Visitors were able to get hands on with the latest agricultural technology and connectivity solutions with 20 leading suppliers at the new initiative, AgTech Alley, at the Henty Machinery Field Days in September. 

Manned by the NSW Government’s Farms of the Future team, AgTech Alley was a collaboration between Henty Machinery Field Days, and the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development and was supported by funding from the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry as part of its Support Regional Trade Events Program.  

Held from September 17-19, the indoor and outdoor displays ranged from cutting edge IoT devices and advanced sensors to farm connectivity solutions for water levels, maintaining the well-being of livestock, tracking fuel levels, bolstering site security, and optimising plant health. 

NSW Government Farms of the Future Program Development Officer Sarah Groat said the three days of Agtech Alley aimed to showcase technology demonstrations, insightful presentations, and engaging panel discussions. 

“Farmers were able to explore connectivity solutions, water monitoring, livestock tracking and much more all in the one place,” Ms Groat said. 

“The guest speakers outlined the areas farmers look for around a return on investment for adopting new products and practices. 

“So often technologies, products and practices are presented to farm business, but the validation, depth of data, or return on investment has not been included.

“Understanding how farm businesses make decisions, prioritise problems, and think about optimising their farm margins is critical to know before making your pitch to farmers.”

The topics included Agtech adoption, farm safety powered by next generation IoT, connectivity in rural and remote areas, geo spatial analysis mapping solutions, Agtech for farm water management, the Cool Soil Initiative, agri-renewables, and automation in the supply chain. 

Celebrity guest speaker was meteorologist Jane Bunn outlining how weather apps use artificial intelligence and machine learning to forecast hyper local weather conditions. 

Guest speakers included Jackie Price, Yield Lot 7 Founder; Sarah Groat, Farms of the Future Agtech Specialist; Izzy Hardwick, AgriWebb Customer Success Manager; Jim Castles, Metos ANZ Sales Consultant; Edward Scott, CropScan N-Gauge Product Manager and Soil Scientist;  Hamish Dickson, Farms of the Future Project Manager; Justin Matthews, Farms of the Future Agtech Specialist; Adrian Roles, JMAJ Precision Manager; Kiowa Fenner, Sheep and Goat Traceability Director; Lucy Campbell, Datamars Territory Manager – Southern NSW; Max Laurie, Optiweigh Support Manager; Darren Price, Agscent Chief Operating Officer; Jon Medway, Charles Sturt University Head of Digital and Sustainable Agriculture; Pip Grant, Riverine Plains Chief Executive Officer; James Diamond, AirAgri Chief Executive Officer; Detective Acting Sergeant Ned Doubleday and Detective Senior Constable Scott Barton, Rural Crime – NSW Police; Luke Broderick, Zetifi Business Development Manager; Mark Pervan, Axistech Chief Executive Officer; Clare Belfield, Farms of the Future Agtech Specialist; Ric Otton, EnviroNode IoT Managing Director; Nick Seymour, Farmo Founder; Fiona McCredie, Cool Soil Initiative Director; Stephen Summerhayes, Agri-Renewables in Agriculture Centre of Excellence Director; Jock Lawrence, Mobble Chief Executive Officer; and Caile Ditterich, Agrichain Chief Executive Officer. 

Luke Broderick, Zetifi business development manager, said farmers left with the knowledge and confidence needed to embrace appropriate on-farm technology options in their daily operations. 

Live Agtech demonstrations held on the Tuesday and Wednesday focused on in-paddock livestock weighing, water level monitoring devices, farm connectivity solutions, sheep and goat electronic identification devices and farm security solutions. 

NSW Government Farms of the Future Program Agtech Specialist Clare Betfield advised farmers to take their time and do plenty of research around Agtech rather than have a knee-jerk solution to a problem.

“It is important for businesses to understand the specific barriers to getting started if there are competing priorities and having that digital literacy around the terminology is where we can help with the fundamentals of education,” Ms Betfield said. 

“Confidence and going gently on yourself are key – it takes time to build that knowledge around Agtech.

“Planning around business cashflows is important as there is a big cost involved at times with Agtech adoption. There is also understanding required around connectivity options and challenges on-farm, which will dictate the solutions you then look for.”

Ms Betfield said it was important to talk to contractors for their input about what Agtech may be of benefit to your farm. 

“Who is going to run the project? It takes times to do research, talk to suppliers, shortlist, work out, compare and at the end of the day who will be using the tech and interpreting the data? 

“Starting out small is a good way to do it as collecting data for data’s sake won’t necessarily allow you to make good data-led decisions to run your farm business more efficiently.” 

She advised farmers to either attend Agtech Fundamentals training or complete the self-paced version online and browse the Agtech Toolbox to gain the knowledge and understanding.

“Talk to other farmers, peers, your network, bring the farm team together to brainstorm ideas and use the online resources such as the Farms of the Future Agtech Toolbox, Agtech Finder and Agtech Community of Practice.”

Guest speakers’ presentations were recorded by Letterpress TV and are available for viewing at www.agtech.dpi.nsw.gov.au

When it comes to site layout and execution at a major event, CF Moto Australia have proven they have the goods by winning the Best Outdoor General Exhibitor Award at the Henty Machinery Field Days. 

CF Moto Australia impressed the judges with the large range of all-terrain, utility and sports side by side vehicles, colourful tents, flags and signage, metal stands with vehicle specifications and friendly staff on the well laid out site.

CF Moto Australia area sales manager Lance Whitelock said the team had spent six weeks planning their site to have all the vehicles, equipment and point of sale material coordinated.

“To engage with customers, we aim to have machinery on site that is attractive, of a good colour and appealing. The machines are presented with open doors, and we start them occasionally to encourage the customer to have a closer look,” Mr Whitelock said. 

He said staff engaged with browsing customers by asking about their interests and needs to find a machine suitable for their requirements.

Mr Whitelock regards Henty Machinery Field Days as his favourite field day for its size and location.

“The event is run very well and is handy to other towns and locations with a good variety of people attending from as far as Yass, Griffith, Corryong and down into Victoria to Shepparton,” he said. 

“We were exceptionally busy this year, particularly on the Wednesday with five staff on the site talking to people.

“We do sell product off the site but a lot of it is about building confidence so we will reap the benefits of this event with customers coming into our dealerships for the next six months.”

Mr Whitelock said seasonal conditions had been challenging for the industry with many customers waiting on the results of the coming harvest.

“A lot of the machinery here is a necessity so farmers and we are not high dollar vehicles, so we do get some sales direct from the site,” he said.

“Our base 2-seater model UTV suitable for the average farmer is by far the most popular – it is not too big and is easy to get around in with a good price point. There are some features farmers always look for like power steering, a windscreen and bumpers for protection.

“The high-end models are fully enclosed with air conditioning, electric windows, heaters, electric tilt-up glass windscreen, and rear glass windshield with trucker slide window.”

A significant milestone of 500,000 combines sold globally in 88 years was celebrated at the 2024 Henty Machinery Field Days with a vintage header and its tiny front dwarfed by the latest million dollar harvesting technology. 

On display at the CLAAS Harvest Centre site was the CLAAS LEXION 8800 with a 12.1 metre CLAAS CONVIO draper front, valued at around $1.3 million and sporting special livery to mark the occasion, and almost outshining its little brother, a working 1967 CLAAS Columbus header.

Featuring a 1.5m front, the Columbus is owned by vintage machinery enthusiast, Bill Petzke, of Corowa, and is still in working order.

A member of the Corowa Historic Vehicle and Machinery Club, Mr Petzke said the header had previously been owned by Baker Seeds for harvesting small trial plots. 

“Baker Seeds had bought it from a bloke who had it sitting in his shed for 15 years and he in turn had bought it at a clearing sale in South Australia,” Mr Petzke said.

“There were two of the same model – I bought this one and Corowa seed grower Russell Black, bought the other. 

“I have used it to harvest barley, wheat and oats on my 14-acre block and am harvesting a few acres for other people.”

Lexion Landpower brand and events manager Erin Nurkka found Bill’s vintage header in an internet search and reached out through the local newspaper.

“I wanted to portray where the brand was and where we are now next to each other on the site at Henty to celebrate the significant milestone for the company of 500,000 combines,” Erin said.

Lexion Landpower Group product specialist Jack Jordan-Hill said it was good to have the history of CLAAS in Australia on display to celebrate 500,000 machines produced in the German factory at Harsewinkel since 1936. 

“This particular model we have at Henty is an 8800 CLAAS LEXION with a 700hp engine and featuring hybrid threshing technology,” Mr Jordan-Hill said. 

“We have produced 70,000 of this particular model out of Germany and this combine at Henty with the special silver and green livery, and 500,000 detail down the side is one of only 13 units in the world produced. 

“It will be used as a demonstration machine this year around Griffith and Echuca alongside nine other demonstrator units across the country.”

Mr Jordan-Hill said growers were now pushing beyond the 12.1m draper fronts in the lighter country to keep the headers full. 

“We are always looking at the overall efficiency of the machine, including litres of fuel used per tonne, throughput in tonnes per hour and minimising grain losses out the back,” he said. 

“At the end of the day if we can save on burning fuel, keep the grain in the machine and reduce rotor hours for the farmer, that means more money in their pocket.”

Mr Jordan-Hill said the Henty Machinery Field Days were a fantastic event for meeting with current and potential customers.

“Last year we had nine people out from Germany and the UK to help our current customers to optimise their machines so there seems to be a lot of positive feedback coming back to us here this year. 

“When it comes to the old header, I’ve heard a lot of stories from farmers reminiscing about having to harvest in a certain direction to keep the dust out of their eyes.”

First time exhibitor at the Henty Machinery Field Days, Optiweigh debuted their game changing sheep unit to the industry at Agtech Alley.

AgTech Alley was a new initiative between Henty Machinery Field Days, the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development and Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, and showcased over 20 specialist ag tech businesses.

Optiweigh sales and support manager Max Laurie was pleased with the positive feedback and interest from field day visitors. 

“It has been fantastic to have plenty of conversations with livestock producers at Henty,” Mr Laurie said. 

“We have been involved with NSW DPI for quite some time and have had a lot of support from the Farms of the Future program, allowing producers to purchase units at a discounted price.

“There is nearly 1000 cattle units out in the field in Australia, New Zealand, Uruguay, Canada, USA, Wales, and Czechoslovakia.”

A prototype sheep unit was developed about two years ago by the son of New England farmer and Optiweigh chief executive officer Bill Mitchell for a Year 12 project.

“Since then, we have refined the design but due to the nature and popularity of the cattle unit, it has taken us a little bit of time to launch the sheep unit,” Mr Laurie said. 

“It operates similarly to our cattle unit as a portable in-paddock weighing system giving accurate information, so the producer has more useful data to make informed management decisions. 

“There are already commercialised systems for use in a feedlot and the Optiweigh unit adds to that equation.

“The gamechanger is this can be used in the paddock and allows us to monitor our most valuable stock at particular times, whether that be ewes or trading lambs.

“It is measuring the liveweight of the animal and from that we can derive average daily gain, how the animals are tracking and performing, any animal health issues and pasture management.”

Mr Laurie said Optiweigh was originally designed as a tool for finishing animals to market specifications.

“Farmers quickly realised they were able to measure animals on a continuous basis to know how they were performing and if supplementary feeding, drench or paddock rotation was required,” he said.

The Optiweigh is highly portable and can be towed behind a buggy or ute, with set up taking less than two minutes. 

A dry lick, salts or molasses block is recommended as an attractant to encourage the sheep into the Optiweigh unit. 

The unit scans each animal’s electronic identification tag and weighs the front feet. This information is sent to the cloud and an algorithm applied to calculate total body weight. 

Liveweight information is updated multiple times daily and sent to an app, client portal and email. Users receive a daily email summarising the information gathered in the last 24 hours. 

“Farmers look at their email each morning to check the performance of their animals and make management decisions based on that information,” Mr Laurie said.

AgTech Alley was supported by funding from the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry as part of its Support Regional Trade Events Program. 

A trip of more than 1200km with the world’s widest draper front to the Henty Machinery Field Days paid off handsomely for Dalby business Midwest Fabrication, winning the highly commended in the Machine of the Year Award.

Midwest Fabrication sales and business development manager Michael Knight conceded the long trip was a challenge, particularly in tight streets of the town of Parkes.

“But we are well set up to do and have been moving these draper fronts for many years – Midwest Fabrication has been going for 27 years and is renowned for making the biggest fronts in Australia,” Mr Knight said.

The company manufactured the first 12.1m draper front and went on to pioneer the world’s first 18.3m front, still the only Australian made front. 

The Midwest Legacy features the largest diameter six bar pickup reel available on the market today giving greater crop reach and 20 to 44 per cent more finger tines. 

“We have a full-time engineer on staff and his job is to design the next series of header fronts as they become larger and with more capacity,” Mr Knight said.

“We must ensure our header fronts will physically talk to the header, and it recognises the width and length of the front, then talk to the reel, actuators, and sensors. 

“This header front is designed for a John Deere header which has 50 sensors and actuators. Our header front has zero electronics other than the lights. 

“Our fronts are for people wanting solid, simplistic technology which can be fixed in the farm workshop.”

Midwest Fabrication are regular exhibitors at Henty and are pushing into the southern NSW and Victorian markets.

“I see Henty as an opportunity to talk to our customers past and new - they can look at a front, talk to our service manager and myself about costs and parts,” Mr Knight said.

“We soft launched the Legacy last year and then officially launched in November putting it through the summer crop harvest in the north. 

“The Legacy was used to harvest about 2630ha of wheat at Barmedman on a John Deere X9 and the farmer was pleased with the number of hectares he could get through in a day.”

Mr Knight said growers were continually pushing for greater efficiency and were now inquiring about 20 and 24m draper fronts.

“We are almost at the limit now with the materials we are using. We are not saying it won’t happen but there are a few hurdles to jump including transport and strength.”

Mr Knight said the Highly Commended award at Henty was great recognition for the dedication of the owners and staff at Midwest.

“It has been 26 years since the first front rolled out and the business hasn’t faltered during drought, fire, flood, and covid. We are appreciative of the HMFD committee and judging panel for their recognition; making a large front look this sleek and impressive is no small feat.

“We have clients coming to Henty from western NSW and Swan Hill to have a look at the front so the effort to get the platform here was worth it. 

“We have created enough interest from people to get close to selling some off the site and we are now in a position where we can send them out in 10 days.”

Mr Knight highlighted Midwest’s success across Australia and mentioned the company may explore further export opportunities in Canada and the northern plains of the USA with their 12.1 to 18.3m fronts. 

This award highlights Midwest Fabrication’s remarkable contributions to Australia’s agricultural industry and underscores their ongoing commitment to innovation, quality and excellence in manufacturing.

Dust has always been the bane of exhibitors and visitors at Henty Machinery Field Days, but a new dust suppression product has been used successfully this year to limit this environmental hazard.

Gravel Lock Australia applied Road Dust Control (RDC), a natural Australian made dust control solution to Main Road, from the western entry gate to the HMFD office, around the central area at The Stump and around the bar. 

Gravel Lock Australia managing director James Davis inspected the site a fortnight before the event to evaluate the surface material.

“The surface was loose, uncompacted, dusty and dry – all of that combined with a bit of wind gives a lot of environmental problems for machinery and pedestrian traffic,” Mr Davis said. 

RDC is a modified magnesium chloride brine that includes proprietary additives and corrosion inhibitors, offering a powerful yet environmentally friendly dust control solution.

RDC is ideal for rural roads, haul roads, mining applications, commercial hard stand yards and construction sites.

The Australian made product is naturally derived from seawater and provides instant long lasting dust suppression. It achieves this by drawing moisture from the atmosphere to keep the road surface damp and compacted. 

The product is designed to bind fine particles to the road. A key feature of RDC is it reduces dust while improving the road’s strength, especially during dry conditions. 

It is non-corrosive, safe for the environment and significantly reduces the need for frequent watering. By stabilising the road surface, RDC can save up to 60 per cent of aggregate material.

With a standard application rate of 2 litres per square metre and an occasional rejuvenation rate of 1 litre per square meter, RDC ensures minimal maintenance and long-term cost savings. 

“The application process is easy and can be completed with standard water truck or spray units and will deliver immediate results maintaining road integrity and minimal intervention,” Mr Davis said. 

“Local councils, industries and communities benefit from improved road surfaces, reduced dust and a healthier environment.” 

Mr Davis said the roads at the Henty site were in great shape and once the dust issue was solved, maintenance was important.

“We did the main thoroughfare leading to the office and around the food court – it had a light treatment of 1 litre per square metre. The road to the bar and the crossroads 50m either side of the bar were treated.

“We observed in those areas people were quite comfortable when the wind picked up on the first day of the field days and the dust was suppressed.

“The main road was treated with 2 litres per square metre to the GrainCorp site and 3 litres per square metre from then on to cope with the heavier traffic. 

“Once the product is down for three months, the more traffic it gets the better it is compacted with optimal moisture content. It pulls in moisture from the atmosphere overnight to keep the pavement wet. 

“Any rain will sheet away into the gutter. The product will dissipate over time with rain and the residual can be topped up and reactivated the following year.”

Gravel Lock Australia applied almost 400,000 litres to roads in the Victorian grain belt last year.

In the past at one site, 50,000 litres of water had been used for dust suppression each day or 350,000 litres per week. 

“The RDC saved 3.5 million litres of water over a 10-week period, reduced the need for a water cart and the labour component was off doing something more productive,” Mr Davies said.

“At treated grain receival sites, around sampling stands and offices, staff aren’t breathing in dust, or their cars dirtied from splashing from the water cart.”

A heart thumping climb on the world’s steepest mobile 4WD ramp, team spirit and country music combined to help Isuzu UTE Australia win the Henty Machinery Field Days Exhibitor Award Best Outdoor General Exhibit.

The Iron Summit offers an adrenaline pumping ride like no other where field day visitors experienced the thrill of climbing six metres into the air at a daring 45-degree incline, all from the safety and comfort of an Isuzu D-MAX or MU-X.

Isuzu UTE Australia events coordinator Jazmine Knight said it was the second year for the Iron Summit at Henty and proved to be a significant drawcard to the brand and to look at the vehicles.

“We had a lot of help from our dealers this year giving us the vehicles to put on our stand. It was great to see such a good range of cars to show them off,” Ms Knight said. 

“We have had visitors queuing up to ride the Iron Summit and we broke our Henty record from last year of 650 rides. 

“It is very much a team effort with our guys encouraging those walking past to come and enjoy the Iron Summit and look at the cars to see what a great product they are. 

“The country music helps people feel relaxed and we all love a bit of country music at the agricultural events.”

Ms Knight said Iron Summit had been touring throughout the year to around 10 4x4 shows and field days and was now on to the Ute Muster at Deniliquin.

A thriving business of handcrafted toys started by a young Iranian mother fleeing domestic abuse has earnt the Henty Machinery Field Days Exhibitor Award Best Indoor Exhibit – Country Lifestyle.

Neda’s Treasurers was born when Neda Harandi escaped a harrowing and violent marriage in Iran in 2015 with her two young children to begin a new life of freedom in Australia.

Neda now employs other women to help make a range of crocheted and knitted baby toys, rugs, dolls, cradle caps, beanies, booties, tote bags and newborn memory dolls. 

“With your support my dreams are coming true. My little business has become known and loved around Australia, and now around the world so thank you,” Neda said.

“I often refer to Iran as my biological mother and Australia as my adopted mother, who took me in and loved me when I needed her. Unfortunately, so many women don’t get the chance to have an adopted mother like I did.

“I am proud that I am now able to give support to poor and displaced women in Iran. I am donating a portion of every sale to women in Iran who, thanks to divorce, or living in a remote area, or even thanks to being married, are unable to make any income.

“In Iran, being born a woman can be a curse, but there is hope.”

Neda was trapped in a violent and abusive marriage to an Iranian engineer and planned her escape to Australia for two years, secretly studying English by torchlight at midnight. 

She fled Australia on the pretence of visiting a relative and never returned, going on to study a Master of Design and generating income by making handmade baby toys and gifts and selling them at markets. 

“I asked myself should I stay here for the rest of my life in an abusive relationship? I didn’t want my son to grow up with that attitude. When my son was a newborn, I secretly studied English by torchlight to be able to pass the Australian requirements for a student visa,” Neda said.

