Henty field days showcasing the best agriculture has to offer for 60 years

Southern Australia’s single biggest agricultural event, the Henty Machinery Field Days, celebrates its 60^th birthday in 2023 with a program full of the latest in agricultural technology plus entertainment for the family.

The agribusiness super event is scheduled for September 19-21 and will showcase more than $200 million worth of agricultural machinery and products to the nation. 2023 will be the largest exhibition of businesses in the event’s history.

HMFD chief executive officer Belinda Anderson said the event has become an institution on the farming calendar and had over its 60-year history, evolved into the nation’s agricultural shop front.

“In 2022, the field days were one of the nation’s single biggest agricultural events, drawing a record crowd of 70,000 visitors. The event has a proud heritage and the HMFD Co-operative has never lost sight of the primary reason for its existence – to showcase the agricultural industry,” Mrs Anderson said. 

“The field days will have all the usual attractions including the prestigious Henty Machine of the Year Award, the working sheep dog trials, Country Lifestyle pavilion, Farm Gate Produce Market, Baker Seeds agronomy trials, helicopter joy rides, live entertainment, outdoor monster fish tank, the Natural Fibre Fashion Awards and vintage farm machinery display,” Mrs Anderson said.

“2023 will further enhance the visitor experience with displays and features reflecting on the 60 year heritage of the field days.”

The official opening on Tuesday, September 19 will include the presentation of the prestigious Henty Machine of the Year Award while Greater Hume Council will sponsor the Best Australian Designed and Manufactured Machine to be presented on Wednesday, September 20 at 10.30am.

In recognition of NSW’s prominent role in AgTech, the 2023 Henty Machinery Field Days will mark the resurgence of the Agri-Innovators Award in partnership with Farmers2Founders. 

This expansion aims to celebrate and champion the ground-breaking advancements in agriculture.

The award categories are Agritech Innovation of the Year, Emerging AgTech Innovation, Innovative Producer Award, and Female Innovator of the Year, and winners will be announced on Thursday, September 21 at 11am.

National and international agricultural and commercial businesses will be eligible for the HMFD Exhibitor Awards at the 2023 field days.

Awards will be presented on Thursday, September 21 to the winners of the Best Outdoor Large Commercial, Best Outdoor General and Best Indoor Exhibitor sites (Country Lifestyle and Farm Gate Produce Market).

At Country Lifestyle, the stage will be the focus of fashion parades featuring garments from exhibitors daily at 11am and 2.30pm plus a mini parade of clothing from the 1960s, paying homage to Henty’s 60^th birthday.  It will be a step back in time with recipes, cookery and lifestyle tips from the 1960s. 

Designers with a flair for converting natural fibres into wearable art will compete for more than $5500 worth of prizes, including the new Business Development Award: Australian Made Fibre sponsored by JMP Developments, Wodonga, for $500.

The Henty Natural Fibre Fashion Awards showcase designs using at least 70 per cent natural fibres with parades daily at 1pm and the winners announced after 1pm Thursday.

The Farm Gate Produce Market will be a hive of activity of gourmet products direct from regional producers whilst outside on the sound stage is the talented regional duo Happy Hour.

Competition is expected to be intense this year at Henty as the nation’s best sheep dogs and their handlers gather for the Working Dog Trials which are proudly supported by Hypro.

The display by the Henty and District Antique Farm Machinery Club members always draws a large crowd of both young and old visitors, and will include tractors, tillage machinery, stationary engines, farm equipment and vintage motorcycles that would have been on show at the inaugural field days in 1963. For the machinery enthusiasts, there will be a one-off display of the world’s rarest tractors.

Upton Engineering at Corowa was built on the collection of ex-disposals army vehicles, tanks and spares to convert into bulldozers for scrub clearing, but ultimately produced one of Australia’s most famous tractors.

Upton tractor collectors will be bringing their machines from Corowa, Albury, Swan Hill, Ardlethan, and Mudgee.

Field day visitors can see lure and bait fishing techniques demonstrated from one of the biggest mobile fish tanks in the southern hemisphere, the Berkley Super Tank, in the 20-minute shows.

Part portable fishing show, part mobile fish tank and educational program, the 12,000 litre Berkley Super tank is designed to give the public a fish-eye view on the world of anglin

The Henty Machinery Field Days site will benefit from $651,000 in funding received by Telstra under Round 2 of the Regional Connectivity Program to build a new 35m tower to replace a temporary small-cell Telstra service, with the new tower to be completed for the 2023 event.

There will be an ATM courtesy of the ANZ Bank on site 567.

Pre-purchase early bird tickets until September 18 by heading to the visitor’s page on www.hmfd.com.au and click on Buy Tickets. Online prices are $25 + booking fees for adults and $8 + booking fees for children 12 to 17 years. Children under 12 years free when accompanied by an adult. 

Gates are open from 8am to 5pm, with prices for online and gate entry being adult gate tickets $30 inc fees (cash), card $30 inc fees + card charges, children 12 to 17 years $10 inc fees (cash), card $10 inc fees + card charges and children under 12 free when accompanied by an adult. Online tickets can be purchased while in the queue at the gate.