Representatives from Henty Machinery Field Days (HMFD) recently returned from the conference for the Association of Agricultural Field Days of Australasia (AAFDA) in New Zealand. Knowledge shared by the 19 field days involved at the conference is invaluable. AAFDA also provides HMFD with many important contacts throughout Australia and New Zealand.
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The involvement with AAFDA highlights how much HMFD has grown since its humble beginnings. What began in 1963 as a header school for local farmers at the Henty Showground is now an event that contributes $91.6 million dollars to the national economy and sustains 986 full time equivalent jobs annually. Local government areas within a 60-minute drive of HMFD benefit from $30 million in economic value add and 321 equivalent full time jobs sustained annually.
The field days opens it gates to the public for three days in September however the event doesn’t happen overnight. Planning for each field day begins anywhere up to 18 months prior. HMFD has one full-time and nine part-time staff for the duration of the year and is boosted by another 50 or so casuals for the weeks around the event. The preparations for the next field days are well under way before the closure of the current one.
Due to the foresight of founding members and Directors HMFD is now recognised as a superior agricultural event which attracts exhibitors and the public from all over Australia and internationally. 2018 dates are September 18 to 20.