“It took me almost two years to be able to pass the Australian exam. I went to visit my sister and never looked behind me. Financially I had a very good life there with cars and holiday houses, but I wanted love and freedom. I closed the door on my home and that was it. 

“I was a university tutor in Iran as I had a Master of Art but my student visa in Australia didn’t allow me to work in my previous field. I didn’t have the confidence either as my English was not good.”

Neda eventually met her Australian partner who gave her self-confidence and supported her in the fledgling business. 

“By speaking English at home, my English improved and he made a website for me – business went well, and I was able to open a shop in Bowral in 2020.”

The covid pandemic forced the shop’s closure and the business transitioned to online sales.

“I found a few ladies on the central coast and Wollongong to help make the toys and was able to expand to more markets. This year for the first time I was accepted at Makers & Shakers in Sydney, and I am very proud of that,” Neda said. 

“My partner makes the wooden bases for my products and helps with the western cultural designs of the dolls. 

“We have a knitted newborn memory doll using actual weight and length details supplied by the mothers. 

“I use cotton acrylic yarns to prevent shrinkage and make blankets for newborn to 18 months.”

Neda’s children have gone on to a happy and successful life in Australia with her 21-year-old daughter studying medical science and her 18-year-old son playing AFL and enjoying a lively social life.

A showcase of Riverina gourmet food and fibre plus a collaboration with George the Farmer took out the Henty Machinery Field Days Exhibitor Award for Best Indoor Exhibit – Farm Gate Produce Area for emerging agritourism icon the Whitton Malthouse. 

Whitton Malthouse and Southern Cotton executive director Kate O’Callaghan had doubled the size of her site from last year with a vast array of produce from the Griffith, Leeton and Ariah Park and Wagga Wagga areas. 

Mrs O’Callaghan said the aim was to raise the brand recognition for the Whitton Malthouse located near the tiny village of Whitton in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area.

Founded in 2020, the tourism destination offers fine and casual dining featuring local cuisine, on-site accommodation, whiskey bar and production, an aquatic golf driving range over Lake Hulong, and an event, conference, and wedding venue with fields of cotton and crops as a backdrop. It backs onto the Southern Cotton gin which has regular tours for visitors. 

“We started off at Henty promoting the Whitton Malthouse and then decided to expand it to our whole agritourism experience with the cotton gin and regional tours where we talk about the cotton industry,” Mrs O’Callaghan said. 

“We also run children’s tours, so we partnered with George the Farmer’s range of books.

“Whitton Malthouse showcases regional produce both in its menu and retail stores. We also bought lots of small suppliers in the region to give them a presence at Henty. 

“We can partner with lots of different businesses so there is an awareness of how amazing our region is. We are excited to be doing that on behalf of the region – it’s a bigger mission than just being a restaurant or retailer, we are trying to be an agritourism destination.”

With Griffith’s Morella Grove being a key supplier to the Whitton Malthouse, there were artisanal chutney and oil products available for tasting at Henty. There was also the Lazidaze dressings made in Narrandera, PSD poppy seed dressing from Ariah Park, and toffee apples from Knights Deli, Wagga Wagga. 

“Tasting engages people and if you buy a bottle that is supporting a local producer out of a farm in our region. We’ll be back at Henty next year to continue the good stories,” Mrs O’Callaghan said. 

A focus on the latest advancements in agricultural technology with a backdrop of fine weather and 55,000 visitors helped make the Henty Machinery Feld Days a success.

Held on September 17-19, the 61^st annual field days featured 14km of outdoor shop fronts from more than 800 exhibitors representing 3500 companies on over 1200 sites.

HMFD chief executive officer Belinda Anderson said the exhibition space was equal to last year’s record and showcased over $200 million in agricultural machinery, resulting in the nation’s leading field days. 

Mrs Anderson said a key drawcard this year was the Agtech Alley, a collaboration with NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development and Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry under the Support Regional Trade Events Program. 

Farmers and visitors from every state and territory sought out the hot ticket items of hay, silage, grain storage and livestock handling equipment. 

Visitors were also treated to Furphy water cart rebarrelling demonstrations, the Questacon pop-up science circus, fly overs by a PC 21 from the RAAF Roulettes at Sale, and a reptile show while Henty designer Headlie Shipard Taylor was acknowledged by marking the centenary of the Sunshine Auto Header.

The 61^st field days were officially opened by meteorologist Jane Bunn, who was also a guest speaker at the new Agtech Alley and Country Lifestyle. 

HMFD chairman Nigel Scheetz was pleased with how the event unfolded after a consistent flow of exhibitor bookings leading into the field days. 

He welcomed the new innovations into grain handling capacity and livestock handling equipment, along with the launch of the Agtech Alley site. 

“At the end of the day it is a lot of repeat exhibitors plus new ones which is exciting,” Mr Scheetz said.

A highlight this year was the coveted Henty Machine of the Year Award being presented to the Ram-to-Ewe automated catching pen entered by Flinn Design, The Rock. Highly commended was the world’s widest draper platform, the Midwest Legacy, from Midwest Fabrication, Dalby, Qld. 

Andrew Watt, Hutcheon and Pearce sales and marketing manager, declared 2024 as “one of the best Henty’s ever”, with the business unveiling a new electric ride-on mower. 

“We have had a great amount of genuine interest from customers. The new John Deere S and X-Series harvesters were on display with the predictive ground speed automation and forward-facing cameras using satellite imagery from the past year to predict the crop flow into the harvester and giving an extra 20 per cent of productivity,” Mr Watt said. 

“That was well received, and customers are excited to see them demonstrated in the paddock.”

Mr Watt said zero-turn ride on mower sales had been “through the roof” and compact tractor sales had been strong.

Jarrod Stephenson, Intersales general resource officer, said inquiries peaked on the Wednesday with a rate of genuine inquiry unseen at field days over the past few years.

Mr Stephenson said hay and silage machinery, including mower conditioners, was the hot topic along with tractors and tillage equipment. 

“Some people have already made a decision to cut crops for hay based on the recent frost, and others are still hopeful if we can get some rain, things might recover,” he said.

It was the first year the Case IH and New Holland dealers in Wodonga and Wagga had collaborated on the one site, with expectations exceeded.

Jimmy O’Neill, AKRON Australia DJI Agriculture general manager, said adoption of drone technology had been rapid with strong enquiry this year at Henty.

Growers and contractors were able to inspect drones with a payload of 40 litres of liquid and 70 litre of solids for baits, seed and spraying fungicide over canola.

Among the new exhibitors was Darren Monkoff, LeadnHand, with an anti-tangle device for the storage of electrical leads and ropes invented by a central Qld cattle farmer. 

“We are a new invention and interest has been fantastic with strong sales for such a simple, low cost, Aussie owned and engineered, product,” he said. 

Jim Gall, RB Sellars chief executive officer, said Henty was important to the clothing and workwear brand, with the business notching up its best sales day ever at any field day on the opening day.

“Timing is good as we had just launched our catalogue of spring /summer product. This is our epicentre as we have stores in Albury, Orange, Wagga, and Dubbo,” Mr Gall said.

“We have seen a transition to automation and a digitally led future for agriculture and our clothes are no different. We are working on innovation around breathability and fabrics to make them better to work in.”

Talayah Dodds, All Things Country manager, said work boots, dress boots and jeans were popular with field days visitors. 

A constant flow of visitors through the Farm Gate Produce Area resulted in good sales for Damien Cofield, Cofield Wines, Rutherglen. 

Exhibiting for over 10 years, Damien was happy with the solid trade in local wines from repeat customers. 

Hamish Dickson, Farmers to the Future program project manager, said the wide range of suppliers from across the agtech industry from soil and water monitoring to livestock handling systems drew farmers seeking labour efficiency, timely and accurate data management and staff safety at Agtech Alley. 

“Agtech Alley at Henty was an opportunity to bring all those suppliers under the one roof and people able to see it in the one place,” he said.

HMFD is set to host the 62^nd field days on September 23-25, 2025, with planning already underway. 

Farmers are not being given the chance to share real science and practical realities as push back against anti-farming agendas, according to NSW Farmers president Xavier Martin. 

Mr Martin addressed Henty Machinery Field Days visitors from The Stump on Wednesday, September 17.

“I know the conditions in this southern part of the state have also been extremely difficult this year and it cannot be easy having the weather against you, as well as our governments,” he said.

“We know there is much to be done. But the good news is, we, as NSW Farmers, are in a solid position to advocate for positive change.”

Mr Martin said the peak body had set its policy priorities for the year ahead.

“We are reviewing and renewing our national representation structures so we can get the best outcomes for our farmers and ensure the voice from the paddock is being heard in parliament,” he said.

“This is the most important thing – standing up and demanding a fair go for farmers. 

“In the past, there have been instances where such national representation structures have been more dysfunctional or less effective than we hoped when it comes to coordinating and unifying our agricultural organisations in advocacy issues important to us.

“Fake news about farmers has not been fact checked and farmers have not been given the chance to share the real science and practical realities.

“Our response to the proposed biosecurity tax and the use of important agricultural chemicals are just two examples of this, and there is no room for error in this critical time.

“We are not far off a federal election and now is our opportunity to get the outcomes we want.

“At the end of the day, what we really want is a fair go for farmers so we can keep feeding and clothing the world.

“With your support, NSW farmers will keep doing what’s most important: we stand up for farmers and demand a fair go.” 

The heart pounding Iron Summit, a showcase of Riverina produce, and an Iranian mother seeking a new life in Australia are among the winners of the 2024 Henty Machinery Field Days Exhibitor Awards.

The awards were presented on Thursday, September 19 at The Stump by HMFD chief executive officer Belinda Anderson to the winners of the Best Outdoor Large Commercial, Best Outdoor General and Best Indoor Exhibitor sites – Country Lifestyle and Farm Gate.

Isuzu Australia won the Best Outdoor Large Commercial, while took out the Best Outdoor General was won by CF Moto Australia. 

Neda Harandi is a new exhibitor but won the Best Indoor site in Country Lifestyle with her business Neda’s Treasures. 

Emerging powerhouse in the Riverina tourism industry, the Whitton Malthouse was awarded Best Indoor Site at Farm Gate Produce Market.

Belinda Anderson said the field days co-operative prided itself on providing a showcase with a modern professional image, and the latest in agricultural machinery and technology.

Mrs Anderson said the exhibitor awards encouraged site holders to strive for similar ideals during the field days.

Judges Daryl Thomson and Bec Clancy covered the 14km of external shop front plus the indoor sites, assessing visual presentation, display, layout and innovation.

They inspected sites ranging in frontage from 3m to 180m.

Mrs Clancy said Neda’s Treasures had a beautiful display of handmade baby rattles, toys, blankets.

“The business had a banner explaining Neda’s journey to escape domestic violence in Iran with two children to a new life in Australia and now she makes these handmade toys,” she said.

“The toys were beautifully crocheted and nicely displayed on white shelving with a pink and white theme. It was an inspirational story and Neda has obtained Australian citizenship since arriving.”

Mrs Clancy said the Whitton Malthouse had a tremendous array of regional produce reflecting the core theme of the Farm Gate Produce Area.

“They have an eye-catching display of various food produce in the Riverina including dressings and olive products, plus banners displaying images of the Whitton Malthouse reception and restaurant areas.

“There was also a display of products made from cotton, children’s books and have expanded their site.”

CF Moto impressed the judges with the large range of all-terrain, utility and sports side by side vehicles, colourful tents, flags and signage, metal stands with vehicle specifications and friendly staff on well laid out site.

“The branding caught our eye, drew us in and the staff were ready to greet us,” Daryl Thompson said.

Isuzu Ute Australia had the exhilarating Iron Summit at Henty again this year, leaving lines of visitors breathless. 

The Iron Summit offers an adrenaline pumping ride like no other where you will experience the thrill of conquering the world’s steepest mobile 4WD ramp, climbing six metres into the air at a daring 45-degree incline, all from the safety and comfort of an Isuzu D-MAX or MU-X.

Mr Thompson said the 7m high Iron Summit was a memorable experience with a great view from the top. 

“People get a choice of two vehicles – an Isuzu D-MAX or MU-X. The site was well decorated with flags and country music playing. The staff were proactive greeting us and explaining all about the vehicle on the ride.”

Mrs Clancy said exhibitors were putting a lot of thought into their site design, being innovative with visual concepts to catch the consumer’s eye, attract them into the site and engage with them.

“Over the last 10 years the branding has become more prominent, and colour coded on exhibitor sites.”

Two current Australian champions dominated the Hypro Murray Valley Yard Dog Championships and Three Sheep Trial at the Henty Machinery Field Days, taking out the tough events against the cream of the nation’s best trialers.

Aoidh Doyle, of Bonnie Doon, Victoria, and his seven-year-old black and tan Kelpie, Cash, scored 284 points to win the Hypro Murray Valley Yard Dog Championships after emerging from a four-way tie for first place.

Bredbo trialer Will Goggin and his six-year-old Border Collie Bredbo Scooter scored 200 points to be a clear winner in the Hypro Henty Three Sheep Trial.

Sponsored by Hypro Pet Foods, the three sheep and yard dog trials drew 241 entries and was run over the three days of the Henty Machinery Field Days on September 17-19.

Hypro Murray Valley Yard Dog Championships judge Bill Luff, Gundagai, was forced to add more sheep to determine the winner, reaching a maximum of 18 sheep with a former winner Dean Incher, Adaminaby, taking second with Hulk and third with Rafa on 277 points.

Last year’s winner Dale Thompson, Benalla, placed fourth with Broken River Jake on 275 points and fifth with Clay on 188 points. Fred Rains, Muttama, and Nina were equal sixth with Michael Hedger, Berridale, and Giles Creek Trapper on 183 points.

For Aoidh Doyle, a 31-year-old shearing contractor, it was his first win at Henty after taking up yard dog trials five years ago. 

He had moved to Australia 13 years ago after growing up on a dairy farm in County Wexford in Ireland. 

“I came out here in 2011 after I finished school and loved it so much, I never went back,” Mr Doyle said.

“I am a livestock contractor and shearing contractor with a big team of dogs.”

He won the Australian championships in 2022 with Cash, is the 2024 Australian Yard Dog Champion with Whisper Snip and competed at Henty with a team of four dogs.

“it’s a big trial at Henty and it’s good to get your name up there as the competitors are very experienced. I got Cash at seven months old off my father-in-law when I started a farm hand role. 

“I have quite a few pups by Cash. He is a very athletic dog and a great asset in the hills. I’ve learnt a lot from him - I like a dog that can do everything as I like doing utility, three sheep and yard trials.”

Mr Doyle juggles competition with a busy shearing schedule, including two months on four different stations at Ivanhoe, Menindee and Wilcannia.

Will Goggin and his six-year-old Border Collie Bredbo Scooter scored 200 points to be a clear winner in the Hypro Henty Three Sheep Trial from Scott Smith, Dubbo, on 184 points with MGH Gem under judge Jon Cantrell, Dubbo.

Pip Hudson, Mudgee, and MGH Hester scored 181 points for third [lace and Will Goggin took fourth with Vaimari Triton on 144 points. Allison Burrell and Illoura Jazz finalled for the first time at Henty to take fifth on 136 points whilst Neil Kristiansen and Badgingarra Oscar made the 4700km trip from Goomalling in Western Australia to place sixth.

Mr Goggin said Scooter, by Boco Rafa, was bred by John Perry and had proven to be a strong character.

It was the first win at Henty for Mr Goggin after placing in the past. He had given up trialling for 12 years due to work commitments and returned two and a half years ago.

The sheep and cattle producer made the NSW team to compete at the Hypro Australian Supreme Sheep Dog Championships at Geelong and went on to be a member of the winning Australian Test team against New Zealand in the Wayleggo Cup. 

“It’s a real honour to win Henty and it’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time,” Mr Goggin said.

A young designer on a gap year entering the Henty Natural Fibre Fashion Awards for the first time stole the limelight by taking out the Supreme Garment Award.

Juliette Hart, of Junee, wowed the judges with her use of fibre and contemporary design in a strapless dress with a denim fitted bodice, drop waist and tiered calico pleated skirt. 

The 19-year-old is working on the family sheep and cropping farm for her gap year and trumped many experienced designers with her raw talent. 

“I really only got into fashion at school by doing textiles and design, and my major project was nominated for Shape in Sydney, but I have been sewing since I was six,” Miss Hart said. 

“I had this design in my head and decided I wanted to make something out of denim as it is a good fabric to work with. I spent a whole week on it up to 3am one morning trying to get it done. 

“I hand pleated the 100 per cent cotton skirt and it also has pockets. I hope to attend the fashion course at University of Technology Sydney to make it a career.

“I was not expecting to win anything – all of the outfits were so cool. I had entered so I could put the fact on my little resume.

“I have never been to Henty before and I’m really enjoying it – it’s a great day to hang out with people and buy some hats.”

The 19^th Henty Natural Fibre Fashion Awards were a highlight of the Country Lifestyle program at the Henty Machinery Field Days on September 17-19, drawing over 80 entries from almost every state and internationally with the winners announced on Thursday. 

Fashion designers vied for the chance to win a Bernina 325 sewing machine valued at $1499 plus $1000 cash prize money courtesy of Bernina Australia and Sew Fab, Narrandera, for the Best Garment in Natural Fibre. 

Open to amateurs and professionals, the awards recognise the innovative use of natural fibres – from paddock to catwalk – in creative but wearable clothing.

The judging emphasis was on visual appeal, creative and innovative use of natural fibres.

This year’s judges were Colleen Langtry, Wagga Wagga, Lisa Schaefer, Grenfell and Krystal Kaye, Wagga Wagga. 

Awards organiser Lyn Jacobsen said the natural fibres could include wool, alpaca, angora, mohair, cashmere, cotton, silk and linen.

Mrs Jacobsen paid tribute to the models from The Riverina Anglican College, Wagga Wagga, trained by Peta Schaefer, compere Bernadette Torresan, MC Steve Bowen, the sponsors, judges and assistants out the back.

Past winner Laurel Judd, of New Zealand, returned to the winner’s circle with a stunning fitted off the shoulder dress in bold stripes of purple, silver and black to win the Best Knitted or Crocheted Garment.

The entry from Jo Simpson, of Dungog, was among 17 different creative garments brought down by Julie Fitzgerald from entrants in her local region. Jo walked away with the Best Accessory with her cape in shimmering tones of magenta and rust.

The best garment designed by a student was won by Alicia Iacono, Wagga Wagga, with a floral pant suit with a halter neck. 

Alicia, a town planner, enjoys sewing as a hobby and enrolled in 30-week beginners’ course at the Sew Me School of Fashion and Design Wagga Wagga.

“I entered a jump suit with ties at the front in a big bow and in a big bold print. I liked the style and design. I am putting time and effort into my own creativity,” she said.

“This is the first time I’ve entered, and it was a surprise to win. I just want to build off my skills to competently sew.”

Rebecca Hillas, Wagga Wagga, won the millinery section for a green hat with a hand dyed and cut felt orange flower. 

The Australian Made Award, sponsored by JMP Developments, Wodonga, and winning $500 was Nicole Oakes, Kergunyah, for a stunning cream wool wedding dress with a tiered train. 

A robotic dog dubbed Bluey danced, sat, begged and even shook a paw, captivating visitors around the Henty Machinery Field Days whilst spreading the message on defence force recruitment.

Based at the army logistics training centre at Bandiana, Major Graham Anderson and Bluey were supporting the defence recruiting team to engage the public on career opportunities.

“Bluey is a robotic dog mainly used for research and development on robotics and programming capability. It is about integrating robotics and automation into the way we do our daily business,” Major Anderson said. 

Major Anderson said Bluey drew much positive feedback from field day visitors.

They were encouraged to visit the Australian Defence Force Careers site where there was an infantry carrier, Bushmaster, on display along with high performance vehicles, and a helicopter simulator.

“We are a big part of the community at Albury-Wodonga and Wagga Wagga, so we like to feel that we are home grown,” Major Anderson said. 

“Age is no longer an issue when it comes to a career in the defence forces – if you can finish your training before you hit retirement age, we would be keen to have a chat to you. People over 50 have a lot of skills and we can use those, and it is a very diverse work environment these days.”

