In the centre of Culcairn, the local bakery’s front door has become a revolving door of visitors as exhibitors make use of the early opening hours before a long day. 

Culcairn Bakery manager Jess Muller said for staff, the field days and the week leading up to them was their version of  ‘harvest season’.

She said the benefits of the event was felt throughout the region.

“It’s at least double a normal week for us,” she said.

“We’re quite busy every week but we say Henty Field Days is our harvest season, like farmers, it’s the biggest week of the year and we do really well off it.”

This year the bakery opened their doors at hour early, at 6am, to offer exhibitors travelling from Albury an early morning coffee fix.

“We’ve been so busy it’s hard to tell how many people have come in,” she said.

“I’d say more than 400 per day.

“For us it starts the week before field days, because that’s when workers and tradies set up at Henty, and then it continues through field days.” 

At Henty Field Days itself, many businesses said the exposure they get at the event means the benefits were felt for months.

Moses and Sons’ Simon Coddington, who was exhibiting their Peakhandler Air Rotate device said Henty Field Days was a great chance to show off new devices. 

“It’s great exposure – it’s where clients are,” he said.

“We get good sales on the day and then good exposure so you get a lot in coming months.”

Riverina Dairy’s sales manager Danny Stevens said the company wasn’t selling anything at field days, but was creating publicity for their brand.

“There’s lots of traction and brand awareness of the brand locally, lots of taste testing and give aways,” he said.

“For us it’s more about getting the name out and for people to realise we are local producers distributing locally to IGAs. 

“It’s a long-term strategy.”