Large numbers attend

A record number of people attended the Henty Machinery Field Days in September with visitors braving the cold on the first day and the largest visitor numbers recorded on the last day. Organisers were required to cut fences to allocate additional car spacing and minimise traffic congestion.

A high level of interest across a range of subjects was received.  Producers were interested in information about supporting their existing staff , while others were considering the benefits of training new staff.

Large numbers of regional school students were well represented and they spent some time seeking information about the benefits of careers in the agricultural sector .

The NSW Famers Association provided exhibit space for a range of stakeholders, including Rural Skills Australia. This setup created through traffic and interest from general enquiries and members of NSW Farmers Association. A large number of visitors spent time in the pavilion enjoying lunch and meeting the newly-elected president of NSW Farmers Assocation, Fiona Simson, who spent Wednesday meeting visitors at the pavilion.

The chairman of the event, Ross Edwards, said that overall it had been one of the most successful field days ever with the largest number of sites and site holders and with the addition of new interest areas such as the Farm Gate Produce Market.

“Everyone appeared to be leaving with something – be it a bag of apples, a bottle of wine, a generator or even field bins ready for harvest,” Mr Edwards said.