A southern NSW designed and manufactured 8500 litre trailing sprayer has won the coveted Greater Hume Council Award at the Henty Machinery Field Days.

The award recognises the best new Australian designed and built agricultural machine and was judged by a panel of independent judges at the Henty Machinery Field Days on September 17-19.

It was presented by Greater Hume Council Deputy Mayor general manager Evelyn Arnold and Henty Machinery Field Days director Matt Noll to John Arentz, JTA Spraying Equipment, Wagga Wagga, for his new 8500 Series Sprayer.

Mr Arentz was overwhelmed at the win with his first entry in the coveted award.

“We have a uniquely designed machine with a gooseneck drawbar to make it a mid-mount boom spray compatible with any tractor platform – or simply plug and play with any other brand that is ISOBUS compatible,” he said.

“The tri-fold boom has the JTA auto-height system where we can set particular offsets on the wing tips during spray mode, or multiple height settings ideal for automatically raising the boom in rough terrain.

“The gooseneck drawbar allows plenty of clearance and one of the best visibilities of any trailing boom spray on the market.”

The trailing sprayer boasts a mid-mount 48.5 metre tri-fold boom and 8500 litre UV stabilised polyethylene tank.

Founded nine years ago, JTA Spraying Equipment build rear or mid mount boom sprays ranging from 6500 litres through to 16,000 litres and booms ranging from 24 to 54 metres.

The business also manufactures a 11,000-litre self-propelled sprayer with a boom from 36 to 54 metres.

Fitted with a gooseneck drawbar, the winning 8500 Series has a self-levelling boom with hydraulic tilt rams, and it is bifolding allowing the operator to fold the outer/breakaways in and spray with the inner booms in spraying mode.

Mr Arentz said the boom was plumbed into 11 sections with left and right fence lines, and with Arag non-drip nozzle bodies on 250mm spacings. 

“The Hypro pump has a low-pressure pump alarm while the 60-litre induction hopper has a 3-inch Venturi fast fill, and drum flushing, hopper rinse and agitation nozzles. 

“The simple plumbing and layout for ease of use and simple decontamination.

“The sprayer is of a robust design and made from all Australian steel.”

The sprayer has a powder coated finish and is ready for use with an Arag IXB100 rate controller.

With a transport width of 3.5m, the 8500 Series comes standard with a boom light kit, road kit, tow bar, four air points for compressed air, a handwash tank, touch down wheels.

The Arag live tank level pressure sensor has a viso screen mounted over the sprayer, a self-priming hydraulic drive fill pump with a three way tap to fill the main/flush tank, and a three-tier spraying system.

“We have been coming to Henty for seven years for brand awareness and it gives people the chance to see, touch and ask about the machines, their workmanship and quality,” Mr Arentz said. 

Popular meteorologist Jane Bunn forecast valuable spring rain within the next week and a potential La Nina when officially opening the 61^st Henty Machinery Field Days.

Ms Bunn said the past few months had been dry and challenging but there was rain on the horizon next week.

Traditionally, rain received around the Henty Machinery Field Days’ time is welcomed by grain growers and farmers for topping up cereal and oilseed crops and pastures.

“We are missing the cold fronts, and we don’t have that tropical connection with high pressure in the way, but it looks that may change Monday to Wednesday next week,” she said.

Ms Bunn was also a guest speaker on the seasonal outlook, weather and frost related to spray and irrigation timing, and pasture growth at the new Agtech Alley at the field days. 

“We now have seven out of eight weather models suggesting we will go into La Nina – this tells you, not yet, but in the months ahead we are heading into that La Nina which actively pushes that tropical moisture towards us. 

“In the October to December outlook, better or above average rain will be widespread in the eastern and central parts of the country. We will have moisture to play with but only if we have low pressure systems to move through to turn it into rain.

“Autumn through to spring will have a heap of moisture coming our way as we come out of the (blocking) high-pressure problem.”

HMFD chairman Nigel Scheetz said the Henty Machinery Field Days was certainly back stronger than ever post Covid cancellations. 

“2022 saw our highest crowd numbers on record and 2023 was our largest exhibition on record,” Mr Scheetz said.

“2024 has been another sell out year for exhibition sites proving our exhibitors have confidence and commitment to the event despite challenging economic and agricultural conditions.

“This is telling HMFD management that we play a significant role in the connection of agricultural businesses to their consumers, the farmers, who are in the field with these products and technologies.

“As the development of new solutions, innovations and technology in agriculture are happening at a great pace, we at Henty are embracing and ready to showcase what our exhibitors have on offer.”

Mr Scheetz said HMFD was proud to collaborate with the NSW Department of Primary Industries Farms of the Future program to develop Agtech Alley.

The new drawcard is sponsored by Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, and features over 20 agtech suppliers, a full panel of guest speakers and live demonstrations. 

“Visitors can see a stellar line up of innovative new technology this year, including entries in the prestigious Henty Machine of the Year Award.

 “Our entries range from the world’s widest draper platform down to a pneumatic catching pen designed to improve animal welfare and shearer safety. 

“We acknowledge the continued commitment by Australian and international manufacturers into research and development to make the life of the Australian farmer easier.”

Mr Scheetz paid tribute to the large team of volunteers who take time away from their regular jobs to work at Henty – from car parking to collecting waste or cooking in the food sheds. 

“We cannot thank our volunteers enough and are proud to be financially supporting our regional community in return,” he said.

“Henty would not be possible without our members. It would be hard to find an organisation where 80 + year old members can still hold a conversation with our younger generation with the same interests and agricultural passion.

“We are particularly proud of our younger members – going forward the future of Henty is assured.”

From publishing their own newspaper to applying learnings from the leading industry innovators, Henty Machine of the Year award winners Flinn Design have a fresh take on traditional livestock handling equipment.

Based at The Rock, in southern NSW, Flinn Design are shearing shed and stock yard design specialists, and won the coveted award at Henty for their newly launched Ram-to-Ewe automated catching pen.

Flinn Design principal Simon Flinn said catching pens had remained largely unchanged over the past century. 

As farmers, Simon and business partner Bob Thornely understand how difficult it is to obtain shearers, and to ensure they remain fit, injury free and efficient. 

Mr Flinn paid tribute to farmers David and Jenny Thompson who agreed to test the first Ram-to-Ewe on their Illabo property.

“Innovation is only as good as the uptake and the uptake these days is sadly dictated by money – we all have limited budgets and labour, so we have attempted to base our whole business structure on innovative ideas,” Mr Flinn said. 

“Before the first World War, 90 per cent of the patents were made by individuals. We are currently back to a low of 10 per cent just due to the corporate nature of agriculture. 

“All the innovation we have here today is simple and basic like the Commens Catcher slide bolt, which can be retrofitted into any existing shed and on any current manufacturer’s gate.

“A screw over a nail has been around for 3000 years – use a screw in your grating as it will last longer. Innovation doesn’t have to be expensive, but it does have to be able to be uptaken at minimal cost.”

Mr Flinn said a Ram-to-Ewe could be retrofitted into a shed for $5000-$8000 compared to $30,000-$40,000 for a new pen.

“It’s a no brainer and I’m excited,” he said. 

“Retrofitting something like this in your shed can change the world hence why we spent years developing it.”

The Ram-to-Ewe comes in two versions – Instinct is a computerised version which regulates the speed and distance the gate moves over the run; and Manual, where the shearer controls the back gate with the push of a button. It is fully pneumatic with no need for any power. 

Also partnering Mr Flinn and Mr Thornely in the business are farmers Jack and Toby Commens.

Flinn Design has also taken initiative with different marketing ideas and prints their own 10-page newspaper, The Flinn Times.

“We don’t do catalogues because we are a custom design company, we find having a catalogue inhibits innovation and organic growth of any design, whether it is a shearing shed or a sheep yard,” Mr Flinn said. 

“We have printed our own newspaper – we have done a run of 5000 copies for Henty – and it is a general guide to help farmers going through the process of designing their shearing shed, sheep yards, building pads, and cattle yards.

“There are a few jokes as we like things to be entertaining but we are very serious about custom sheep yards and shearing shed design.”

As co-designer, Bob Thornely said not only was it a Henty debut for the Ram-to-Ewe but also for the business.

“The Manual version has had fantastic feedback from growers and shearers just in how much pressure they feel and the efficiencies it creates from a shearing point of view,” Mr Thornely said.

“If someone is shearing 100 sheep a day at 100kg each, they are dragging 10 tonnes across the board. The efficiency and quality of their work come the end of the week this is creating has been real positive feedback.

“The Ram-to-Ewe has increased crutching times by up to 25 per cent, resulting in less labour costs on the producer.”

Mr Thornely was keen to seek the feedback from the public at Henty after the design’s big win.

“This award is pretty cool; the actual system is so simple, and it was exciting to be up against other competitors to take it out. We really believe in it and backed ourselves.

“If you are in any job, you can get a bit stagnant and blindsided, but we visit innovative businesses to see how everyone approaches things differently and bring those learnings back to apply to our business.

“All of our products are manufactured in Wagga as we support local businesses.”

An ergonomically designed, automated catching pen boosting comfort and efficiency in shearing sheds by reducing dragging distances and allowing shearers to maintain better posture has won the coveted 2024 Henty Machine of the Year Award.

The Ram-to-Ewe, entered by Simon Flinn, Flinn Design, The Rock, impressed the judges with its innovation, design and safety features.

Highly commended was the Midwest Legacy, the world’s widest draper platform at 18.3m from Midwest Fabrication, Dalby, Queensland. 

A total of 10 machines and equipment at the cutting edge of agricultural technology were shortlisted for judging in the Henty Machine of the Year.

Announced on the opening day, this award is presented to the most outstanding new piece of agricultural machinery exhibited at the field days.

It was judged by an independent panel of five regional primary producers on Monday (September 16) and presented at the field days opening today (September 17).

Judging criteria included the machine’s purpose and suitability, scope of application, construction (durability and design), ease of maintenance and service, ease of operation and adjustment, availability of parts and overall value for money.

Judge Warren Scheetz described the Ram-to-Ewe as fit for purpose and a leap forward for the shearing industry in operator and sheep safety.

“The design of the automated system works by the back fence moving progressively forward, reducing the size of the pen as it empties out of sheep,” Mr Scheetz said. 

“This reduces the dragging distance for the shearer and allows for improved sheep handling and operator safety.

“The design focuses very much on the shearer – they are always picking the sheep up on a level surface with the tilting pen towards them. They are pulling straight out so there is no twisting while they are pulling.

“It is increasing the efficiency of the shearer as well and reducing the extra stress on their body, keeping the shearers in better health and allowing them to shear longer. 

“It also reduces the penning up time and total shearing time for the grower.”

Flinn Design principal Simon Flinn said the Ram-to-Ewe was designed to modernise old or poorly designed catching pens, at a fraction of the cost of either a new shearing shed or carrying out major internal modifications.

“The Ram-to-Ewe comes in two versions – Instinct is a computerised version which regulates the speed and distance the gate moves over the run; and Manual, where the shearer controls the back gate with the push of a button. It is fully pneumatic with no need for any power,” Mr Flinn said. 

As the Highly Commended winner, the new Midwest Legacy model stands out with its innovative pro-cut guard design, ensuring long-lasting forged knife guards and a high-speed cutting system that delivers 20 per cent faster cutting speeds for a clean, even cut. 

Midwest remains the only global manufacturer to offer a 18.3m cutting width for large capacity combine harvesters over the past 10 years and now includes the John Deere X9 class 10 and 11 combines to its line-up.

Warren Scheetz said the platform was designed and built in Australia specifically for the larger class 10 and 11 harvesters.

“The new model has a lower cutting height and improved cutting and feeding systems to increase the overall efficiency of the front over its previous models,” he said.

Additionally, the platform’s advanced drive systems, including a zero stretch, carbon fibre drive belt and dual oil filtration systems, ensure smooth operation and extended service life.

Mr Scheetz paid tribute to the excellence in design displayed by all entrants, which varied from the world’s widest draper platform to an innovative full-swing farm gate. 

“The competition is very well supported, and we appreciate the interest each year from local and international businesses,” he said. 

Mr Scheetz said streamlining entries to the top 10 of finalists gave judges more time to have an in-depth assessment of each machine and research prior to judging. 

With flight times measured in hours, not minutes, the Yamaha Fazer is an industrial drone that redefines agricultural capability. 

Designed for efficiency, reliability, and versatility, the Fazer is ideal for tasks that require aerial precision in agricultural, industrial, and environmental operations.

The Yamaha Motor Australia Sky Division team will demonstrate the large industrial unmanned helicopter at 11am, 1pm and 3pm daily in the drone demonstration area. 

With the ability to carry up to 40 kg, the Fazer can support a variety of tasks such as crop spraying, seeding, and surveying. Its robust payload capability allows it to cover large areas efficiently, reducing operational costs while boosting productivity. 

Whether deploying high-precision sprayers or advanced sensors, the Fazer adapts to a wide range of agricultural needs.

The aircraft grade 390cc petrol engine delivers excellent flight endurance of at least 60 minutes even at maximum payload: a powerful, capable performer without the expense and limitations of battery powered machines. It features all the proven rugged construction quality you have come to expect from Yamaha.

The Fazer will automatically fly any spray pattern you desire and features fail-safe systems and obstacle detection to ensure safe, reliable operation even in challenging conditions.

Engineered for efficiency and versatility and backed by over 40 years of innovation and development, the Yamaha Fazer is reshaping aerial solutions in agriculture, delivering a cost-effective, high-performance alternative technology that helps farmers increase productivity while reducing environmental impact.

On behalf of the HMFD board and staff I would like to extend a warm welcome to our exhibitors and visitors for Henty 2024.

Henty Machinery Field Days is certainly back stronger than ever post Covid cancellations.  2022 saw our highest crowd numbers on record and 2023 was our largest exhibition on record. 

At the time of writing, 2024 was heading towards another sell out year for exhibition sites. This is telling HMFD management that we play a significant role in the connection of agricultural businesses to their consumers, the farmers, who are in the field with these products and technologies.

The HMFD board and its members extends our congratulations to former Chairman Ross Edwards on receiving a medal of the Order of Australia for his contribution to the Lockhart shire community and Henty Machinery Field Days. Ross was a member of the Pleasant Hills Rural Youth in 1966 when he first worked at Henty as a volunteer car parking attendant.  Ross then went on to serve as a director on the board and chairman from 2007 to 2019.  We are indebted to Ross for his long involvement and dedication of almost 60 years.

The board also welcomes Jordan Muller as a new director and pays tribute to retiring director Rohan Bahr for his invaluable contribution over the years.

As the development of new solutions, innovations and technology in agriculture are happening at a great pace, we at Henty are embracing and ready to showcase what our exhibitors have on offer.

We are proud to announce this year the development of Agtech Alley. In partnership with NSW Department of Primary Industries Farms of the Future program, and sponsored by Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Agtech Alley will feature over 20 agtech suppliers.  

Our popular vintage display will be marking 100 years since Henty inventor Headlie Shipard Taylor designed the revolutionary Sunshine W Type self-propelled header. This harvester was the forerunner for the modern harvester’s the world knows today. 

Another drawcard at the vintage display this year will be the celebration of 160 years of Furphy Engineering. The Furphy Engineering and foundry of Shepparton, is best known for its iconic Furphy watercarts that were first manufactured between 1878 and 1880 and grew quickly in popularity on almost every Australian farm during the federation drought of 1895-1902.

Our CEO, Belinda Anderson and her staff have been working tirelessly to make this event what our visitors and exhibitors have grown to expect and beyond, so we look forward to welcoming you all back in September 2024.

Nigel Scheetz

Chairman HMFD

The rapidly developing ag tech industry will be a highlight at southern Australia’s single biggest agricultural event, the Henty Machinery Field Days, in 2024.

The agribusiness super event is scheduled for September 17-19 and will showcase more than $200 million worth of agricultural machinery and products to the nation. 

HMFD chief executive officer Belinda Anderson said the event has become an institution on the farming calendar and had over its 61-year history, evolved into the nation’s agricultural shop front.

“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, and the very latest in new and emerging agricultural technology,” Mrs Anderson said. 

A visitor survey in 2022 revealed an incredible 78 per cent of visitors had been to the event in previous years an average of nine times.

A total of 93 per cent of all visitors came from outside of the Greater Hume local government area. Almost half of event visitors travelled more than 100km to attend and 14 per cent bought major purchases at an average of $4158. 

This year’s 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 Area, Baker Seeds agronomy trials, helicopter joy rides, live entertainment, the Natural Fibre Fashion Awards and vintage farm machinery display.

“2024 will further enhance the visitor experience with Agtech Alley, a collaboration with the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development and Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry,” Mrs Anderson said. 

“This hub will connect over 40 collaborating business, industry, grower and producer organisations, and delivers an extensive schedule of workshop, demonstrations, panel discussions, networking events and start-up mentoring for all attendees. 

“Agtech Alley will deliver practical advice to producers and industry organisations through hourly speaker and panel sessions, and live demonstrations. 

“Visitors can learn about cutting-edge innovation and how they can apply the latest technology, be it remote sensors, connectivity, or post-harvest solutions to streamline their on-farm operations.”

AgTech Alley is supported by funding from the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry as part of its Support Regional Trade Events Program. 

The 2024 field days will be officially opened by popular meteorologist, presenter and founder of Jane’s Weather, Jane Bunn. 

The official opening on Tuesday, September 17 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 18 at 10.30am.

National and international agricultural and commercial businesses will be eligible for the HMFD Exhibitor Awards at the 2024 field days.

Awards will be presented on Thursday, September 19 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 1pm.

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 and the winners announced at 1.30pm Thursday.

The Farm Gate Produce Area 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 a display commemorating 160 years of Furphy Engineering, including the famous Furphy water cart, and the centenary of the Sunshine Auto header, one of the nation’s most significant agricultural inventions.

Field day visitors can experience interactive hands-on science learning at Questacon’s Science on the Move roadshow. Discover the science of how things move from light and sound, to force and motion, and electricity and magnetism. 

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

Pre-purchase early bird tickets until September 16 by heading to the home page on www.hmfd.com.au and click on Buy Tickets. Online prices are $26 + card fees for adults and $9 + card 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 (unchanged on 2023) being adult gate tickets $30 (cash), card $30 + card charges, children 12 to 17 years $10 (cash), card $10 + card charges and children under 12 free when accompanied by an adult. Online tickets can be purchased while in the queue at the gate. 

Henty Machinery Field Days is set to be a day of celebration for the region's Landcare community this year with the launch of the South West Slopes and Riverina Revegetation guides.

These two guides were the collective effort of the region's best and most experienced practitioners, to modernise the original 1990 books and become a resource capable of directing revegetation practices for a future of carbon and environmental markets, global sustainability reporting and a changing climate.

Holbrook Landcare Network's CEO Dr Alison Southwell said the project had been one of passion and pride for staff to compile a lifetime's worth of knowledge and experience into key resources that will better equip land managers to revegetate their landscapes to be more resilient through times of drought and other local and global disturbances.

Landcare NSW Chair Gareth Johnson said at a time when revegetation efforts need to be threefold where they are now, to address ecological decline and emission

targets, and when native seed is in such short supply, it is essential we maximise revegetation success through best practice.

"Every seed counts," he said. 

Along with the launch of the guides, an interactive website has been developed and contains a vast reserve of information and greater access to resources for farmers, practitioners and the broader community to use.

Containing information on everything from establishment methods to what species grow where, this is an essential tool for anyone planning a revegetation project. This project has been funded by the Australian Government's Future Drought Fund and co-delivered by Holbrook Landcare Network and Murrumbidgee Landcare Inc.

To learn more from those that wrote the guides and join the celebration, come to the stump at Henty Machinery Field days at 11.30 am on Wednesday, September 18. 

Hard copies of both guides will be available to the public at the end of the month.

An ergonomically designed, automated catching pen is boosting comfort and efficiency in shearing sheds by reducing dragging distances and allowing shearers to maintain better posture.

The innovative Ram-to-Ewe is an entry in the Henty Machine of the Year Awards by southern NSW stockyard and shearing shed design specialists, Flinn Design. 

