It’s Henty Machinery Field Days time again and this year there’s plenty of new exhibits on offer to keep patrons returning including a bumper 47 varieties of cereals and new pasture varieties planted at the demonstration plots. Pictured are Aaron Giason from Baker Seed Co and his son Teddy. Photo: HMFD.
The countdown is on until the Henty Machinery Field Days (HMFD) on 17 – 19 September.
The spectacularly successful event is in its 61st year and just when you think it can’t get any better, it does!
There are plenty of new exhibits on offer and this year will see a more celebrity style official opening with Channel 7 weather presenter Jane Bunn conducting the special honours.
HMFD CEO Belinda Anderson said the event was regarded as southern Australia’s single biggest agricultural event and attracted nearly 60,000 visitors.
“A recent survey found that 45 per cent of visitors travelled more than 100 km to attend the event.
“Each year we consistently attract 22 per cent of new visitors which is great, and we also found that 78 per cent of visitors have been before, and at an average of nine times, so once we get you, you are hooked!” she laughed.
“Henty has an established foothold on the agricultural calendar and receives strong support from businesses and visitors each year, however we do not rest on our laurels and aim to remain relevant and continually evolving.”
This year visitors can experience more than 14 km of shop front which incorporates around 830 sites over 105 hectares.
The event was one of 22 groups around the nation to receive funding under round two of the AgriFutures Agritech event sponsorship program and it has created an innovative new event called Agtech Alley.
Agtech Alley will house more than 20 leading suppliers of agricultural technology and connectivity solutions and will deliver practical advice to producers and industry organisations through hourly showcases, panel discussions and live demonstrations.
Visitors will get a hands-on experience with the AKRON Australia DJI T50 in the drone demonstration cage. Photo: HMFD.
Visitors will be able to learn about cutting-edge innovation and how they can apply the latest technology on-farm, be it remote sensors, connectivity, or post-harvest solutions to streamline business operations.
In another national first, punters will have the opportunity to interact with the latest agricultural drones in Australia’s first drone demonstration cage.
AKRON Australia general manager Jimmy O’Neill said the drone demonstration cages were popular throughout South America, giving people an interactive experience with a drone in a safe, accredited environment.
Based at Gerogery, AKRON Australia specialises in high quality DJI branded drones specifically designed for spraying and spreading in the agricultural sector.
“By harnessing the power of drones, farmers can improve crop management, reduce resource waste and optimise agricultural processes. We see a world where precision agriculture is the norm and drones are an indispensable part of the farming landscape,” Mr O’Neill said.
The fully accredited drone demonstration cage will be located inside the western entrance.
Whether you are a student, teacher, community member, or just a curious mind, the Questacon Science Circus offers memorable experiences to ignite curiosity and inspire minds of all ages. Photo: HMFD.
For the kids, this year will be the first time Questacon’s travelling science circus will be performing and providing an opportunity to get hands-on and explore science for themselves. The daily 15-minute shows will be held on the hour from 10 am to 2 pm opposite site 350.
Isuzu’s Iron Summit will return for its second appearance after its debut last year. It proved a hit with 4WD enthusiasts keen to get a taste of the vehicle’s capabilities in a free demonstration which emulated something similar to conquering a mountain summit. This is the world’s steepest mobile 4WD ramp and climbs six metres into the air at a daring 45-degree incline before tackling the descent back down.
The Iron Summit presents the opportunity to get inside the vehicle and experience it in a way that’s not possible in a showroom or regular test drive, and to witness firsthand why Isuzu UTE’s technology makes it a leader in the off-road 4×4 market.
The Farm Gate Pavillion goes from strength to strength and there’s plans afoot for 2025 to see the area expanded and enhanced as it is rapidly outgrowing its current site.
This year new exhibitors include Jugiong’s Long Track Pantry, Truffleculture, Dinah Vineyard, the Kiwi Artisan Co, Corowa Whisky and Chocolate and Wiradjuri woman and naturopath Felicity Kerslake.
Proud Wiradjuri woman and naturopath Felicity Kerslake will speak on bush foods and traditional medicine. Photo: HMFD.
Felicity will be a guest presenter demonstrating how to create great health and wellbeing from the ground up using bush foods and medicinal plants.
“People gain health from and connect over food. Many people have yet to experience the flavours and benefits of bush foods they most likely walk past each day or can be grown in your yard,” Felicity said.
Felicity holds professional membership with the Australian Traditional Medicines Society, has featured on SBS radio, lectured and written in textbooks for universities, and is on the Indigenous Plants for Health Association committee.
She will speak at 11 am each day.
In the Country Lifestyle Pavillion there will be around 100 exhibitors and a full stage program over the three days.
If you miss weather presenter Jane Bunn at the official opening on Tuesday, 17 September you’ll have the chance to see her again in Ag Tech Alley at 1:30 pm and then the Country Lifestyle Pavillion at 2 pm.
Over in the demonstration plots, grain growers will be able to inspect 47 cereals and new pasture varieties.
The Henty co-operative partnered with Rutherglen company Baker Seed Co to present the latest dual-purpose and milling varieties for field day patrons.
Baker Seed Co business development manager Aaron Giason said this year’s demonstration site would feature 32 wheats, 11 barleys and four oats – all current and new (pending release) varieties.
He said the display of 47 varieties was a big increase on last year’s 38 and one of the largest displays to date.
“The site has a great combination of numbered lines (brand new varieties destined for the market in 2025), recently released varieties and the tried and tested ones,” Mr Giason said.
“The site includes demo strips of ryegrass, perennial grasses, clovers, herbs, vetch and Baker Seed Co Pasture and Forage mixes. These were sown with an old Connor Shea disc seeder and the Henty Machinery Field Days Massey Ferguson as a nod to Henty’s 60-year history.”
For information you can go to Henty Machinery Field Days (hmfd.com.au) or follow its Facebook page.
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