helped his father with shearing his fleecy friends.

"Dad has a go and let me have a go too," he said.

Sheep were the theme of farmer Wayne Walker's day, too. The Gretna man left Campbell Town with a shiny platter in recognition of his champion Polwarth fleece.

He said the trophy was the culmination of up to 20 years of work, including hours and hours spent combing and washing the fleece.

He said he had 140 of the animals on his farm.

"I've been around sheep since I was born," he said. "The price of wool is rising well ... it's gone up about 300¢ in the last two or three months, so we just hope it keeps rising up."

Campbell Town Show publicity officer Jo Dowling said sheep numbers were up by more than 100 head.

She said strong wool prices and the introduction of new competition classes had ensured their popularity, drawing entries from as far as South Australia and Victoria.

Ms Dowling said there was plenty on the program today. "There'll be the fashion parade, the Wolfe Brothers, a pet parade, whip cracking demonstration, the man cake competition always brings a smile, plenty of stuff for kids, free face painting, wood chopping and the junior sheep competition," she said.