"A lot of people still wanted to tie up the dogs, put the fencing gear away and come to have a day out with their mates."
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And so it was Henty Machinery Field Days chairman Nigel Scheetz described the heart and soul of an event, which this year drew about 55,000 visitors even as tough seasonal conditions continue to bite along the eastern seaboard of Australia.
Mr Scheetz issued a wide-sweeping message of support to farmers doing it tough across eastern Australia as he hosted a group from the drought-stricken Nyngan region at this year's field days.
Nigel Scheetz welcomed 33 farmers from the Southern Nyngan Agricultural Group over two days during the September 17-19 event.
"These people have had three years of back-to-back dry periods with no cropping, they are doing it quite tough and our hearts go out to them as well as those right through to the Queensland border," he said.
Mr Scheetz said inquiry was good for exhibitors at this year's field days and foot traffic was heavy Wednesday and Thursday with a lot of genuine smaller items sold.
Despite tough seasonal conditions along the eastern seaboard, visitors responded from every state in Australia, seeking out the hot-ticket items of hay, tillage, compact tractors and stock handling equipment.
With many regional cereal and oil seed crops due to be cut for hay, mowers, rakes and tedders were at the forefront of inquiry and sales.
The coveted Henty Machine of the Year Award was presented to Bruce and Heath Hutcheon, Coolamon Chaser Bins, Coolamon, for the Spreader Chaser.
In other awards, the CRF SUPA Bin 42000 from Clear Ridge Farbrication, West Wyalong, won the Greater Hume Council Award for the best new Australian designed and built agricultural machine.
Grainline at Wagga won Best Large General Outdoor Site and Rabobank won the Best Large Commercial Site.
Jindera's Jodie Takle, Jo & Co, won Best Indoor Country Lifestyle site while the Perry family won the Best Indoor Farm Gate site for White Owl/Valentine's Bakehouse/Olive Hills Estate.
Henty's largest exhibitor, Hutcheon and Pearce, had a big three days from toys through to large production agricultural machinery.
Managing director Arron Hutcheon said there was good inquiry for future seasons on the bigger tractors but added the "lifestyle segment for us is really growing year-on-year with the gators, lawn mowers and compact tractors".
"We had staff from the Albury, Wagga, Temora, Cowra, Griffith, Coleambally and Finley branches here at Henty on different days," he said.
"Where else can you go to catch up with a large percentage of your clientele in a social setting? - I've been coming to Henty for 30-plus years and still get excited every year."
