Field days chairman Dan Toohey said the event is a pivotal meeting place for the agricultural industry and suppliers and also provides a sense of community and support for rural families.

“The field days also provide a great opportunity to bridge the ever-widening gap between country and city,” Mr Toohey said.

He said the industry is at the cutting edge of technology and the event is an opportunity to showcase that development and provide an idea of the complexities and innovations required in the production of food and fibre.

“We try to encourage people to bring different products, bring upgraded technology, new machines and we try to put on different events that we think will attract more people,” Mr Toohey said. 

This year the NSW Department of Primary Industries will be the feature exhibit and staff will be on-hand to provide demonstrations, talks and displays in relation to livestock, plants and natural resource management.

Field days administration manager Jayne West said although it’s been a dry year, the event adapted, introduced a few new things so exhibitor numbers are still “really good”. 

“There will be a big focus around the drought in the livestock area, then we have created the health hub which will be where farmers can actually go in there and get skin checks, eye testing, blood pressure and all those sorts of health checks that farmers haven’t had a chance to do. 

“Then another new thing this year is that we have a Food Hub. This is an area that we have set up with tables and chairs, there will be seating for a couple of hundred people. Outside around it we have put all different food vendors.  

“The education centre will be doing the history of wheat this year, they will have plant competitions, a Q and A on Just a Farmer’s Wife and they have Sue Maslen who is a well-known film producer who did the film the Dressmaker and Goodbye Girls.”