Henty Machinery Field Days preview: The biggest and best yet
A BULLISH livestock market and positive grower sentiment will combine with a full house of exhibitors at the 54th annual Henty Machinery Field Days.
A BULLISH livestock market and positive grower sentiment will combine with a full house of exhibitors at the 54th annual Henty Machinery Field Days.
The 105ha grounds are at capacity with the three-day event starting on Tuesday expected to draw a crowd of 60,000 keen to inspect almost $120 million worth of machinery and goods.
ALL ROADS LEAD TO HENTY
HENTY MACHINERY FIELD DAYS
DATES
Tuesday, September 19
Wednesday, September 20
Thursday, September 21
TIMES
8am–5pm
ADMISSION
Adults, $22; children 12-18, $5; children under 12, free.
VENUE
Henty Machinery Field Days Site
8km east of Henty, NSW
GETTING THERE
From Henty, drive 8km east on the Cookardinia Road
From Albury-Wodonga, drive 67km north on the Olympic Highway. From Wagga Wagga, drive 61km south on the Olympic Highway. From Melbourne, drive 392km north on Hume Freeway and Olympic Highway
CONTACTS
Ph: (02) 6929 3305 Fax: (02) 6929 3180
Email: admin@hmfd.com.au www.hmfd.com.au
Exhibitors will display products on more than 1200 sites in what is now one of the largest agricultural and open-air events in Australia.
Among the features will be the agronomy demonstration plots.
The Henty Machinery Field Days Co-operative has aligned with Rutherglen company Baker Seed Co to present the latest cereal varieties for field day patrons.
HMFD chief executive Belinda Anderson said this year’s field days were the largest on record in terms of exhibitor area, with 14km of shopfront.
“The interest in the field days from exhibitors and visitors continues to grow year-on-year, with the site being the biggest it has ever been in terms of physical area,” Mrs Anderson said.
Drawcards will be the daily demonstrations of the sheep and yard dog trials, 2017 Natural Fibre Fashion Awards, chainsaw carving, vintage farm machinery and the Farm Gate Produce Market Area with entertainment by Dreamfields creative mentoring program.
The Henty Machine of the Year Award will be judged on Monday and presented at the official opening on Tuesday.
Greater Hume Shire will sponsor the Best Australian Designed and Manufactured Machine to be presented on Thursday.
Farm inventors, backyard tinkerers and students will display their innovative ideas at the Agri-Innovators site at the 2017 Henty Machinery Field Days.
Marking a century of tractor production, New Holland will display the first autonomous tractor, able to be controlled from the computer desktop.
Tired legs and heavy shopping bags will be relieved with two free shuttle buses, stopping at eight designated points around the site.
Last year Country Lifestyle celebrated the unveiling of an all-weather site, comprising a 120m-long shed with a sealed floor, accommodating more than 100 exhibitors.
There will be fashion parades featuring garments from exhibitors daily at 11am and 2.30pm.
Designers with a flair for converting natural fibres into wearable art will compete for almost $6000 worth of prizes.
The Henty Natural Fibre Fashion Awards showcase designs using at least 70 per cent natural fibres with the winners announced about 1pm on Thursday.
Special guest at the Farm Gate Market will be TV celebrity chef James Reeson who will record his Alive and Cooking show on Wednesday, showcasing regional produce in the recipes.
Also performing on the sound stage is a strong line-up of talented young performers from the Dreamfields Creative Youth Mentor program, including UK guest artists Lauren Diffey and Oli Crawford Craig.
Fresh from touring the eastern seaboard, 2017 Toyota Star Maker winner Rachael Fahim will headline on the Farm Gate stage on the Wednesday.
Farmers and truck drivers feature in the cheeky fundraising Burrumbuttock Hay Runners 2017 calendar, which will be launched by Brendan Farrell at The Stump on the Thursday.
Children’s character George the Farmer will entertain the youngest generation across the field days at the Hutcheon & Pearce site.
Competition is expected to be intense as the nation’s best sheep dogs and their handlers gather for the Exelpet Sheep and Yard Dog Trials.
An entertaining and educational display of natural horsemanship will be staged by stockman and showman Tim O’Brien, of the Boggy Creek Show, during the lunch break in the dog trials arena.
One of the few full-time professional chainsaw sculptors in Australia, Angie Polglaze, will showcase this art form each day during the morning and afternoon sessions near The Stump.
Visitors will be able to take 10-minute helicopter flights over the field day site and countryside with Wagga Air Centre pilot Chris Cabot.
Always drawing a large crowd, the display by the Henty and District Antique Farm Machinery Club members this year will focus on Massey-Harris, Ferguson, Massey Ferguson and Sunshine equipment.
Each visitor through the gate will be eligible for the gate prize of a $1000 fuel voucher.
The winner will receive a voucher redeemable at Caltex Service Stations Australia-wide for $1000 worth of fuel (unleaded or diesel). Simply clip out the coupon in the official HMFD program and drop it in the barrel at site 727 in P block or 6th Farm Avenue.
There will be an ATM on-site courtesy of the ANZ Bank on site 567.
Kioti gaining traction
Visitors to the recent AgQuip, Henty and Elmore field days had the opportunity of a first-up look at the latest offering from Kioti Tractors – the company’s new 115hp cab model.
Harrow arrives Down Under
Made in Brazil, the new Tatu Marcheson GAPCR HD 8013 offset disc harrow is distributed in Australia by Serafin Machinery, of Griffith, as a preferred supplier.