This automated, pneumatic catching pen is suitable for all sizes of sheds, new or existing, and can integrate seamlessly into timber or steel layouts.

Flinn Design principal Simon Flinn said the Ram-to-Ewe not only improved animal welfare and shearer safety but reduced the overall shearing times for the grower.

The Ram-to-Ewe is designed to modernise old or poorly designed catching pens, at a fraction of the cost of either a new shearing shed or carrying out major internal modifications.

The Ram-to-Ewe comes in two versions – Instinct is a computerised version which regulates the speed and distance the gate moves over the run; and Manual, where the shearer controls the back gate with the push of a button. It is fully pneumatic with no need for any power. 

“During operation, the back fence (which can incorporate a gate) moves forward progressively, reducing the size of the pen, as the sheep adjust and re-arrange themselves,” Mr Flinn said. 

“This reduces dragging distances and allows for improved sheep handling due to the ever-reducing pen size.

“It enables shearers to maintain better posture and efficiently select sheep or pick their pen, potentially increasing the number of sheep shorn and reducing the overall shearing time for the farmer.

“The adaptable design supports both front-fill and back-fill setups, making it an ideal upgrade for sheds looking to enhance efficiency, animal welfare and ergonomics without extensive structural modifications.”

The Ram-to-Ewe Instinct catching pen is suitable for two primary types of applications.

“In new and existing sheds, the pen can be integrated into both newly constructed and existing shearing sheds,” Mr Flinn said.

“It is compatible with various shed materials, including steel and timber and supports both front fill and back fill configurations.”

Due to the Ram-to-Ewe’s light weight, the pen is ideal for portable shearing operations and its design allows for easy transportation and set up at different locations, making it suitable for mobile shearing contractors. 

For permanent installations, the pen is constructed from robust galvanised steel offering long lasting durability and resistance to corrosion. 

For portable applications, the pen is available in lightweight aluminium and features adjustable dimensions. 

“This flexibility accommodates various shed sizes and layouts, providing a customisable fit,” Mr Flinn said.

“The pneumatic system is designed for smooth, low-pressure operation minimising wear and tear while ensuring gentle handling of sheep. Flow control valves and a programmable PLC adjustable regulator enhance operational precision and reliability. 

“Operating at a low pressure of approximately 40psi, the pen provides gentle, controlled pressure lower than an auto drafter or sheep handler. Operators can easily adjust parameters such as speed, pressure and alignment to suit various operational requirements.”

Mr Flinn said Flinn Design provided ongoing support and guidance for obtaining spare parts, ensuring operators have access to components and expert advice. 

The newly launched Trailmax silage and grain trailers, now available in 40-, 50-, and 70-meter capacities, is an entry in the Henty Machine of the Year Award. 

Entered by FarmTech Machinery, these trailers are meticulously crafted at the local AusMix factory in Wodonga, using the highest quality materials.

They are made from 350 grade BlueScope steel making them highly durable and they have a robust bin design with 6mm folded walls. 

The strong chassis is constructed with 16mm and 20mm steel plate, reinforced with 9mm RHS throughout, and all rated at 30 tonnes. 

Heavy duty axles are equipped with 14-tonne, 10-stud axles to ensure long-lasting performance while the grain door is available in either manual or hydraulic operation.

A forward lift function allows for easier loading from the front of the machine, and tandem axles with leaf spring suspension ensure smooth travelling across the paddocks.

There is the option of fitting EBS, ABS and steering control systems, which is a necessity when using public roads.

The wide wheelbase and lower loading heights give the operator far more stability when loading and unloading. 

With a push on bringing manufacturing back to Australia, Trailmax will be on the forefront of pit silage operations in the years to come.

The Cool Soil Initiative (CSI) is set to make a significant impact to farmers, boasting an innovative approach to sustainable farming. 

CSI is a paddock-to-product partnership focused on improving food sustainability by promoting healthy soils and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. 

This initiative is a collaboration between the food industry, farmers, and Charles Sturt University, working together to create climate-smart farming practices that benefit both the environment and agricultural productivity.

CSI offers a scientifically credible framework that helps farmers adopt sustainable practices tailored to their specific regions. 

By partnering with regional farming systems groups, CSI tests and validates management practices that lower greenhouse gas emissions, improve soil health, and support the long-term sustainability and profitability of farms. 

Each participating farm receives a regionally benchmarked commodity footprint and soil health report, giving farmers detailed insights into their operations and the tools to make informed practice changes.

 Importantly, the initiative is free for farmers, funded by its food industry members and Charles Sturt University. This funding structure ensures the entire supply chain, from paddock to product, is engaged in producing sustainable, low-impact food products.

The launch event at Henty on Wedneday, September 18 at 3.30pm at the CUS site offers farmers a unique opportunity to learn about the benefits of the Cool Soil Initiative firsthand.

Attendees will gain insights into how CSI can help them reduce their environmental impact while boosting productivity and profitability. 

The event will also showcase how CSI brings the whole supply chain together, with industry partners receiving validated greenhouse gas claims and impact reports that demonstrate progress towards sustainability targets. 

As the agriculture sector faces increasing pressure to adopt sustainable practices, CSI stands out as a practical, science-backed solution that empowers farmers to lead the charge in climate-smart agriculture. 

Don’t miss this chance to be part of a movement that is cooling the planet, one farm at a time.

Visitors to Henty’s Farm Gate Produce Area will be able to indulge in a feast of the senses with an array of regional produce to see, smell and taste.

From cocktails to chipolata sausage, spices to salami, wines to whiskey, and gin to gluten free paella, Farm Gate Produce Area offers visitors the opportunity to buy, taste and share local foods and drinks.

Featuring a host of regional exhibitors, the Farm Gate Produce Area is located on the southern edge of the field day site and has a busy program of demonstrations and talks by presenters.

Ancient traditions and modern science blending to reveal the power of plants will be the focus of presentations in the Farm Gate Produce Area from proud Wiradjuri woman and naturopath Felicity Kerslake.

A range of bush foods and medicinal plants will be on display for visitors to experience and explore their use at home.

And visitors can join fungi enthusiast Tracie MacVean to hear about the diversity and curiosities of the fungi kingdom. 

Learn about the anatomy of fungi, the basics of how to identify fungi and common edible, medicinal and toxic mushrooms.

Also among the exhibitors is the Long Track Pantry, with their award-winning preserves, jams, chutneys, relish and marmalade, Corowa distillery with presentations on their core range of whiskeys and a masterclass will be given by vigneron Damian Cofield, Cofield Wines, Rutherglen. 

Nathan Carter, Trufficulture, will be speaking on growing and harvesting truffles, how to use them in recipes and will have inoculated oak trees to sell. 

New to Farm Gate this year is Kiwi Artisan, which grew from a simple market stall in Central Otago, New Zealand, off the back of the Covid pandemic and developed into an online business. 

Kiwi Artisan produces high quality, locally made goods to bring a touch of unique flavour and foster the talented artisan presence within New Zealand. Produce includes olives, black truffle oil and sea salt, with all products crafted by hand, gluten free and all natural ingredients. 

Emerging Riverina icon, the Whitton Malt House, is back again this year showcasing their unique tourist venture and regional produce based in the cotton fields of the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area. 

Adding to the atmosphere will be talented regional musicians, Happy Hour, on the outdoor sound stage, the perfect spot to relax with a plate of delicious food.

Farm Gate coordinator Ordette Mannering is excited about taking part in an event that celebrates this region and its produce.

Ms Mannering said the Farm Gate Produce Area was all about showcasing local product, businesses and expertise.

“it’s great to be working at Farm Gate as it lines up with my values as a champion of local produce for the past 20 years.

“We have so many talented people in the region and Farm Gate will bring us together to celebrate our beautiful produce.”

This year’s exhibitors include red, white and sparkling wines, spirits, cider, cocktails, coffee, small goods, condiments, preserves, confectionary, spices, gluten free paella and award-winning gluten free peanut brittle made in Bendigo. 

The Farm Gate market has consistently aimed to showcase produce primarily grown and value added in southern NSW and northern Victoria.

There will be daily give aways of 10 vouchers valued at $10 for spending on the day at Farm Gate. 

Check out HMFD’s Facebook for more detailed timing of demonstrations closer to the event.

Visitors to the Country Lifestyle pavilion will be able to have bulk billed skin cancer checks thanks to the Southern Skin Cancer Clinic.

The Clinic’s team is passionate about visiting regional areas often lacking in these important medical services.

Having seen thousands of patrons in rural Victoria/NSW over the years - finding hundreds of skin cancers including over 400 melanomas, staff continue to spread the word of the importance, especially for farmers who spend most of their time outdoors, to have at least one skin check every year.

Skin Cancer does not discriminate and is not as some people might think an old person’s disease. Sun damage just keeps adding up and eventually it is likely to become a skin cancer. 

Statistically two out of three people in Australia will develop some type of skin cancer before the age of 70.

Staff highlight the importance of being SUNSMART by protecting your skin and eyes from excessive sunlight and getting regular skin checks. 

Have you noticed a mole or freckle changing over a period of months, particularly if it grows in size, shape, becomes mottled in colour or irregular in outline? 

Or do you have a mole you persistently itch or one that is lumpy or bleeds easily when rubbed with a towel and turns into a sore that doesn’t heal? These are all common signs you may have a skin cancer.

If you have never had a check before or are due for a yearly check-up - don’t put it off any longer - make sure you, your family and friends visit the friendly, caring and knowledgeable team in the Country Lifestyle Block: H for a bulk-billed skin cancer check. 

The saying prevention is better than cure is particularly relevant to skin cancer and can be lifesaving with early detection so make sure you visit the clinic at the Henty Machinery Field Days. 

An innovative full-swing farm gate invented by fifth-generation cattle farmers is an entry in the Henty Machine of the Year Award.

Rodney and Kylie Gorton, of Clever Gate Co, found problems with stock caught behind gates or bumping it closed, not allowing the rest of the stock to move forward. 

With his farming can-do attitude and a fitting and machining background, Rodney took to the workshop and created a revolutionary, self-aligning, double-hinged farm gate to solve this problem. 

The result is The Clever Gate which offers farmers a durable, practical solution enhancing livestock safety, their own safety and farm efficiency. 

The innovative design, unlike any other on the market, ensures the gate swings fully in either direction and aligns seamlessly with the fence when open, eliminating any protrusion into the paddock.

No more stock getting caught behind a gate or gates in the way. 

The Clever Gate swings fully both ways and is fully hot-dipped galvanised black steel after fabrication.

It has custom made graduated mesh safe for all livestock including horses, cattle, sheep, goats and pigs. The mesh is inset welded to reduce rub points and prevent weld failures. 

“Frequent cattle grazing between paddocks necessitated leaving gates open, which posed a safety challenge. Conventional gates, when swung open, often protruded into paddocks, risking injury to the stock, farmer or machinery, or inadvertently closing and block access,” Rodney said.

“Whether you are using concrete, timber or steel posts, our Clever Gate fits effortlessly, simplifying installation. Simply replace your old gate on the gudgeon pin and start swinging. 

“Australian designed and built to last, this gate is an investment in your farm’s efficiency. The gate minimises potential accidents, making solo farm tasks safer.”

The Clever Gate is located at the Henty Machinery Field Days at site 852a. 

As the reigning champions of the Henty Machine of the Year Award, Hutcheon & Pearce are gearing up to defend their title at the 2024 event. 

After clinching the 2023 MOTY with the innovative GUSS Automated Sprayer, now available for sale, Hutcheon & Pearce is ready to showcase another ground-breaking entry: the John Deere C-Series air carts.

The C-Series air carts represent a completely new line-up, featuring significant tech updates designed to optimise seeding performance for farmers of all sizes, including those with Controlled Traffic Farming (CTF) requirements. 

These air carts are equipped with AccuRate™ electric meters, made from stainless steel and composite materials. 

This construction ensures a corrosion and wear resistant system that stands up to seed treatments and abrasive granular fertilisers, delivering significant savings on meter maintenance costs.

The new AccuRate™ meter bank boasts up to eight individually controlled meters per tank. This feature allows farmers to adjust the speed and volume of each meter, enabling higher-resolution prescriptions and up to eight-times more precise seed metering. 

To maximise efficiency during short seeding windows, the C-Series air carts include two calibration features: the industry-exclusive EZCal™ system and the trusted ActiveCal™.

Complete Goods Inventory Manager Chris Roberts emphasised the comprehensive capabilities of the C-Series.

“The C-Series air carts are designed to meet the needs of all farmers, from small operations to large-scale producers. Everyone wins,” Mr Roberts said. 

“The under 20,000L air carts feature the same advanced meters, tank scales, and calibration systems as their larger counterparts, but with additional features like a low-profile hopper that offers more than double the filling space of current models.

These smaller carts also include a new conveyor/auger system that allows the hopper to stay in one spot while filling all four tanks, achieving fill speeds up to 75 per cent faster than the current conveyor. 

The G5e cart-side display further enhances efficiency by reducing calibration time and eliminating the need for multiple trips between the tractor cab and the cart.

Chris Goods highlighted how the C-Series meets the stringent criteria for the MOTY Award.

“We believe the C-Series air carts excel in every aspect of the MOTY criteria, from their purpose and suitability to their ease of maintenance and operation. The construction is robust and designed for longevity, while the advanced technology ensures precise operation and adjustment. Additionally, the availability of parts through our 20 NSW Hutcheon and Pearce branches and overall value for money make these carts a game-changer for farmers,” he said.

EZCal and ActiveCal Systems: The C-Series air carts feature the industry-exclusive EZCal™ system, a push-button calibration process that is up to 75 per cent faster than previous methods, saving significant time and effort. The ActiveCal™ system ensures that meters remain calibrated throughout the day as product properties change, allowing for continuous accurate seeding.

AccuRate Electric Meters: Constructed from stainless steel and composite materials, the AccuRate electric meters are designed to be corrosion- and wear-resistant. This innovative system stands up to seed treatments and abrasive granular fertilizers, significantly reducing maintenance costs. The AccuRate meter bank, with up to eight individually controlled meters per tank, enables higher-resolution prescriptions and precise seed metering.

Section Command and Curve Compensation: These features provide unparalleled accuracy and efficiency. Section Command allows operators to stop each meter from rotating, preventing seed damage and dumping during section control operations. Curve Compensation adjusts the speed of the meters during turns, ensuring consistent rate delivery across the entire drill, which is crucial for optimal crop growth.

Blower Speed Automation: This feature allows operators to set a target blower speed from the cab, ensuring consistent air flow as conditions change throughout the day. This level of automation reduces operator fatigue and allows them to focus on the seeding task at hand, ensuring a quality job regardless of experience level.

The combination of these advanced features makes the John Deere C-Series air carts not only innovative but also highly efficient, significantly enhancing the seeding process for farmers of all sizes. With their focus on accuracy, cost efficiency, and ease of use, the C-Series air carts are indeed serious contenders for the MOTY award, embodying the spirit of agricultural innovation and excellence.

As Hutcheon & Pearce prepare to showcase the C-Series at Henty, the farming community eagerly anticipates whether they will secure another win at the MOTY Awards. With a commitment to innovation and excellence, Hutcheon & Pearce is well-positioned to impress once again. For more information on the C-Series air carts, visit Hutcheon & Pearce's website or contact your local dealership.

The latest irrigation electronics for precise control of precipitation rates on a robust, light weight chassis is an entry from BAUER GmbH Australia in the Henty Machine of the Year Award.

The hard hose traveller, Rainstar T61, features a two-wheel chassis with adjustable track width and hydraulic jack, and a revolving pipe reel with integrated hydraulic leg supports.

A hydraulic gun trolley has automatic angle compensation to keep the Rainstar T61 in an ideal position on uneven ground.  

Supported with a mechanical winch and additional gearing, the Rainstar T61 has a hot dipped galvanised pipe drum, undercarriage, and turntable.

Launched in August 2024, it is equipped with the newly developed BAUER full flow turbine TVR 20, a BAUER four-speed gearbox with aerated brake and PTO rewind and has an automatic cart lift at the end of the irrigation strip. 

Compatible with the SmartRain BAUER app, the Rainstair T61 is fitted with an ECOSTAR 4300 irrigation computer with a back-up battery and solar panel.

BAUER Rainstar has a range of models designed to accommodate any size and shape of farming system with cost and energy saving, user friendly irrigation. Laser-machine precision-toothed chain sprockets ensure precise chain drive and high reliability. 

The pipe reel and steelwork are fully hot galvanised to ensure lasting value and high resale value. A modern design features central control and an easily accessible unit with an irrigation computer.

A new radial full flow turbine means cost and energy saving irrigation, particularly when low precipitation rates are applied.

No matter which field size or form, the innovative modular design of the Rainstar T61 easily adapts to every condition and offers tailer made equipment for every irrigation process.

The BAUER combi-wheel cart has an infinitely adjustable track, symmetric or asymmetric PE-pipe retraction and large clearance height. The large dimension tyres guarantee a safe irrigation process even in difficult terrain. 

Irrigating with a boom cart guarantees a precipitation gentle to all crops and plants. Even a very low connection pressure is sufficient for operation and means efficient use of energy and water. The boom cart is made of steel and aluminium parts resulting in high stability despite its lightweight construction. 

The SmartRain app allows simple monitoring and control of different irrigation machines directly from the smartphone or the office computer.

It gives a clear, visual representation of the irrigation machines on the field, and the operator can optimise the irrigation process by entering different irrigation sectors with participation rates.

SmartRain provides automatic evaluation and reports of operating hours wet/dry, water consumption and historical precipitation. 

The latest irrigation electronics for precise control of precipitation rates, the ECOSTAR 4300 features SMS control and monitoring, a four-line display, irrigation status indication, permanent set-actual speed comparison, operation-hour counter, variable irrigation speed zones, and a precipitation indicator.

A solar panel and a 12-volt battery provides adequate power supply.

The new Midwest Legacy model stands out with its innovative pro-cut guard design, ensuring long-lasting forged knife guards and a high-speed cutting system that delivers 20 per cent faster cutting speeds for a clean, even cut. 

Additionally, the platform’s advanced drive systems, including a zero stretch, carbon fibre drive belt and dual oil filtration systems, ensure smooth operation and extended service life, making it a reliable and efficient choice for today’s modern farmers.

The combination of wider coverage and faster cutting minimises labour requirements and operational costs, allowing farmers to harvest more for less. 

The Midwest Legcacy is an entry in the Henty Machine of the Year Award by Midwest Fabrication.

It is proudly all Australian family owned and manufactured with a rich history rooted in local innovation and engineering excellence.

Midwest remains the only global manufacturer to offer a 18.3m cutting width for large capacity combine harvesters over the past 10 years and now includes the John Deere X9 class 10 and 11 combines to its line-up.

This achievement is the result of continuous effort and dedication, combined with valuable feedback from our loyal customers, turning innovative world firsts into reality. 

The Midwest range of draper fronts are an engineering marvel, performing effortlessly across all crops and terrains, including uneven ground, melon holes, and gilgai country. 

A Midwest front follows ground contours without the use of electronic sensors, ensuring effective total cutting and gathering. The crop is cut and dropped directly onto the draper belt without the need to navigate a crude “hump” behind the knife. 

Featuring a patented centre ball pivot and a main frame with five degrees of lateral tilt, the Midwest designed platforms also include a purpose-built feeder house adaptor with 125mm vertical float suspension. 

This combination, along with large strategically placed land wheels that carry up to 40 per cent of the platform’s weight, allows the platform to float independently from the combine, adapting seamlessly to all-terrain contours. 

Midwest continues to stand out as one of the market leaders in large capacity harvester draper platforms, and is locally represented by dedicated dealers across the country, adding value and lowering the cost of ownership. 

A leader in remote water monitoring, Farmbot, wil have their smart, cost effective and easy to use solution at Henty Machinery Field Days.

The farming experience across the Farmbot team allows them to intimately understand the everyday hardships farmers are faced with.

That is why Farmbot’s solutions are designed and built to not only bring innovation and progress into agribusinesses but to also provide farmers with the knowledge they need to better plan their day, save on costs, and have the peace of mind they rarely to get to have. 

Farmbot monitors and reports on farm water ecosystems delivering near real-time reporting on water trends, consumption, and alerts.

