The Henty Machinery Field Days, in September, is set to attract 60,000 people over three days.

According to the event’s chairman Ross Edwards, it is one of the most important fund-raising opportunities for schools, sporting groups and community organisations in the region.

Mr Edwards also welcomed the recently-announced state and federal government drought assistance packages saying the timing was good.

“The drought assistance is going to help, (especially) those people who were in dire straits and had been in drought for four or five years,” he said. 

“...I hope those people who receive it get some benefit, it is a step in the right direction,” Mr Edwards said. 

In the past week many landholders in the eastern Riverina have received 10mm of rain or more. “Crops around here are looking good,” he said. 

However, Mr Edwards did concede there were plenty of locations that were struggling too.

He said the field days offered an ideal annual pilgrimage for people to get off the farm and catch up with each other, visit their suppliers and have a good day.  Mr Edwards said there would be celebrations to mark the 100^th year of John Deere in Australia.

“It will be an attraction for all of those people with green blood running through their veins,” he laughed. “And there is a steel post straightener coming along, that is something I will be interested in seeing,” he said.  Mr Edwards said he was also looking forward to catching up with the volunteers who help to make the event a success.

“We have schools, football clubs, and church groups all working here, they park cars, cook steak and make sandwiches and all of that money generated goes back into the surrounding communities.”