DROUGHT conditions did little to deter spirits at the 2018 Henty Machinery Field Days (HMFD) with organisers confirming 57,000 people attended.
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The three-day event had a big focus on health and wellness with exhibitors asking patrons the difficult questions.
In all the field days spanned 105 hectares and featured 849 exhibitors.
In fact, to walk the site would have encompassed a journey of around 14 kilometres.
In support of drought-affected farmers, Grainline, Wagga, auctioned a grain auger for $22,209 to raise funds for the Rapid Relief Team, Pioneer Water Tanks auctioned a tank for $7000 to donate to the Burrumbuttock Hay Runners and a quilt sold for $1500 with the proceeds going to CWA of NSW for Disaster Relief.
HMFD chief executive officer Belinda Anderson said exhibitor numbers were almost on par with last year. “The catering sheds did really well – one exhibitor selling donuts used 50kg of donut flour on the first day on a single stall,’’ she said.
Henty’s largest exhibitor, Hutcheon & Pearce, won the award for the Best Large Outdoor Site and reported record merchandise sales across the three days.
Sales operations manager Andrew Watt said there was plenty of interest.