Farmbot was established in Sydney in 2014 and is a leading Australian agtech company. The Saas Platform gathers data points via a unique IoT device that puts farmers “in the know” on their water assess with near real time reporting on water levels, trends, and alerts anywhere in the world. 

The founders combined knowledge of farming, the IT industry and financial markets in the agricultural sector are core to bringing Farmbot’s vision to life. 

Leading agricultural equipment manufacturer Bourgault is proud to unveil the latest innovation in precision seeding, the Bourgault 4420 Deep Knife Drill™, at the Henty Machinery Field Days.

Developed in partnership with Australian farmers, the Bourgault 4420 DKD™ is tailored to local agricultural conditions, enabling growers to experience unmatched seeding precision, efficiency, and adaptability.

Boasting an all-new frame design, the 4420 DKD™ is available in sowing widths of 12m and 18m and row spacings of 250mm and 300mm.

The 4420 DKD™ features a new generation frame and an all-new opener with an independent fertiliser knife (optimised for depths of 12cm to 16.5cm) and seed closer parallel to the packing wheel for improved seed placement and germination.

The large Hi-Flotation™ tyres, steerable front axle, and floating hitch ensure optimal depth control, superior tracking, and minimised soil compaction.

Third-generation WA farmer and director of Roma Farming Company, a 12,145ha mixed crop and lambing operation in the wheatbelt, Frank Varone assisted with in-field testing in 2023.

Frank was so impressed with the 4420 DKD™’s performance, he purchased the machine for the 2024 season.

“With the 4420, it almost doesn’t matter what the tines are doing,” Frank said. “The seed placement is always precise and the germination very even.

“Because it has good flotation, it's very even and accurate across the whole bar.”

Another key benefit is the 4420’s 5.5m transport width, applicable to both 12m and 18m models.

“The narrow transport width is good. It’s very compact and travels nicely down the road or through gates,” Frank said.

“Bourgault Australia have supported me all the way. I like their equipment, how it’s put together, and that they’re local so the service is good.”

For more information, visit: www.bourgault.com/en-au

The Mozzie Fire MC-7 has been designed from the ground up based on a need for a fire protection system that is portable while being quick to deploy.

It is an entry in the Henty Machine of the Year Award from the Smoker family, Mozzie Fire, in the Adelaide Hills. 

“After talking to community members, we found many are ill prepared and do not feel they have the knowledge, skills or resources to know where to start to be better prepared for bushfire. We could see a real issue and wondered how we could help,” Mozzie Fire co-principal Matt Smoker said. 

The result is the Mozzie Fire FC-7. It is adaptable, ensuring it can assist in protecting a range of assets including houses, hay sheds, machinery, firewood storage, livestock, horses/stables, and vineyards. 

At the heart of the system is an electric start Honda engine, easy to service and maintain, and is supported by every small engine dealer with parts and service information readily available. 

This is supported by an Australian made Davey Twin stage pump. The system is then connected using Australian made fire hoses. All the design and manufacturing is carried out by Australian owned Mozzie Fire in Australia. 

Other features include stainless steel/aluminium construction, national standard fire authority couplings, as well as being towable via a ride-on mower or ATV.

“Easy to start up and run by nearly everyone and requiring no heavy lifting, the Mozzie Fire FC-7 has no complicated plumbing and the electric start pump, meaning even the kids can help,” Mr Smoker said.

The carefully thought-out design ensures all components have a specific home for storage, reducing the likelihood of components being misplaced. 

“All you need to add is fuel for the pump and a static water supply (ideally at least 22,500 litres). This supply can be from tanks, pools or most dams, ensuring it is versatile enough for just about any situation,” Mr Smoker said. 

“The commitment to provide support and education to the wider community stands as an important pillar or what makes up Mozzie Fire.” 

Mangoplah farmer and musician Anthony Melton, along with his mate Col Anderson, proved a hit with their duo Happy Hour at Henty in 2023 and are back with an extended performance this year.

Field day visitors will be able to catch Happy Hour at the Farm Gate Produce Area stage at 9.45am-10.45am and 12pm-1.30pm each day.

As long-time friends, Anthony and Col had formed their acoustic duo not long before the 2018 field days after playing together for many years in five-piece country music band, Wobbly Boot.

Happy Hour has since performed at the Aime St Clair Melanoma Trust fundraiser at the Urban Winery in Sydney and at regional pubs and functions.

The pair continues to play with Wobbly Boot but decided to branch out on the side with Happy Hour, concentrating on their harmonies.

According to Anthony, their repertoire ranges from Slim Dusty to ACDC.

“We loved playing at Henty – field days visitors can expect to hear good Australian music, like Paul Kelly and Australian Crawl, as well as country artists,” Anthony said.

He describes their repertoire as easy listening music and the duo are happy to take requests.

The Melton family grows milling oats and breeds commercial Angus cattle.

“Colin works in a Wagga air conditioning business and is a talented musician who has played guitar with many established Australian country artists,” Anthony said.

“We have a wide range of material to suit all ages and can pull out modern material if there are younger people in the audience.

“We are definitely country flavour but delve into different areas to suit audiences.”

Anthony has had a long association with the field days – as a child attending with his parents and as an adult in an organisational capacity.

Hypro are true pioneers of the petfood industry and proud sponsors of the Henty Working Dog Trials.

Driven by innovation and bound by a commitment to quality, Hypro’s perfect reputation of producing safe, nutritious pet foods continues to be the gold standard.From humble beginnings, two passionate, like-minded Australian farmers, John Camilleri and Garry Jennings joined forces to create Hypro Group in 1998 originally as a stock feed company to service the rural animal feed industry across the Eastern States of Australia.

In 2006, the company introduced the flagship brand, Dogpro, a nutrient-dense range of products that quickly became one of rural Australia's best-selling dry dog foods, available nationwide in over 1200 agribusiness retailers.

In 2011 to 2013 Hypro continued to develop a portfolio of successful brands, such as Dogpro Plus which is highly recognised by the Australian Sheepdog Workers Association as the “Choice of Champions”. 

Hypro has also gained a strong presence in the market with Catpro Plus and SuperVite Everyday range.

Over the last five years Hypro has expanded rapidly in the premium pet nutrition space. The Hypro Premium range has grown to “top rated” brand status within the breeder’s community. 

The company also launched SuperVite Gold Label, Pure Life and Bark & Beyond.

Today, Hypro Group remains proud of its Australian family heritage. The company has matured into a highly skilled team of 140+ employees including some of the finest nutritionists in the country. 

Hypro is a fast growing, innovative manufacturer of premium pet foods located in the Hawkesbury Valley using locally sourced ingredients and supporting local farmers.

A self-propelled sprayer with a 4000-litre tank capacity and versatile boom sizes extending up to 36m has been entered by Goldacres in the Henty Machine of the Year Award.

The G4 Crop Cruiser Series 2 was initially introduced in 2014 to address the need for a lightweight and cost-effective sprayer, particularly in the cotton industry. The G4 has since evolved into a robust and adaptable solution for diverse agricultural applications. 

Throughout its history, the G4 has witnessed a series of enhancements and updates, including hydraulic track adjustment options, the introduction of 4WD with a fixed 3m track width, and an updated cabin design that prioritises operator comfort. Now, with the launch of the G4 Crop Cruiser Series 2, Goldacres takes the concept of a medium-capacity self-propelled sprayer to new heights.

A self-propelled sprayer with a 4000-litre tank capacity and versatile boom sizes extending up to 36m has been entered by Goldacres in the Henty Machine of the Year Award.

The G4 Crop Cruiser Series 2 was initially introduced in 2014 to address the need for a lightweight and cost-effective sprayer, particularly in the cotton industry. The G4 has since evolved into a robust and adaptable solution for diverse agricultural applications. 

Throughout its history, the G4 has witnessed a series of enhancements and updates, including hydraulic track adjustment options, the introduction of 4WD with a fixed 3m track width, and an updated cabin design that prioritises operator comfort. Now, with the launch of the G4 Crop Cruiser Series 2, Goldacres takes the concept of a medium-capacity self-propelled sprayer to new heights.

The G4 Series 2 boasts several key upgrades:

Enhanced engine driveline. Equipped with a Cummins B Series 4-cylinder engine rated at 200hp, a significant improvement from the previous 165hp, the G4 ensures more power and efficiency. Paired with a six-speed automatic Allison transmission with revised final ratios, it offers improved driveability. With a tare weight ranging from 10-11 tonnes, depending on configurations, the G4 stands out as one of the lightest mid-sized self-propelled sprayers in the market. Its mechanical driveline further enhances cost-effectiveness.

Versatile wheel track options. The G4 Series 2 offers a range of wheel track options suitable for both broadacre and horticultural applications. These options include 2m and 3m fixed 2-wheel drive, 2-3m and 3-4m manual track adjustment and 2-3m hydraulic track adjustment, as well as 3m 4x4 configurations. 

Comfortable cabin and ergonomics. The introduction of the Claas X10 cabin, borrowed from the G6 and G8 models, substantially improves operator comfort. The cabin design encompasses a spacious interior, reduced noise levels, ergonomic controls, a larger training seat, storage facilities, climate control, electric mirrors, Bluetooth-enabled audio reception, and a UHF radio. 

Efficient spraying with G-Hub system. The G4 Series 2 integrates the G-Hub fully integrated sprayer control system, comprising a 30cm cabin display for critical machine operations and an external display for streamlined fill, clean and induction functions. The G-Hub system further offers onboard diagnostics to quickly identify and address issues. The Fast Fill 7cm induction system enhances filling capacities and is conveniently managed through the 10cm G-Hub external display, automatically shutting off when the desired tank volume is reached. 

Minimized downtime. Goldacres addresses the issue of downtime during reloading by offering innovative filling solutions. These solutions include integrated water and chemical transfer pumps, as well as fast fill 7cm systems. The 60-litre chemical induction hopper streamlines the transfer of liquid and granular products into the main tank. An optional high flow 7cm fill pump allowing rates of up to 1150 litres per minute is also available. The integration of a chemical venturi probe further enhances precision in chemical transfer. 

Tritech boom for superior spray. The G4 Series 2 features the TriTech boom, available in sizes ranging from 24 to 36m. Designed to meet the demands of operators seeking top-tier performance, reliability and control, the boom offers hydraulic yaw control to minimise over and under application of chemicals. Centre section suspension links and tuned damping characteristics isolate chassis movement over rough terrain and ensure precise roll control, maintaining an optimal and consistent nozzle height. An optional radar boom height controller, Raven AutoBoom XRT, is also available, featuring five sensors for accurate height measurement, resistant to spray drift, dust, and mud. 

Advanced Chemical Application Systems. The G4 Crop Cruiser Series 2 provides various chemical application systems, including RapidFlow for boom recirculation, the 250mm 3TS (three-tier nozzle system) and RapidFire. These features are standard in 10 sections, with options to expand to 16 sections, offering 3TS Pro and Hawkeye PWM (pulse width modulation) capabilities. 

This model is also available with the Weedetect camera system with green on brown and green on green weed spot spraying capabilities. 

Trac Mac Farm Equipment will be introducing the all new Trac Mac’s Raptor large square bale feeder for the first time at Henty, and it is an entry in the Machine of the Year Award. 

After receiving a request from a local dairy farmer looking for a machine to feed out his large square bales more efficiently and consistently, the team from Trac Mac Farm Equipment researched, designed and built the all new Trac Mac’s Raptor Large square bale feeder.   

 Unlike most large square bale feeders that tends to break the bales up biscuit by biscuit, the Trac Mac’s Raptor breaks the bales up more consistently leaving less wastage, residue and damage to the pastures.

This was important to the farmer as they had found where large portions of hay were dropped onto the pasture, they were left with rings of mud and dead grass.

The Raptor’s design carries and simultaneously feeds out the two large square bales together and the bales are loaded on their sides making it much easier to remove the strings. 

The hydraulicly driven rear mounted rotor breaks up the bales, while a unique twin ram push bar system pushes the bales into the rotor via a variable speed control valve.  

The adjustable windrow guards at the rear then allows the operator to control the width of the feed row.

The Raptor also makes a great straw spreading machine for evenly applying straw into herd homes, calving sheds or pads and calf sheds. 

With the ever-increasing cost of saw dust and wood chips, many farmers are turning to bedding straw as an alternative.  

The whole system only requires only one set of remotes to operate with around 45 litres per minute oil flow, making it suitable to use behind smaller utility sized tractors. The Raptor is also fitted with a drawbar skid making it easy to use with a 3PTL quick hitch. 

This allows the operator to use the same tractor to load and tow the machine, allowing them to carry additional bales out for extra capacity.  

To find out more about the Trac Mac’s Raptor, come and see the machine on display at the Trac Mac Farm Equipment stand at site Q 730 or contact Allan on 0418 515510. 

A new heavy duty three-point linkage sprayer with 12 metre full hydraulic fold boom has been entered by BA Pumps and Sprayers in the Henty Machine of the Year Award. 

The LM Series culminates BA’s 30 years of designing and manufacturing sprayers exclusively for Australia’s and New Zealand’s tough cropping and pastoral conditions. 

The LM Series Sprayer features the innovative 12 metre full hydraulic fold M-Boom. The M-Boom’s exclusive EZI-TILT feature allows the operator to individually adjust the boom wing angle to the terrain, ensuring optimum boom height is maintained for maximum coverage and lowering the risk of spray drift, making ideal for spraying heavily undulated paddocks. 

The EZI-TILT function can lift high enough to easily clear fence lines, contour banks and other obstacles ensuring every corner of the paddock can be sprayed from the comfort and safety of the tractor cab. 

The LM’s unique 1150 Litre tank design integrates the chemical induction and flush tank into one mould giving excellent weight distribution, allowing the farmer to carry more volume without compromising tractor stability.

The LM sets the standard on operator safety and function with its easy to access Hand Wash tank and ergonomic operator fill station with an integrated induction hopper allows for easier and safer chemical loading. 

The built-in flush tank allows the operator to start the decontamination process with the flick of a ball valve, ensuring residual chemical is sprayed out in the paddock and not bought back to the fill point. 

The LM Series key features are:

The LM Series key features are:

LM1150ltr CAT2 3-point Linkage Spray Tank 

M-Series full hydraulic spray boom with EZI-Tilt

Bertolini POLY2073 75LPM diaphragm pump

3 Section 12Volt electric in-cab controls 

Chem fill station with induction hopper

Integrated fresh water hand wash and flush tanks

Optional auto rate controller 

To find out more see the BA Pumps and Sprayers Team at Site O-575 or visit bapumpsandsprayers.com.au.

Grower demand for a larger multi-purpose bin able to handle working across undulating country resulted in Steele Steel developing the Maxi Feeder Bulk Bin.

The bin is an entry in the Henty Machine of the Year Award for the West Wyalong based manufacturing business and has a 10-tonne holding capacity on 13 tonne independent walking beam axles with flotation tyres.

This bin offers various uses for bulk grain handling (feeding) and fertilising, lot feeding, filling seeders and feeders, fertiliser or super spreaders or can be used as a small chaser bin.

The Maxi Feeder Bulk Bin is made to customer specifications and boasts key features such as easy clean trap doors, heavy duty PVC lined auger (ideal for fertiliser), electric and pull start motors, wireless remote gear engaging actuator, trail feeding and a range of other options to suit individual farming needs.

With innovation and user functionality at the forefront of the latest design, the new product has been durability tested and put to work in the paddock by Steele Steel customers. 

The new FastFencer Jr offers farmers and fencing contractors increased efficiency, productivity and reduced labour costs and project timelines.

The new lighter FastFencer Jr is an entry in the Henty Machine of the Year Award from Quikfence and is giving operators the option to lift and carry one and two rolls of fence netting without any heavy lifting.

Built with only one clamping arm, Jr is lighter and smaller, which makes it ideal for excavators, skid steers, small tractors, and even mini diggers for more nimble movement on the job.

Some farmers like to go in the same direction when fencing, and only need one clamping arm – this machine ticks that box. To avoid any potential problems when the operator may find it favourable to go in the other direction, the FastFencer Jr has a unique pivot allowing the clamping arm across put the clips in. 

The FastFence Jr clamping arm with its pivot point, is light and easy to swing to the other side. 

Jr runs down the fence line with hydraulic clamps to hold the wire tight, allowing the operator to grab the fence, and pull it tight with the weight of the parent machine. With this done, the operator can tie off the fence line to a post, ad continue down the line. 

Once the roll is finished, on a two-roll machine the operator can join the next roll without the need to reload. This saves the farmer time without heavy lifting. 

By using Jr, contractors and farmers significantly reduce the physical strain on their workforce and safety on the job. 

There are options of one and two roll machines and different heights, to suit a wider range of fencing projects.

A dual-purpose sprayer and nurse wagon for dissolving urea, suspending lime flour and trace elements, biologicals and small seeds has been entered in the 2024 Henty Machine of the Year Award. 

The Tow and Fert Multicrop 4000 redefines agricultural efficiency, effortlessly dissolving solid fertilisers for foliar application, suspends and evenly sprays fine particle fertiliser, and delivers biological and organic inputs and herbicide applications.

The Tow and Fert product is familiar to Henty visitors with the Tow and Fert Multi 4000 receiving the Henty Machine of the Year Award a decade ago in 2014 after being entered by Metalform, Laverton North, Victoria. 

With a spray width of 24m and 4000 litre tank, the MultiCrop 4000 can efficiently cover up to 40ha making it an indispensable tool for large-scale farming operations. 

Beyond its spraying capabilities, the MultiCrop 4000 serves as a nurse wagon, seamlessly supplying a range of fertilisers - conventional, biological or organic – along with fine particles to air seeders, rippers or seed drills. 

This makes the MultiCrop 4000 the ultimate in versatility and the industry leader in delivering fine particles as a supply or spray.

With the patented boom circulation design, the purpose-built stainless-steel nozzles remain operational and free from blockages while applying the most difficult of mixes.

The 500-litre flush tank ensures the system is flushed straight after use, reducing the risk of build-up, and prolonging the life of the machine. 

When it comes to nurturing crops and soil with biological applications, precision and care are key. 

All Tow and Fert machines are designed to operate at an optimal 20 psi – safety below the threshold that could endanger the living organisms essential to enhancing the crop and soil health.

A compost basket can be added to the tank to mix and supply your own biological inputs. 

Tow and Fert MultiCrop 4000, developed and manufactured by Metalform in New Zealand, is a game-changer in modern agriculture. Its unparalleled efficiency, versatility and innovative design make it an essential tool for farmers seeking to optimise their operations while maintaining the health and vitality of their pasture, crop and soil. 

With the MultiCrop 4000, growers are getting a dual-purpose sprayer and nurse wagon for dissolving urea, suspending lime flour and trace elements, biologicals and small seeds.

It is a year-round low maintenance machine which results in a reduction of input costs, improved soil, plant and animal health. 

Field day visitors will be able to see their favourite breakfast announcers and local scribes tackle a series of farm activities in an effort to win the 2024 HMFD Media Challenge.

The inaugural challenge was held in 2018 and is back this year due to popular demand from the participants and exhibitors who took part.

There is no Golden Microphone for the winner but instead boasting rights plus the Golden Gumboot trophy.

Lining up to defend their 2022 and 2023 title will be the Radio 2AY team up against the teams from Triple M The Border, Triple M Riverina and The Land newspaper. The Border Mail will have a team for the first time this year. 

The teams will compete in a tractor pull at the Hutcheon & Pearce site at 9.30am on Tuesday, September 17.

The “tractor pull’’ will involve using a special harness to pull a ride-on lawn mower over a set distance at the fastest time.

The teams then move onto the TAFE NSW site where entrants will be scored out of 10 on throwing a fleece across a wool table.

 The Great Crack Off will be held at The Stump where teams will attempt to crack a stock whip and be scored on their technique. 

The CWA will host the final challenge on the Country Lifestyle stage where entrants will attempt to scoff as many scones, jam and cream as possible in a minute.

The self-propelled Grain Commander tube conveyors combine operator safety, practicality, and efficiency for the ultimate grain handling solution, and is an entry in the Henty Machine of the Year Award. 

Launched in January 2024, the self-propelled Grain Commander tube conveyor range features a S-belt drive system, 15-inch crescent belt, collapsible hopper, petrol or diesel motor options, adjustable top spout, hydraulic mover kit and conveyor lift, a low intake height, adjustable belt tension, and an operating angle indicator.

