Many people know it for its jingle, others for the sheer size of the event and others for a good day out with friends but the Henty Machinery Field Days is also a massive money maker.
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In total, the event is worth $92 million with $30 million brought in locally and a further $62 million nationally.
Locally, that amount equates to 32 equivalent full time jobs.
Organisers of the field days want to capitalise on the money making abilities and provide more for the community by hosting other events at the venue.
“We believe we can find other uses for the site throughout the year,” Chairman Ross Edwards said.
“We don’t want to host anything that will take away from the field days, we want to build on it.”
Mr Ross believes the location of the site will attract events with easy drives from Albury, Canberra and even Melbourne. There have also been many improvements around the site recently, including more showers toilets and some of the roads starting to be sealed.
Currently the field days employs nine part time employees and supports hundreds of local organisations and clubs.
“Spend one week here and put your heart and soul into it and you don’t need to run small fundraiser throughout the year,” Mr Ross said.
For the last four years Mr Ross has been been chairman but his first experience at the field days was in 1966 parking cars with rural youth.
Youth still have a strong presence at the field days with a young group currently learning the ropes.
“We have a young group coming through who are keen and enthusiastic,” Mr Ross said.
It isn’t just the organisers and volunteers who come back each year, exhibitors have an 80 percent return rate to Australia’s single biggest agricultural and open-air event.
Mr Ross said this year should be a win for the exhibitors with farmers expecting to spend up big at this years event.
“It’s not only the good weather but also the confidence in the season,” Mr Ross said.
