Bumper Henty Field Days looming

Despite tough seasonal conditions, the Henty Machinery Field Days is at capacity this year, boasting its largest on record in terms of exhibitor area with 14km of shopfront.

“The interest in the field days from exhibitors and visitors alike continues to grow year-on-year with the site being the biggest it’s ever been in terms of physical area,” said HMFD Chief executive officer, Belinda Anderson.

The 105ha grounds will house more than 800 local and international businesses which will be displaying almost $120 million worth of machinery and goods on site, as well as a range of services.

Anderson said organisers anticipate strong patronage from the regional community wanting to show their support for the agricultural sector in a time of need.

“From all reports, the crowds and exhibitors turned out to support the AgQuip field days at Gunnedah despite serious drought conditions in that part of the state."

She said recent rain meant cropping conditions remained favourable within a 150km radius of Albury-Wodonga.

“Many of our visitors come from within a three hour radius of Henty and there is no doubt the majority of these areas are doing it tough.

“Even if by attending Henty, it simply gives people a day out and a little relief from the monotony of drought, then we have done our job.”

Anderson encouraged landholders to check out drought assistance services available at the Local Land Services, NSW Department of Primary Industries and Rural Financial Counselling Service sites at Henty.

“The mood among our exhibitors remains positive and we are aiming to continue what we have done for the last 54 years, and that is provide an agribusiness supermarket of the latest and greatest developments in agriculture.”

Drawcards at the 2018 event will be the daily sheep and yard dog trials, machinery and site awards, Baker Seed Co agronomy demonstration site, 2018 Natural Fibre Fashion Awards, vintage farm machinery, reptile show and the Farm Gate Produce Market Area with entertainment by Dreamfields creative youth mentoring program.

The field days will be officially opened on Tuesday, September 18 at 11am by Australian Competition and Consumer Commission deputy chairman, Mick Keogh.

The opening will include the presentation of the prestigious Henty Machine of the Year Award while the Best Australian Designed and Manufactured Machine will be presented on Thursday, September 20.

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Farm inventors, backyard tinkerers and students will display their innovative ideas at the Agri-Innovators site at the 2018 Henty Machinery Field Days, with the winner being announced on the Wednesday.

A new addition this year is the HMFD Exhibitor Awards which will be presented on Wednesday, September 20, to the winners of the Best Outdoor Large Commercial, Best Outdoor General and Best Indoor Exhibitor sites.

Marking a century of tractor production by John Deere, Hutcheon and Pearce is set to celebrate in style with an outdoor site covering 180m, performances by popular children’s character George the Farmer, cake cutting and prize giveaways.

There will be outdoor and indoor displays of restored and classic John Deere tractors, from a rare 1918 Waterloo Boy owned by Ballarat farmer John Kirkpatrick, up to a 1800hp John Deere “smoker” owned by Allan Arthur from Albury.

There will be a machinery demonstration area adjacent to the agronomy plots with machines operating every 30 minutes, including Brookfield’s Super Drill seeder, JCB’s zero swing-tail excavator, a New Holland T7.315 tractor and John Deere’s R4045 self-propelled sprayer.

Visitors will also be able to take 10-minute helicopter joy flights over the field day site and surrounding countryside.

Always drawing a large crowd, the display by the Henty and District Antique Farm Machinery Club members this year will focus on the theme of 100 years of John Deere tractor manufacture with an outdoor and indoor site.

Dates: September 18-20, 2018

Admission: Adult Ticket (aged 16 and over) -$22, children (aged 12-16) - $5

Opening times: 8am to 5pm everyday