The S-Drive belt drive system ensures there is maximum contact on the main drive roller to reduce belt slipping and maintain capacity. The 15-inch crescent belt runs in a 10-inch barrel, with a capacity of 180-240 THP, depending on the product.

The tube conveyor is 100 per cent Australian made, manufactured in Albany, Western Australia. Australian steel and only the highest quality components are used on these units, offering superior quality and also local service and parts to keep growers moving during those busy times. 

Made in-house, the one-piece barrel offers superior longevity and strength, compared to imported conveyors and augers with split barrels and flighting due to transport. 

The Grain Commander Conveyor range from 41 foot to 66 foot, with a maximum lift height of 5.54m (41’) and 9.28m (66’). The optional extras include a hydraulic engine slide, stainless-steel componentry, work lights or a Yanmar diesel engine upgrade.

Manufactured by the third-generation Western Australian business Commander Agriculture, the Grain Commander range has evolved over the years, dating back to 1989 manufacturing the first mobile grain augers. The range has grown to include self-propelled grain augers, pencil, mini augers, silos, field bins, and feed out bins. 

With a strong focus on reliability, quality and performance, the Commander Agriculture grain handling range is covered by a three-year product structural warranty and lifetime customer support. 

Machines at the cutting edge of agricultural technology will be showcased to the industry in the prestigious 2024 Henty Machine of the Year Award.

Announced on the opening day, this “farmers’ choice’’ award is presented to the most outstanding new piece of agricultural machinery exhibited at the Henty Machinery Field Days on September 17-19.

The award is judged by an independent panel of regional primary producers.

In many cases the machine has gone on to become a standard piece of equipment on farms.

Judging criteria includes the machine’s purpose and suitability, scope of application, construction, ease of maintenance and service, ease of operation and adjustment, availability of parts and overall value for money.

In 2023, entries ranged from a manure spreader, heavy-duty double row aerator, an automatic horse feeder, self-propelled sprayer, trailed mower conditioner, pump, wheeled loader, chaser bin, mechanical interrow weeder, draper platform, a passive, automatic sheep drafter and an autonomous orchard sprayer.  

The award drew 23 entries with the GUSS autonomous sprayer, entered by Hutcheon & Pearce, impressing judges with its innovation, engineering and design.

Using the innovative Select Spray^TM technology, GUSS identifies the target tree and applies the precise amount of spray required for optimal coverage, irrespective of height or canopy size. 

Highly commended was The Shepherd Feedlot Auto Drafter entered by Justin Dunn, of Temora. 

This year’s line-up also includes a grain tube conveyor, petrol driven hot water pressure cleaner, bulk bin feeder, fencing innovation, super seed and fertiliser bin, large square baler, silage tipper trailer, self-propelled sprayer, portable bushfire protection system, trailing spreader and the world’s widest draper platform at 18.2m.

HMFD chairman Nigel Scheetz said a win at Henty gives the entrant valuable exposure for their product.

“Henty continues to showcase the latest in agricultural technology - the entrants certainly excelled last year, and we are expecting the innovation will be repeated this year.”

The GUSS autonomous sprayer on display at the field days was at the time one of less than 10 in Australia with the others field proven in almond orchards in the Sunraysia and Riverina districts.

Hutcheon and Pearce sales and marketing manager Andrew Watt said the Machine of the Year Award meant much to Hutcheon and Pearce, reaffirming the release of the autonomous technology to the Australian market. 

Sheep feedlot and containment specialist Justin Dunn has done it again and come up with The Shepherd Feedlot Auto Drafter, highly commended in the Machine of the Year Award. 

Justin, of Temora, was an entrant in last year’s Machine of the Year Award with the Road Runner, an off grid and solar powered loaded automated feeder with online connectivity and was the winner of the 2018 Henty Agri-Innovator Award. 

Justin said the new auto drafter is a system that can weigh and draft sheep in a feedlot continuously without leaving their pens.

Mr Scheetz paid tribute to the excellence in design displayed by all entrants, which varied from battery chargers to sprayers and disc chains.

“The competition is very well supported, and we appreciate the interest each year from local and international businesses,” he said. 

An additional accolade at Henty is the Greater Hume Council Award for the best new Australian designed and manufactured machine.

It is judged on the Monday and presented on the Wednesday of the field days. 

2024 Machine of the Year entries include:

BA Group Australia – LM1150 Litre 3-point linkage sprayer

Bauer GmbH Australia – Rainstar T61 

Clever Gate Co – full swing gate

Commander Ag-Quip – Grain Commander Tube Conveyor

FarmTech Machinery – Trailmax TM40

Flinn Design – Ram2Ewe

Goldacres – G4 Crop Cruiser Series 2 

Hutcheon & Pearce – John Deere C Series air cart

Jetwave Industrial Equipment – Explorer G2 petrol driven hot water pressure cleaner

JTA Spraying Equipment – JTA Sprayer 

Metalform Ag – Tow and Fert MultiCrop 4000

Midwest Fabrication – Midwest Legacy

Mozzie Fire

Quikfence – FastFence Jr

Steele Steel – MP Maxi Feeder 

Trac Mac Farm Equipment – Trac Mac’s Raptor

Tuesday, September 17

9.30am: Useful tips on first aid with St John Ambulance NSW

9.45am: Regional Lifestyle Magazine showcasing the best of rural and regional NSW

10am: Murrumbidgee Primary Health Network – free COVID, flu and Japanese Encephalitis vaccines

10.15am: Nic McHenry – elevating and accessorising, the art of adding scarves and other clever additions to your wardrobe

10.30am: Scone eating challenge with the media teams.

10.45am: Dylan Hore – The Next Step support service 

11am: Fashion parade from the 2024 Country Lifestyle clientele 

11.35am: Weather Matters with Karl Lijnders, all your agricultural weather needs in one location

11.50am: Protech, finding jobs for people

12pm: Yvonne Booth, Henty Beanie Festival and fund raising for Peter McCallum Cancer Centre

12.20pm: Boys to the Bush – turning boys into good men

12.40pm: Commins Hendriks - Succession planning for farming families and businesses

1pm: Fashion parade of 2024 Henty Natural Fibres Fashion Awards entries with prize money totalling around $5500. Competition to be judged on Thursday.

1.40pm: Australian Army Band Kapooka entertains

2pm: Meteorologist and Channel 7 weather presenter Jane Bunn

2.15pm: Bosom, belly, bottom, necklines and hemlines with Jo Lucchesi

2.30pm: Fashion parade from our 2024Country Lifestyle clientele 

3.05pm: A-Z of Dementia care

3.20pm: Useful tips on first aid with St John Ambulance NSW

Wednesday, September 18

9.30am: Regional Lifestyle Magazine showcasing the best of rural and regional NSW

9.45am: Weather Matters with Karl Lijnders – all your agricultural weather in one location

10am: Josh Morrow on fitness and a brighter tomorrow

10.15am: Carmen Quade, AgriFocused, Apps to help your farming business

10.30am: Ozybushgirl - naturally treat all skin conditions with calendula

10.40am: How to find flattering and forgiving women’s clothing, no matter your height, shape or size with Jo Lucchesi

11am: Fashion parade from our 2024 Country Lifestyle clientele 

11.40am: Boys to the Bush - turning boys into good men

11.55pm: Steve Matthews speaking on mental health resilience

12.10pm: Yvonne Booth, Henty Beanie Festival and fund raising for Peter McCallum Cancer Centre

12.30pm: A-Z of Dementia care

12.45pm: Grace Larsen, runner up in the Australian Rural Woman of the Year 2024, on The Sisterhood Project. 

1pm: Fashion parade of 2024 Henty Natural Fibres Fashion Awards entries with prizes totalling around $5500. Competition to be judged on Thursday.

1.40pm: Succession planning for farming families and businesses with Commins Hendriks

2pm: Useful tips on first aid with St John Ambulance NSW

2.15pm: Murrumbidgee Primary Health Network – free COVID, flu and Japanese Encephalitis vaccines

2.30pm: Fashion parade from our 2024 Country Lifestyle clientele 

3.05pm: How to repot a Phalaenopsis Orchid with Ann Adams

Thursday, September 19

9.30am: Protech finding jobs for people

9.40am: Nic McHenry, elevating and accessorising, the art of adding scarves and other clever additions to your wardrobe

9.50am: Ozybushgirl – Naturally treat all skin conditions with calendula 

10.05am: Fitness in the Third Age with Libby Smith Draper 

10.20am: The best of rural and regional NSW with Regional Lifestyle Magazine

10.35am: A-Z of Dementia Care 

10.45am: How to find the fit you have been looking for with Jo Lucchesi

11am: Fashion parade from our 2024 Country Lifestyle clientele 

11.40am: Useful tips on first aid with St John Ambulance NSW

11.50am: Yvonne Booth, Henty Beanie Festival and fund raising for Peter McCallum Cancer Centre

12.15pm: Fox & Lillie representative speaks about the wool industry

12.20pm: Mental health and counselling for the whole community

12.30pm: JMP Developments, one of our Natural Fibres Awards sponsors

12.35pm: Family succession, preserving livelihoods and legacies with Dianna Jacobsen, Shine at Business

12.50pm: Boys to the Bush - turning boys into good men

1.15pm: Entertainment 

1.30pm: Judging of the 2024 HMFD Natural Fibre Fashion Awards with prizes totalling around $5500 including the Business Development Award.

2pm: Succession planning for farming families and businesses with Commins Hendriks 

2.15pm: Weather Matters with Karl Lijnders, all your agricultural weather needs in one location

2.30pm: Murrumbidgee Primary Health Network – free COVID, flu and Japanese Encephalitis vaccines

2.40pm: All things patchwork with Christine 

3pm: Some useful first aid tips with St John Ambulance NSW

Albury portrait photographer Nik Buttigieg will be exhibiting in Country Lifestyle pavilion for the first time this year, offering farming families the chance to celebrate with a special photographic experience.

Nik is also celebrating the opening of his new Albury studio, where he captures the memories of families, pets and locals through portrait artwork. 

“We are really looking forward to being at Henty for the first time. It will be nice to connect and meet people in the community,” Nik said. 

Originally from Wangaratta, Nik developed a passion for photography while travelling Europe. He returned to study in Melbourne and later worked on documentaries and music videos in remote areas of Australia.

“Our new Albury studio is a welcoming and relaxed space designed to make people feel at home,” he said.

“We love getting to know people and their family before their photoshoot. It helps to understand what is most important to them and who they want to celebrate in their life. The photographic experience starts with a discovery all where we learn about the people our clients what to celebrate through photographs and what makes them special. 

“The photo shoot is where the real fun begins. We bring out personalities and interactions, capturing all those beautiful moments and fun times together. We always aim for the photoshoot to be relaxed and enjoyable for everyone. 

“The design consultation happens after the photoshoot, and this is where the client gets to see their beautiful photos for the first time. We help them decide where to display the artwork and choose a finish that complements the home décor.”

At the Henty Machinery Field Days, Nik Buttigieg Studio will offer a special promotion, allowing families to book a photography session either on their property or in the new Albury studio.

Nik will have fun games and numerous prizes to give away each day. There will also be beautiful photographic artwork on display and visitors can make a booking for their own photography experience.

Physical and mental fitness, fashions that flatter, plus Boys to the Bush, Boomwhackers and a beanie festival means there will be something for everyone in the Country Lifestyle pavilion this year at Henty.

The Country Lifestyle pavilion is run by Lyn Jacobsen and Leonie Kohlhagen with a team of Riverina Group CWA members.

Compere for the fashion parades is motivational speaker Bernadette Torresan, who runs the red-carpet event, GO Fashion Show in Wodonga, while Albury MC Steve Bowen OAM will once again provide the music.

Former compere Peta Schaefer continues to train the models and will be supported by Bernadette. 

Celebrating 25 years as the Country Lifestyle co-ordinator, Mrs Jacobsen said the aim of the Country Lifestyle program was always to entertain, inform and educate.

Fashion parades have been consistently popular with field day visitors, sowing the seed for the launch of the Henty Natural Fibre Fashion Awards in 2004.

Today, the competition is one of the major natural fibre awards in Australia, attracting international entries for the first time several years ago.

The 2024 Natural Fibre Fashion Awards will culminate with the judging on Thursday, September 19 at 1.30pm.

This year’s judges are Lisa Schaefer, Grenfell, Colleen Langtry, Wagga Wagga, and Krystal Kaye, Albury. 

Demonstrations covering a vast array of topics are held between the parades, keeping a vibrant tempo in the pavilion.

Special guest is popular meteorologist and Channel 7 weather presenter Jane Bunn with Country Lifestyle visitors able to meet and greet with Jane on Tuesday at 2pm.

Among the presenters invited this year is Grace Larson, founder of The Sisterhood Project and the runner up in the 2024 Agrifutures Australian Rural Woman of the Year. 

The Sisterhood Project is a registered charity providing free infant and child first aid to disadvantaged parents and carers. Grace and her sister Skye Larson aim to save children’s lives through education and breaking down barriers. 

Stylist Jo Lucchesi will be helping women to find clothing to suit their body shape;  potting orchids with the CWA’s Ann Adams OAM; and succession planning for farming families with Commins Hendriks; craft work with Lyn Maloney, will outline the local wool industry; family succession planning with Dianna Jacobsen, Shine at Business; handy first aid tips from St John Ambulance NSW; Yvonne Booth, Henty, on the local beanie festival and fund raising for the Peter McCallum Cancer Centre; Dylan Hore on The Next Step support service, and the long range weather forecast from Karl Lijnders, Weather Matters. 

Grace Larson was named as the winner of the 2024 Victorian AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award and the national runner-up for her extensive work to address the unfair health disadvantages faced by rural children.

Grace, a dedicated paediatric intensive care nurse with more than 17 years’ experience from Mia Mia, Victoria, is empowering local parents and caregivers across rural Australia to identify preventable illness and decrease the need for rural children to seek specialised services in urban areas.

“I’ve teamed up with my sister Skye Larson to deliver The Sisterhood Project, a non-profit initiative that addresses the unfair disadvantages faced by rural children which aims to break down barriers hindering parents and caregivers from accessing vital training when it comes to illness recognition, accident prevention and basic first aid,” Grace said.

“The statistics are quite jarring in terms of outcomes for country kids – we are looking at nearly three classrooms of country kids die from preventable accidents and injuries each year compared to one classroom full of their metropolitan counterparts.”

As president and co-founder of The Sisterhood Project, Grace will be a guest speaker at Country Lifestyle on Wednesday, September 18 at 12.45pm. 

The Sisterhood Project works to support families in disadvantaged areas, low social demographic regions, and culturally linguistically diverse communities.

A tailored and collaborative approach is used to overcome the barriers for parents or carers to save their child in an emergency. 

“We engage community groups that support these cohorts and parents and carers themselves, to better understand the barriers. We then come up with a training solution to resolve as many of these as possible,” Grace said. 

“The Sisterhood Project provides the funds, transport and childcare support to allow the mothers to attend a course and learn vital lifesaving skills, and how to recognise a serious respiratory illness in their child or how to perform CPR.” 

As the winner of the 2024 Victorian AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award, Grace received $15,000 from Westpac to further support her project and the opportunity to undertake a professional development course of her choosing.

She represented Victoria in August at the AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award gala dinner and national announcement in Canberra where the national winner took home an additional $20,000 Westpac grant and herself as the national runner up $15,000.

The Sisterhood project aims to develop a mobile phone app to connect first aid providers with organisations and people in need and roll out first aid courses across Victoria for disadvantaged families. 

The Project is supporting First Nations parents and carers in Shepparton by funding child first aid courses through Rumbalara Aboriginal Cooperative, as well as the Maternal Child Health Nurse parent’s group.

The Project also received a grant of from National Australia Bank for its pilot program for young mothers in Shepparton through The Bridge Youth Service, teaching vital skills such as CPR, identifying respiratory illness and choking first aid. 

Grace and her team are working with specialist education providers to tailor the courses to make them easier to digest and take part in for rural and remote communities in Gippsland, NSW and Western Australia. 

Grace said the Sisterhood Project had undergone rapid growth since it was founded three years ago.

“Our first course in NSW is for a community group based in Sydney and catering for immigrants without access to the Medicare system. We have plans to roll out courses across regional and rural areas of NSW and Queensland,” she said. 

“We are hoping to produce an app that is accessible to the 6.5 million parents and carers in Australia to provide training and a guide for emergency first aid. It will be an offline product, so it is not reliant on internet service in remote areas. 

“It is a multi-modal approach using technology to further our reach. All parents and carers should have access to this information and feel empowered to manage their children’s health emergencies no matter where they live, their bank balances or what language they speak at home.”

Australian Red Cross Lifeblood will be visiting Henty Machinery Field Days Country Lifestyle pavilion to encourage visitors to register as blood donors.

Australia needs around 33,000 donations every week to meet demand and one in three Australians will need blood or blood products in their lifetime, but just one in 30 people donate.

Lifeblood has donation centres in Wagga Wagga and Albury along with the mobile donor centres (simply search “find a donor centre” to locate your closest blood donation centre or visit Lifeblood.com.au) 

Research by the nation’s blood service found a new blood donor is needed every four minutes and one blood donation is needed every 18 seconds.

Cancer patients are the largest users of Australia’s blood supply and 34 per cent of donated red cells will go to people and children with cancer and blood diseases.

An average cancer patient needs 18 people to donate blood every month. The average treatment for leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma is eight months, but it can last for years.

It is estimated up to 57 per cent of the adult population of Australia are eligible to donate but only three per cent do. 

Last year nine-year-old Wagga Wagga resident Matilda (known as Toots) Howard, was diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma, a cancer of the soft tissue, connect tissue or bone.

Her family travelled to Sydney for Matilda’s treatment at Westmead Children’s Hospital, and she continues to receive many lifesaving blood products (blood, plasma and platelets).

“We never thought this would be our story, never thought childhood cancer would affect any of our children,” Mrs Howard said. 

“Hearing the words that our daughter had a significant tumour in her chest and abdomen and that she needed to be flown to Sydney urgently changed our lives.

“Our world crashed around us. To watch your incredibly active, busy and confident little girl fight for her life is something we wouldn’t wish on anyone. You cannot describe the pain and heartache. 

“The first time Matilda received blood products we knew that we needed to enhance the awareness of how important it is that we all donate. We have seen first-hand the positive affects it can have on lives.

“Friends started Toot’s Blood Angels, encouraging anyone that was willing to donate, to not only save our little girl, but anyone who needed it.” 

You can book a donation now by calling 13 14 95 or book online at lifeblood.com.au or on the DonateBlood app. 

3.Little.Sheep is an evolving small market and creative business run by sisters Florance, Miranda and Ivy McGufficke, taking inspiration from their family’s fine wool Merino sheep enterprise. 

All talented artists, Florance works with Elders Stud Stock in Dubbo while Miranda is studying animal science and Ivy is studying business marketing at the University of New England, Armidale. 

Having grown up on a Merino sheep property near Cooma, NSW, inspiration was never far away, and the girls use their own designs to create a range of unique art works, cards, tea towels, socks, gift tags and bespoke handmade ceramics – all handmade and designed by them.

3.Little. Sheep will be exhibiting for the first time in the Country Lifestyle pavilion at Henty.

“We are excited about making the journey to Henty – we have always heard about it, but it has clashed with shearing or ram tagging so we never got to go,” Miranda said.

“We will have our original range of art works as well as our seedstock cards, high quality linen tea towels, our new range of socks and art works featuring cowgirls and horses.

3 Little Sheep is something the three women enjoy doing together and they like sharing their love for farming, rural life and sheep with customers. 

“We were always encouraged to be creative, use our hands and imagination – dad (Alan) is very handy on tools and mum (Michelle) had always done market stalls, whether that is making belts or selling handmade date loaf,” Miranda said. 

“When we went away to school the art facilities at Frensham were amazing with a gallery next door and our art teacher being top shelf, so being exposed to a lot of different mediums starting us thinking how we could utilise our passion for making things.

“That is when we started selling our ceramics, water colour artwork and etchings – a beautiful thing about art is it is so versatile and that’s why we started printing our original art works onto top quality cards, tea towels and socks. 

