GOVERNOR General, Quentin Bryce, took the chance to escape the political whirl when she visited the Henty Machinery Field Days (HMFD) in southern NSW on Tuesday.
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The uncertainty and confusion of the federal election behind her, the Queen’s representative received an unquivocal message at Henty – the season is spectacular and farmers look set to be the winners.
Officially opening the field days, Her Excellency praised farmers and visitors for their work ethic and optimism before touring the site, checking out everything from canola trials and working dogs to headers and meeting plenty of farmers along the way.
An expected 60,000 visitors will have passed through the gates by close this afternoon, casting their eyes over more than $300 million worth of gear from more than 800 exhibitors.
Major highlights were the tight contest in The Land and NSW Farmers Association Farm Inventor of the Year competition where Victorian farmer, Brian Moloney, Yarrawonga, took the title for the best creation in the Over $1000 category for his Sludge Pump.
Mr Moloney’s pump, which enables sludge and slurry to be pumped smoothly, edged into second place an A1 Sheep Tipper entered by Barry Bennett, Barooga.
In the Under $1000 category, Griffith farmers, Greg McCarten and Leon Boneham, took first place with their Auger Eye – a device which indicates when a silo is full by setting off a siren.
The Henty Machine of the Year award went to a Fliegl Push-Off Trailer exhibited by Warren Grose, Giltrap Ag Equipment, Melbourne.
The trailer, used predominately for compacting silage, took the gong ahead of the Colossus metal recycler that was highly commended.
HMFD chief executive, Doug Meyer, said the field days were about giving visitors the chance to see technology making the future of farming attractive.
