Gearing up for major field days

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ON THE OTHER JOB: Southern Field Days chairman Mark Dillon will be spending more time at Waimumu than his Riversdale farm as the countdown for the 14th biennial event starts in earnest.

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The countdown is on for the biggest agricultural event to hit the deep south every second year – the Southern Field Days.

With just more than a week before the gates open on the 14th event, the Waimumu home of the field days has already started its transformation into a venue to showcase products, services, gadgets and gimmicks to the thousands expected to attend over the three days.

Started by the Eastern Southland Young Farmers Club, and still run by its members, the field days has become the second biggest event of its type in New Zealand.

Chairman Mark Dillon said the value of the field days to the southern economy was immeasurable. "Accommodation from Te Anau to Dunedin is chocka."

The site becomes the richest 38ha in rural Southland, if not the South Island, with some exhibitors having equipment worth millions of dollars on display.

The 500-plus exhibitors confirmed to date were on a par with previous years. However, the final tally could be closer to 600, with some of the larger sites accommodating three or four exhibitors under one marquee, Mr Dillon said.

Despite the event's growth there were no plans to hand over management, as his committee of 21 was more than capable of dealing with most things, he said.

"It would be a shame to see it commercialised. The whole friendliness thing would be lost."

The organising committee had stuck with the successful formula that has drawn 18,000 people through the gates in previous years. As well as the static exhibits, there would be a lot of working displays and the popular competitions, such as the tractor pull.

A past winner of this event, Mr Dillon hoped to draw 50 to 60 entrants to contest the huge prize pool as well as earn the all-important bragging rights.

Prime Minister John Key and Agriculture Minister David Carter were scheduled to take a walkabout on the Friday morning.

The 28th biennial field days runs from February 10 to February 12.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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