“We wanted to get our art to more people at an affordable and ever lasting level. We all love spending time with each other, and we are lucky to have a support network with mum who is the core of our logistics. The business is a beautiful family moment where we can travel around the country together.”

3.Little.Sheep was born in 2011 when the girls were pre-teens and producing ceramics and mixed media.

“We kept developing the business, marketing through a lot of different outlets and found what else we could do as side projects,” Miranda said. 

The family farm is south of Cooma and supports the Greendale Merino stud and commercial flock.

“A beautiful thing about our art is we can take inspiration from driving around the paddock and helping in the yards and shearing shed. We occasionally have a hefty mob of poddy lambs and their antics in the paddock are the inspiration to our bouncing sheep artworks,” Miranda said.

Designers using natural fibres in their creations are encouraged to enter for the prestigious 2024 Henty Natural Fibre Fashion Awards to be held in September.

Introduced in 2022, The Australian Made Business Award is sponsored by JMP Developments, Wodonga for $500, and will be a highlight of the 19^th annual Henty Natural Fibre Awards at the 2024 Henty Machinery Field Days on September 17-19. 

To be eligible for the Australian Made Business Award, entries must be designed in Australia and be either from fibres grown or manufactured in Australia plus the garment be Australian manufactured.

Last year’s winner Jessica Durman, Kooringal, NSW, teaches fashion design and dress making at Sew Me School of Fashion and Design, Wagga Wagga, and entered five garments in conjunction with her mother-in-law Fiona Durman.

Boasting prizes valued at around $5500, the fashion awards have grown into a prestigious event attracting high profile designers, with the 2024 entries to be paraded in the Country Lifestyle pavilion at 1pm on Tuesday and Wednesday. The final parade will be held at 11am on Thursday with the winners announced at 1.30pm.

Awards convenor Lyn Jacobsen said the Business Development Award was creating excitement among designers with new entrants planning on participating.

“Since the field days are located within a major wool and fibre producing region, it was important an event be carried on to encourage designers to showcase their creativity using the fibres allowed,’’ Mrs Jacobsen said.

“This competition is free and open to all designers, but the fabric in the garment must be at least 70 per cent natural fibre, which can be wool, cotton, alpaca, silk, linen or combinations. Leather is not classed as a natural fibre and can only be added as a trim.

“Garments are judged on visual appeal, creativity and innovation.’’

To be announced on the final day, the winner of the supreme garment made with natural fibres will receive $1000 in prize money from Henty Machinery Field Days plus a Bernina 325 sewing machine valued at $1499, courtesy of Bernina Australia and Sew Fab, Narrandera.

A knitted body-hugging Merino wool dress with a stunning three-tiered hat titled “Coming up Roses” stole the limelight on the catwalk at last year’s Awards winning the supreme garment for international designer Laurel Judd. 

The winners of the best knitted or crocheted garment will receive $500 donated by Fox & Lillie Rural, while the millinery and accessory winners will receive $500 each sponsored by Henty Machinery Field Days. 

Bernina Australia and Sew Fab are donating a Bernette 44 Funlocker valued at $750 as an encouragement award for the best garment by a student designer.

Entries are open until September 3 and for more information on the awards or to enter visit www.hmfd.com.au

Able to mow over 3.5 hectares per hour at speeds up to 20 kph, Cox Industries’ new commercial lawn mower the WRIGHT ZK AUTONOMOUS will be at the Henty Machinery Field Days this year.

Aiden Andrews, Cox’s State Sales Manager for Vic, SA and Tasmania, said just 72 units of this machine existed in the world with 70 units operating in the USA, one in Canada and now one in Australia. 

Built on the proven heavy duty Wright Stander machine, the autonomous control module makes programming as easy as mow the boundary once and the mower’s AI fills in the rest. 

Simply mow the lawn once manually how you’d like, and the ZK Autonomous will memorise your cutting pattern and faithfully replicate it.

Bring the machine back in a couple of weeks when the lawn needs mowing again, drive it to the boundary of the area to be mowed and simply set it to autonomous mow.

The machine’s GPS will confirm its location, and having previously memorised the lawn will set off to faithfully reproduce the desired mowing pattern.

Safety is the number 1 priority. The Wright ZK Autonomous is built to meet or exceed ISO 10218-1 2011 and ANSI/RIA R15.08-1-2020. It operates to the same safety standards applied to all Autonomous Mobile Robots, the same standards applied to large-scale industrial robots and robotic systems.

Safety is multilayered: -

the mower remembers maps of the lawns it mows and their locations,

each ZK is fitted with four depth sensing cameras and one machine learning camera to detect obstacles, which it can steer around or safely come to a full stop,

each operator carries a rock-sold wireless emergency stop device

the operator can create no go zones to avoid hard to see obstacles like drains 

“We’ve come from a lawn mowing business ourselves, so we know what it takes,” Ed Wright, CEO of Wright Manufacturing, said. 

“Making a machine that’s heavy duty enough to provide years of trouble-free service in field is a great start but today it’s also really all about productivity. The labour market is really challenging, so a machine that can turn time into money faster, do I or 2 additional jobs in a day on the same fixed costs, that has a huge impact on business profitability,” he said.

“Landscaping is a relationship business in a sea of mowers, a lot of the larger companies are just not in touch at the level of detail needed by their customers. Often their primary responsibility is to their shareholders, not their customers.”

Over 30 years manufacturing, over 50 US Patents, a 9,000 plus square metre ‘just-in-time’ manufacturing facility says Wright are clearly doing it right.

Partnered with Australia’s own 70-year-old Cox Industries, that’s 100 plus years of lawn mowing experience.

Visitors to the Farm Gate Produce Area will be given a taste of New Zealand’s small batch artisan food community with a range of olive and truffle products.

Kiwi Artisan began life as a simple market stall in Central Otago supporting local producers and came to fruition off the back of the Covid pandemic. 

Like most small retail operations, the business struggled to survive during lockdown and was particularly affected as local markets and events were cancelled across the country. 

Without a strong online presence, the operations came to a standstill, but the owners pressed on to launch Kiwi Artisan online to support the small batch artisan community and broaden artisan platter options for those loving to entertain at home.

Kiwi Artisan now produces in-house high-quality locally made goods to continuously foster the talented artisan presence in New Zealand.

The Kiwi Artisan Co sales manager Louis Nieuwenhuijsen will be bringing the full artisan range to Henty Machinery Field Days with all products being gluten free and crafted by hand from natural ingredients.

The range includes the truffle oil infused olives, Manuka wood smoked olives, spicy Sichuan chilli olives, black truffle seasoning, Manuka smoked flaky chilli salt, black truffle sea salt, and lemon myrtle, Tulsi basil and kawakawa green olives.

“We began bringing product to Australia in 2022, attending the large events like the Sydney Royal Easter Show as well as being stocked in a number of retail stores and offering online ordering,” Louis said.

“We have found Australians love our products as much as the Kiwis do. We are now supporting Australian producers as well and have taken on board products from Australian artisans.

“At Henty we will have all our olive range, including the Anzac olive which features the native healing herbs of Australian lemon myrtle and the New Zealand Kawakawa. 

“Popular is our pure New Zealand extra virgin olive oil infused with black truffles from the Bay of Plenty in the North Island, along with our versatile truffle seasoning which can be added to sauces and sprinkled onto meats.

“We are looking forward to meeting field day visitors at Henty and showing them how they can use our products.”

Potential commercial truffle growers or truffle enthusiasts wanting a few trees for a home orchard can talk to the experts at Henty’s Farm Gate Produce Area. 

Trufficulture specialises in inoculating truffle onto a variety of trees such as English, French and Cork oaks, and Stone Pines for Australian and international growers. 

Truffles are the edible fruiting bodies of a type of subterranean fungus known as mycorrhiza which form symbiotic relationships with a host tree. 

The Carter family operate their nursery at Gembrook, Victoria, producing mainly French black, Summer black and Bianchetto white truffles.

They will be attending the Henty Machinery Field Days for the first time this year to showcase inoculated trees in presentations in the Farm Gate demo kitchen. 

Nathan Carter said black truffles are harvested in winter so fresh truffles are available from late June to the end of August. 

They typically range in size from a small nut to a tennis ball and the fully ripe truffle interior is black with a distinctive white marbled pattern. The three main types are French Black or Perigord, Summer black and Bianchetto white.

Their taste can permeate and enhance many foods such as soups, dips, pates, salads, sauces, dressings, omelettes, pasta, risotto, and main meals. 

The Australian truffle industry began in the 1990s in Tasmania and Western Australia with the first truffles harvested in 1999. Truffieres (orchards) are now established and producing in Victoria, NSW, ACT, South Australia and southern Queensland producing around 20 tonnes annually. 

According to Nathan, the Australian market is not competing with the northern hemisphere harvest for fresh truffles, opening an opportunity for export to Japan, China, Europe and the USA. 

Nathan is passionate about truffles, studying at the University of Melbourne and he has twice travelled to Europe on truffle study tours.

His father Colin Carter has a career spanning 40 years in horticulture and travelled to Europe to study truffle inoculation and cultural practices after winning an International Specialised Skills Fellowship in 2008.

Trufficulture can provide advice on all aspects of establishing a complete Truffiere of any size. The trees are produced under a strict quality assurance regime and confirm healthy colonisation of every tree before sale. 

Trufficulture holds regular seminars on how to successfully grow truffles and has online video series on growing, harvesting and marketing truffles. 

During June to August, Nathan and his wife Chloe run truffle hunts on their farm during winter with visitors able to experience first-hand finding and harvesting fresh truffle and enjoy delicious tastings. 

The family supplies inoculated trees direct to existing farmers seeking an alternative crop or new farmers wanting an enterprise to pursue.

“The trees need a hot summer, cold winter and well drained high pH soil. The host trees are frost tolerant – it is proving to be a wider growing region than previously thought. A manageable size for new plantations is one to two hectares or 500-600 trees, and they typically start producing within four years,” Nathan said. 

“During the harvest season, contractors can visit weekly with their detection dogs to mark out the truffles or growers can train their own dogs. 

“We will have inoculated oak trees and basic planting instructions at Henty for those wanting to buy trees on the day.”

Specialty coffee business Emme Mac Black debuted at the Farm Gate Produce Area last year and came away with a Henty Machinery Field Days Exhibitor Award for excellence in presentation. 

Co-owner Bec Macdougall said the field days enabled Emme Mac Black to engage with a completely new clientele and regional coffee distributors on the product and brand first-hand. 

Bec and her husband Angus juggle a busy business, farm and family life at Molyullah in northeast Victoria.

They are self-confessed lovers of coffee and travel, having lived in big cities around the world and working in fast-paced corporate roles.

Making the tree change to the cattle property from Melbourne six years ago, the couple came up with the idea of Emme Mac Black at their farmhouse kitchen table.

They had been running two family businesses, The Cottage at Dunmore Farm and The Branded Coffee Co, and recognised an opportunity to introduce their own brand of specialty coffee.

Named after their daughter Emme, the business aligns with their passion for coffee and travel, on many different levels. It also brings together their collective experience – Angus having worked in the coffee space for many years and Bec leveraging a background in branding and marketing.

Emme Mac Black’s beans are Italian style slow roasted in Melbourne by an Italian family who have been roasting coffee for over 50 years.

Proudly partnering with like-minded regional business, the coffee is distributed through restaurants and specialty food store as well as online, and supplied to motels, hotels, and boutique accommodation providers.

The company also works with corporate business wanting to serve their own coffee in branded packaging at functions and events.

“We believe in ethical coffee. Sourcing our beans across multiple continents and countries in the equatorial coffee belt, Emme Mac Blac is committed to supporting ethical farming and sustainable processing practices,” Bec said.

“Our commitment to sustainability is pivotal in every business decision we make. From our selection of coffee producers and roasters through to our compostable capsules, local sustainable packaging and even our office stationery (which is made of recycled coffee cups), we always choose carefully, with future environmental impact in mind.

“Understanding the provenance of coffee beans has a huge impact on flavour, our roaster carefully selects our international coffee partners, ensuring exceptional coffee for our customers. 

“Our ethical and sustainably sourced coffee blends balance the sweeter, harmonious tones of Latin American beans with the spicier woodiness of Indian beans, resulting in a premium selection of deliciously unique flavours.”

“Our three styles of coffee include single origin, organic and fair-trade Misty Mac from Peru.”

A slow-medium dark roast available as beans or ground coffee, Billy-Bob is suitable for espresso, stove-top, French-press and capsule machines.

The ethical blend of slow-medium dark roast, Bob-Bob is suitable for espresso, stove-top and French-press, and is sourced from responsible growers across Brazil, Peru, Ethiopia, Colombia and India. Bob-Bob is named after one of the Macdougall’s Bernese Mountain dogs, while Billy and Misty are the pet cats. 

Bec said the business was always exploring ways to be more sustainable, minimise waste and reduce the carbon footprint. 

Last year the Billy-Bob Home Compostable coffee capsule was added to the range. Made from plant-based materials, they are biodegradable and leave no harmful residue behind, disintegrating within 26 weeks in garden compost. 

At Henty, Emme Mac Black will also have accessories including brewing equipment, cups, glassware, and storage along with coffee gift boxes, corporate gifts and taster kits.

Thriving produce store and café, the Long Track Pantry, at Jugiong, is bringing its famous award-winning preserves, jams, chutneys, relish and marmalade to the Farm Gate Produce Area. 

It will be the first time the business has exhibited at Henty, thanks to the enthusiasm of the Long Track Pantry team who are keen field day visitors.

Café manager Sharni Manton said the Pantry’s range of 36 preserves and condiments are handmade in-house from Australian ingredients.

“We are very excited to be at Henty this year and will be bringing our top 10 to 12 products for visitors to sample and purchase. We will also be barbecuing chipolatas sausage from the Cootamundra Butchery and serving them with our Spicy BBQ sauce and tomato relish,” Ms Manton said. 

Located one minute from the Hume Highway between Gundagai and Yass, the Long Track Pantry was established in 2006 by Huw and Juliet Robb in the old Jugiong General Store with a mission to build community through sharing food. 

The store is jam packed full of handmade relishes, preserves, jam, chutney and marmalade.

Open for breakfast and lunch from 8am-4pm (closed Tuesdays), Long Track Pantry visitors can enjoy a delicious range of sandwiches and salads based on fresh local, seasonal produce from the daily blackboard menu, great coffee and browse a variety of homewares, clothing, kitchen items and accessories. 

The café also provides home-made frozen main meals and desserts and shares seasonal recipes online and in-store. 

“Part of our mission is to build community through sharing food, whether we make it for you or give you the recipes for free. Juliet is the expert behind those recipes, and we share one every fortnight through our online newsletter along with 16 free recipe gift cards available in store,” Ms Manton said. 

Long Track Pantry won silver and bronze medals at the 2023 Sydney Royal Fine Food Show for its blood orange and gin marmalade, salad dressing, red pepper chilli jam, tomato relish, tomato chutney and beetroot relish. 

The business stocks and supports local suppliers such as Poachers Pantry with their nitrate free smoked bacon, Wagga Wagga’s Pota Pasta which produces pasta hand made from Australian grown semolina, Knights Deli in Wagga, and Holbrook Paddock Eggs.

Visitors can experience around 28 products made by the Long Track Pantry at the Jam Factory tasting room a five-minute walk from the café.

There is an extensive range of award-winning chutneys, relish, cordial, pate, granola, marmalade, jam, olives, honey, muesli, barbecue sauce and coffee. There is a small range of sweet treats to take away or enjoy the tasting room, including a gluten free chocolate brownie mix in a jar. Popular is the handmade toasted muesli using local, organic rolled oats, locally produced canola oil, country honey and Australian dried fruit. 

The Lickety Splits Gelato Bar is located next door to the Long Track Pantry café courtyard and features 26 flavours from old favourites like mango, vanilla bean and honeycomb crunch to new sensations of boysenberry cheesecake, salted pistachio, peanut butter fudge and pavlova.

Ancient traditions and modern science blending to reveal the power of plants will be the focus of presentations in the Farm Gate Produce Area from proud Wiradjuri woman and naturopath Felicity Kerslake.

Based in Wagga Wagga, Felicity is a university qualified naturopath, nutritionist and permaculturalist bringing over 20 years of experience and a lifelong passion for using nature and connection to country to create great health and well-being.

This passion and Felicity’s natural affinity for healing using nature will be showcased at the Farm Gate Produce Area demo kitchen. Felicity will be a guest presenter demonstrating how to create great health and wellbeing from the ground up using bush foods and medicinal plants. 

Educating and consulting at the Australian Bushfood Education Centre and All Natural Medicine and Dispensary, Felicity empowers people to restore their health and connect to nature using the power of plants including understanding natural treatments such as food as medicine, herbal medicines and growing bush foods.

“I am passionate about helping people to increase energy, master their metabolism and improve gut health in simple steps using natural medicines and bush foods so they can live each day with great health, joy and vitality,” Felicity said.

This passion extends to educating through schools, workshops, designing bush food gardens and supporting health professionals in understanding the role bush foods and medicines have in integrative health care. 

“People gain health from and connect over food. Many people have yet to experience the flavours and benefits of bush foods they most likely walk past each day or can be grown in your yard,” Felicity said.

“If I ask someone to name an Italian food or an Indian meal, most people can answer. However, if I ask them to name an Australian native food (bush food) I may get Kakadu plum but often I hear nothing. I’m not OK with this and I don’t believe others should be either if we want to improve food security, health and the future for our children.

“Bringing bush foods to the forefront of people’s minds and connecting to nature also supports First Nation’s businesses in the bush food sector and those growing foods in the supply chain. 

“Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander communities have cherished these unique botanicals for centuries and delicately cared for the land through intergenerational knowledge sharing and agroecological practices to ensure the continued availability of these plants and foods.

“Now, we can bring parts of the bush to the city and experience the extraordinary taste and benefits of bush foods and medicinal plants at home, school or workplace.”

Felicity holds professional membership with the Australian Traditional Medicines Society, has featured on SBS radio, lectured, and written in textbooks for universities, and is on the Indigenous Plants for Health Association committee.

She will speak on bush foods at the Farm Gate Produce Area’s demo kitchen at 11am on Tuesday, September 17, Wednesday, September 18 and Thursday, September 19. 

A range of bush foods and medicinal plants will be on display for visitors to experience and explore their use at home. For more information visit www.bushfoodeducation.com.au.

The story of the Druce family buying a derelict flour mill for a $1 and converting it into a world class distillery has become folklore in the Murray River town of Corowa.

The family own Junee Liquorice and Chocolate and saw an opportunity to combine chocolate with whisky when the Federation Council offered the old 1920s flour mill for the nominal price of $1, and within a decade the Corowa Distilling Co was a million-dollar business.

Employing one of the youngest head distillers in the country, the business was listed as one of the top 10 up and coming whisky distilleries in the world in 2017 and named a ‘whisky brand” of the future by the spirit industry.

Corowa Distilling Co offered the first product for sale in August 2018 and has gone on to win silver this year at the World Whiskies Awards for the limited release single barrel peated American Oak ex Bourbon/Chardonnay cask. The single barrel peated American Oak ex Muscat cask took bronze in the single malt 12 years and under category. This followed up the single malt Corowa Characters being named as the best Australian whisky in 2022 in Dan Murphy’s first ever blind taste test. 

The distillery offers a unique and interactive whisky making experience with head distiller Beau Schilg using barley sourced from Coleambally and the Druce’s own family farm at Ardlethan to create the distinctive Corowa character. 

Corowa Distilling Co will exhibit in the Farm Gate Produce Area at the Henty Machinery Field Days for the first time, showcasing the core range.

According to business manager Morgan Whinray, Henty visitors will be able to sample and purchase the core range of single malts consisting of Corowa Characters, Bosque Verde, and Mad Dog Morgan. 

There will also be tasting packs available plus limited release labels. 

Corowa Characters is a single malt depicting the four lads who make up the production team, resulting in a product with a cheeky attitude and distilled in a combination of American, French and Hungarian wine casks.

Bosque Verde is matured in American oak barrels once containing Australian port wine and has notes of cherries, chocolate and cinnamon.

