WHEN Henty Machinery Field Days chairman Ross Edwards spoke at the event this year he didn’t dwell on the drought.
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Mr Edwards spoke of the high prime lamb prices and the fact these returns were now flowing into the stud stock industry too.
He also paid kudos to the countless people who represent their community groups in making sure vital parts of the field days such as parking the cars or catering runs smoothly.
Henty was also a platform to shine a spotlight on John Deere machinery to coincide with 100 years of selling this brand. And for Lyn Jacobsen of Pleasant Hills it provided an opportunity to give back to the community. Mrs Jacobsen instigated one of the highlights of the event, the auction of a beautifully-made John Deere quilt.
The quilt, sold by Elders auctioneer Matt Tinkler, raised $1500 which was donated for drought assistance.
Meanwhile, the popular crop variety trials at Henty were showing the effects of the dry season.
Aaron Giason of Baker Seeds in Rutherglen runs the trial plots at Henty and said the dry weather across NSW was certainly taking hold. For those driving to the field days the amount of canola being cut for hay appeared to increase each day.
Mr Giason said seeing crops cut for hay and in windrows on the ground was not all bad. He said the high hay prices which were being driven by livestock producers in drought areas actually meant many of these crops, which were frosted earlier on, had value.
With hay prices of more than $300 a tonne he said cutting winter crops meant they still had a value.
The Machine of the Year Award was won by an entry from South Australian company Schinckel Hayrakes.
Judge Andrew Alexander of Lockhart said the award was open to all machines on site that had been released into the Australian market in the year before the field days.
“It is designed for simplicity, ease of operation and price competitive,” he said.