Mad Dog Morgan is rated as rare and reckless with a taste of burnt caramel, cinnamon, honey and ginger and matured in American Oak barrels once containing muscat. 

“All the processing is done on-site except for the malting which is carried out at Voyager Craft Malt at Whitton. We like to control the process from start to finish and keep it traditional as much as possible,” Ms Whinray said.

Morgan grew up on a farm at Yarrawonga and has fond memories of attending the field days each year with her father.

She is keen to introduce the current generation to the spirit and shake off some of those perceptions, saying whisky offers a bright and balanced drinking experience. 

“We are keen to showcase our brand at Henty, where some of our barley is sourced and break down those traditional perceptions that whisky is for men aged over 65,” she said.

“We want to talk to Henty visitors about where the process begins, and that is on the farm with the grain. Henty and the Riverina is well known for its high-quality grain, and we are looking forward to being a part of it.”

Morgan will speak on whiskey styles and the distilling process in the Farm Gate Produce Area demonstration kitchen.

The Corowa Distilling Co is open for breakfast, lunch, coffee, cakes, or cocktails and features a seasonal menu showcasing regional produce. It is also a popular venue for weddings and events, or visitors can simply call in to watch the team create the in-house Belgium chocolates.

FurrowMate is a world first direct air injection unit enabling large scale biological additive application and will be showcased at the Henty Machinery Field Days. 

This patented technology works with most air seeders to deliver biologicals into the planting furrow easily, safely and accurately, saving farmers time while maximising product efficacy. 

As the first technology to provide broadacre farmers with a scalable solution for biological application, FurrowMate represents a significant milestone in the industry and has been entered by Loam Bio.

Designed to be water, dust, heat and motion proof in order to withstand the harshest planting conditions, FurrowMate units simplify inoculum delivery on-farm. 

Loam Bio brand officer Charlotte Wallin said they remove the need for messy and inaccurate seed treatment, while ensuring robust and reliable performance in the field.

“Prior to this ground-breaking technology, farmers had to resort to manual seed coating methods, such as using augers or cement mixers, to ensure an even distribution of the biological product on the seed,” Ms Wallin said. 

“This process was not only time-consuming but also susceptible to challenging weather conditions. Delays in sowing could necessitate a second application, leading to additional costs. 

“FurrowMate eliminates the traditional messy, inaccurate, and unsafe handling of high-value, low-volume biological products.

“With its user-friendly design, the process is as simple as pouring the dry biological powder into the refrigerated hopper - and you're ready to go.”

By working with the tractor's GPS system, FurrowMate modulates dosing, ensuring precise induction into the air stream. 

After the biological mixes with the seed in the air stream they are planted together in the soil, giving farmers peace of mind the seed is coated with the correct dose. With highly accurate dosing rates as low as 5g/ha and easy calibration, FurrowMate ensures grain growers hit their targets per hectare every time. 

“In the 2024 planting season, FurrowMate prototypes underwent extensive testing across Australia. While initially being tested with CarbonBuilder, a biological product containing fungal spores that enable farmers to build stable soil carbon, with further testing, FurrowMate will be compatible with all dry biological powders,” Ms Wallin said.

“Our mission is to eliminate the challenges involved in coating seed with biologicals, enabling farmers to adopt new and existing biological products more quickly. 

“Prior to FurrowMate, no scalable solution existed to address the challenges faced by farmers in applying biological additives on a large scale outside of rhizobium granules. 

“This pioneering technology not only saves farmers time and increases product efficacy but also represents a significant step forward in the adoption of biologicals.”

Rural crime is underreported and there is often a ‘she’ll be right’ approach towards it.  

Farmers face unique challenges when it comes to securing their property, such as, reduced internet connectivity, terrain, distance, technology, and resources.

As much as the NSW Police Force tries to deter and target rural crime offenders, the police cannot do it all on their own.  There must be a joint approach from police and rural landowners, working together.

Members of the Rural Crime Prevention Team will be at the Henty Machinery Field Days and visitors can hear their tips and advice on the guest speaker panel at Agtech Alley. They can also be found on on site 1032 Block V. 

So, what can rural landowners do to increase their resilience against rural crime and make it harder for offenders?  

Lock it up - Lock the house when you are not there.  Lock the vehicle. Lock the shed. Lock the gate.  Lock the fuel tank.

Watch it - Install security camera and monitoring systems.  Have the images from the camera transmitted to a separate source so if the camera is taken the images are safe elsewhere.

Record it: Make sure your livestock management records are correct.  Keep all your machinery details safely stored. Take photos of your livestock and equipment. Try to have something unique to your property in the background as proof it is on your land. (This can help at court, if required).

Mark it: Engrave your tools, machinery and equipment with your licence number or something unique to you.  Make sure your livestock are tagged and have a National Livestock Identification Scheme (NLIS) device on them. Ensure you conduct NLIS PIC reconciliations on a regular basis.

There are various new technologies available to farmers to decrease the risk of criminals targeting their livelihood.  Some examples include:

GPS ear tags for your livestock.  This allows you to create a geofence around your property and if your livestock leave this boundary, you will be notified.

Muzzle identification.  An animal’s muzzle is like our fingerprint, it is unique. Capturing an image of the muzzle can assist police to identify your livestock.

Pressure pad at the front gate.  There is technology that can automatically take a photo of the vehicle entering your property.

CCTV and other cameras that overcome connectivity and coverage issues.

Rural crime offenders see rural landowners as vulnerable, easy targets and a low risk of them being caught.  Let’s change that.  We would like to encourage landowners to work with Police to increase the risk that the criminal will be targeted by the Rural Crime Prevention Team.

By Ann Brennan, Rural Crime Prevention Team, NSW Police Force

The NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development Farms of the Future program has just released a documentary that sheds light on how cutting-edge technology is transforming agriculture.

You can watch it now at www.agtech.dpi.nsw.gov.au. From large feedlots to family-owned mixed enterprise farms, this film captures the experiences of three businesses that have adopted new technologies to address their main farming challenges. 

The Farms of the Future team offered training, guidance, and the Agtech Toolbox website to guide them on their agtech adoption journeys.

The documentary introduces us to three remarkable farmers who share a common goal: harnessing agtech’s potential for sustainable, efficient farming. 

Tess and Andrew Herbert of Gundamain Pastoral Co: These Australian Farmers of the Year have embraced agtech across their diverse feedlot operation. From monitoring cattle entry weights to optimising water usage, they’ve elevated efficiency for their staff.

Nick Blunt, manager of his Orange-based family farm emphasises education. His crossbred ewe enterprise underwent a business health check to determine his agtech adoption path and now he is confident in his data-driven decisions.

Michael and Helen Payten of “Alfalfa,” Canowindra. Their mixed enterprise farm relies on agtech to monitor complex water systems and soil moisture.

Agtech isn’t just about weather stations and sensors; it’s a silent partner in the paddock. Soil moisture probes optimise irrigation, reducing water waste. 

Smart collars track livestock health, ensuring timely interventions. Water level sensors ensure stock are watered and leaks minimised.

Beyond individual farms, agtech’s impact can reach into the broader community creating jobs in software and hardware development, data analysis, and maintenance. It fosters collaboration between farmers, government, and tech experts. 

Agtech can help to ensures that future generations inherit a resilient, thriving agricultural sector. Watch the Accelerating Agtech documentary to improve your understanding of the opportunities Agtech offers farmers today. 

The NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development Farms of the Future program is funded by the Snowy Hydro Legacy Fund. 

The long awaited automated in-paddock weighing system for sheep will be launched by Optiweigh at Agtech Alley at the Henty Machinery Field Days.

The sheep version works in a similar manner to the Optiweigh cattle product. It is also set to deliver massive cost savings and productivity gains as users experience the benefits of having an automated weighing system giving real time sheep weight information and detect changes in weight gain trends within days. 

Since 2019 Optiweigh has made in-paddock automated weighing of livestock a reality for over 650 farms in Australia. 

Not having to yard animals for individual weighing has benefits in terms of reduced labour, cost and the avoidance of associated animal weight loss, while also providing opportunities to improve livestock sales returns. 

Furthermore, the benefits that continuous weight monitoring can provide in terms of better decision making have only come to light through case studies from users. 

These have demonstrated that real time animal weight information is leading to improved decisions around things such as nutrition and animal health. 

The ultimate outcome from these decisions being made sooner and based on better quantitative information is improved productivity in terms of kilogram of livestock weight gain. 

This in turn translates into lower CO2e per kilogram of meat and hence improves the farm’s environmental metrics.

Measuring and interpreting weather and the effects it has on day-to-day operations is key to any farming system. 

Never more so than now with farmers having to battle with more precise sowing windows, moisture availability, forecasted rain events, disease pressures, spray conditions and more. Nearly all of which are directly related back to what the weather is doing. “If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it” as they say. 

Weather measurement is undoubtedly a big driver behind everything Peter McMahon and his family do on their irrigation and dryland cropping operation at Euroley, south of Leeton in NSW.

The farming operation is more than an hour and a half away from where Peter is based in Wagga Wagga and understanding what is going on remotely on the farm at any given time is key to being able to farm as well as work full time in the livestock industry as a livestock buyer. 

Peter admits timing is everything with his operation and without access to localised weather data, hyperlocalised weather forecasting and moisture probe data from his METOS weather stations, he couldn’t do what he does.

Co-ordinating contractors for spraying and other operations is also made simpler with the contractors having access to the data as well allowing them to organise their operations around what is required on farm for Peter. 

They grow winter and summer crops with two distinct soil types. For this Peter uses soil moisture probe data in both soil types to help with his decision making in both his dryland and irrigation side of operations.

“Without the main METOS weather station, weather forecasting and the moisture probes across the farm I don’t know how I would farm without them now,” Peter said. 

“We are now sure that having more accurate on farm weather information has improved our operations two-fold rather than having to rely on the BOM information and forecasting which isn’t accurate enough for our location.”

Come and visit METOS in Agtech Alley to learn more about their weather stations and associated sensors.

📍 Broadcast Live from Site S 893-896

Stay tuned for the upcoming release of the exciting speaking agenda at AgTech Alley! You won't want to miss our incredible line-up, including celebrity guest speaker: Jane Bunn speaking on: Using AI and Machine Learning to Forecast Hyper-Local Weather Conditions

Speakers and Panel Sessions Featuring Agtech and Connectivity Experts, and Farmers:

CONNECTIVITY: Paddock Strategies to Overcome Unreliable Connectivity

DATA: Connecting the Dots: Getting Farm Data to Work for You

WATER: Using Agtech to Get Bang for Buck in On-Farm Water Management

LIVESTOCK: The Stock Yards of the Future: Agtech in Livestock Management

ROI: How Much Time and Money Can Agtech Make Me? Talking Return on Investment for Farming Businesses

WHS/SECURITY: Farming Safer with Agtech

GRAINS: Harvesting Data: Agtech in the Grains Industry

WEATHER: Getting Climate Smart: Managing Weather Variability on Farm

BLUE SKY: What’s the Next Big Thing in Farming Technology?

Don't miss out on this unique opportunity to elevate your understanding of Agtech! Keep an eye out for further details on our speaking agenda.

Agtech Alley is a game-changing exhibition space of over 20 leading suppliers of agricultural technology and connectivity solutions at the Henty Machinery Field Days.

Agtech Alley is here to help you discover solutions to the unique challenges that you face on your farm. 

Whether it's dealing with unreliable connectivity, monitoring unpredictable weather, managing livestock weights, or improving labour efficiencies, the latest Agtech solutions can help you tackle these challenges head-on. 

Connect with Agtech specialists, and fellow farmers in a collaborative environment, that encourages the exchange of ideas and the formation of valuable partnerships.

Agtech Alley is a new initiative between Henty Machinery Field Days, the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development and Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

Agtech Demonstrations

Witness firsthand the practical applications of cutting-edge technologies. From water monitoring devices to animal tracking systems, Agtech Alley will demonstrate how these innovations can streamline your operations, reduce costs, and increase productivity.

Enhance Your Knowledge

Interact with experts, attend live demonstrations, and participate in discussions to gain insights into the latest trends and advancements in Agtech. 

Prepare for discussions with Agtech suppliers before your visit to Agtech Alley by diving into free Agtech Fundamentals training online. Access it by scanning the QR code.

 Don’t miss out! Join us at Henty Agtech Alley 2024, Site S893 - S896

About the Farms of the Future Program

The Farms of the Future program is an initiative by the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development to support the education and advancement of farmers through the adoption of Agtech and connectivity solutions. 

The program aims to drive economic growth, promote sustainable farming practices, and ensure the long-term viability of the agricultural sector.

For more information on the Farms of the Future program, visit their Agtech Toolbox website. www.agtech.dpi.nsw.gov.au

Field day visitors will be entertained by the Yanco Agricultural High School Drums at The Stump on Wednesday, September 18 at 12.30pm. 

The YAHS Drums is an integral part of the history and tradition of the school and has won many awards for their performances.

Consisting of students ranging from Years 8 to 12, the band has undergone changes in both structure and style over the last two years.

Expanding upon just the snare drum, YAHS Drums has incorporated further percussive instruments and drums such as cymbals and tenor and bass drums.

Their performances and repertoire now demonstrate inspiration from drumlines in the USA in addition to the corps style playing of the past.

The band has had a busy 2024 of performances with multiple local school events, representation in the local Anzac Day Service, KROP in Griffith and competing in both the Leeton Eisteddfod and the Australian Drumline Competition.

YAHS Drums now look forward to entertaining guests at the Henty Machinery Field Days. 

A young Riverina man with a passion for tinkering with and restoring old machinery has been named as the NSW winner of the Ian Stewart Old Machinery Young Enthusiasts Award.

Josh Menz, 19, of The Rock, received a cash prize of $1000 from the National Historical Machinery Association for his contribution to the Henty and District Antique Farm Machinery Club’s display each year at the Henty Machinery Field Days. 

The Ian Stewart Old Machinery Young Enthusiasts Award was established in 2020 to encourage young machinery restorers aged under 25 years to gain skills, qualifications, tools or heritage studies.

An apprentice carpenter, Josh has been a member of the Henty and District Antique Farm Machinery Club for the past three years and has restored a 1950 Fordson E27N Major tractor which has been displayed at the Henty Machinery Field Days.

His first display at Henty was a stationary engine driving a water pump. 

“My dad had a tractor similar on the farm, but it had no tyres, and I didn’t have enough money for new tyres. In 2019 he went to a clearing sale where there was an outside entry of an unrestored Fordson tractor with good tyres that was going cheap so he bought it for me to restore,” Josh said.

“It came from a farm near Gerogery and has a replacement engine from a different tractor. I have dated the engine as also being from 1950.”

Josh was in Year 9 at the time, and it took him three years to restore the tractor, mainly on weekends with the guidance of his father, Barry, also a keen collector of vintage machinery.

“I am in the market for collecting old stuff and have recently picked up an unrestored mid 1930s tractor, a Minneapolis-Moline Twin City FTA. We are working on a 1966 Albion Reiver RE29L truck as a restoration project to transport a portable steam engine to vintage rallies,” Josh said.

“It wasn’t too difficult to track down a Leyland engine for this truck but if you have a machine that is unique or rare, finding parts can be a challenge.”

As one of the youngest members of the Henty and District Antique Farm Machinery Club, Josh’s win in the Ian Stewart award came as a surprise and he has already put the prize money to good use.

“There is no doubt that $1000 will go straight back into old stuff. There is a fair bit of knowledge and skills among the Club’s senior members – they have plenty of contacts for finding spare parts and machines and giving me advice,” he said. 

“I love going to the field days each year to see all the different sorts of displays – I just can’t get enough of the old stuff. There are not many young people interested in maintaining the old machinery – it would be great to see more younger people buy a little stationery engine and make it go as a hobby.”

A perennial favourite with field day visitors, the vintage tractor and machinery display will mark two milestones in the 160 years of Furphy manufacturing and the centenary of the Sunshine Auto Header at the Henty Machinery Field Days. 

Henty and District Antique Farm Machinery Club president Kerry Pietsch said members will be staging a large display of Furphy agricultural equipment to celebrate the 160 years since the Australian engineering company was established in Shepparton in 1864.

“It will be the largest display we have ever had at the field days and a big thank you to HMFD CEO Belinda Anderson for allowing an expansion of our display on the south side,” he said.

Special guests will be Adam and Sam Furphy, of J Furphy & Sons Pty Ltd, Shepparton. 

Furphy collectors Peter McCook, from Sydney, Ian Wood, Corowa and Josh Powell, Shepparton will attend with their Furphy cast iron tank ends, taps, and complete water carts, along with historical information and other agricultural equipment manufactured by Furphy. Bryson Terlich, Table Top, will have a fully restored horse drawn Furphy water cart on display. 

There will be a demonstration of rebarrelling a water cart each day at 10am and 2pm.

Mr Powell has the second most complete Furphy collection in Australia and is curator of the Furphy Museum at Shepparton. 

Mr Pietsch will draw on his own extensive collection of more than 30 vintage harvesters to have a working Sunshine Auto Header, which was last used to harvest grain in 2014, on display to commemorate the centenary of the revolutionary invention. 

It was the first harvester not requiring horse or tractor power for towing and Henty’s own Headlie Shipard Taylor was the primary inventor/designer. 

This self-propelled machine was the forerunner to the modern combine harvester and had a 10- or 12-foot cutting width. 

The Sunshine Auto Header was designed to cut the grain head from the stalks in cereal crops, then separate, clean and bag the grain in a single operation. The machine required two-man operation – a driver and bagger.

Mick Hall, of Wagga, has an original water tank manufactured by Wagga Wagga brass and iron founders Wenk & Johnson. William Frederick Wenk and Francis Edward Johnston produced everything from saw benches and chaff cutters to grain crushers and brick making machinery. Mr Hall will also display a John Deere G Model tractor, manufactured from 1937 to 1953. 

Murray Stokes, of Goorambat, is bringing a Cliff & Bunting square baler with an engine function and made in 1955. By 1910 Cliff & Bunting had emerged as Australia’s leading manufacturers of chaff cutters and diversified into electric power transformers during the second World War. 

Nick Bedggood, Henty, will have his Indian and Harley Davidson motorbikes while Ken Paton, of Jindera, will have a Harley Davidson motorbike dating back to 1923 and having a top speed of 136 km/hr at the time. 

Pleasant Hills farmer Trevor Terlich will have a diesel Massey Ferguson 35 tractor manufactured in 1957.

Max Hogg, of Table Top, will display a stationery Cliff & Bunting No 32 wire tie square baler made in 1952. The baler would be positioned by a stack, or hay brought to the baler by a sweep and then forked in. 

Peter Shields, of Wagga Wagga, will contribute a Villiers stationary engine driving a grindstone and water pump while a 1920 Buzacot stationery engine and 1910 International engine will be displayed by Jonathon Schulz, Jindera. Chris Menz, The Rock, will demonstrate a vintage motor and pump and Josh Menz, The Rock, will have a 1909 International drive with a Famous 3.5hp engine and Maxim 5” water pump. 

Among the older tractors will be a John Deere G Model, from John Kingston, The Rock, and a Lanz Bulldog N Model made in 1936 contributed by Lyle Burns, Burrumbuttock, and a Normag tractor manufactured in 1948, from Justin Burns, Burrumbuttock.

In the more modern section, Andrew Newton, of Alma Park, will have his 1972 model Holden HQ ute and Colin Eulenstein, Henty, a Ford 5000 tractor made in 1970 and originally bought from Billabong Motors, Lockhart. 

Visitors will have the chance to see the 2023 World Champion Pipe Band from Albury’s The Scots School perform at the 2024 Henty Machinery Field Days.

The band will stage a performance on Wednesday, September 18 at The Stump at 1pm.

The Scots Pipe Band was crowned the 2023 World Pipe Band Champion in Glasgow in August last year, amid a gruelling 26-performance schedule at the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo and just weeks after taking out the Scottish Pipe Band Championships in their category, Grade 4B.

To top off what was a highly successful tour to Scotland, the band was crowned Grade 4B Best Drum Corps as well as Champion of Champion, which takes into account the band’s wins in the Scottish and World titles.

The remarkable World Championship effort was accomplished by a mix of alumni, current students, some as young as 12, and friends of the pipe band. It was led by Pipe Band coordinator Scott Nicholson, drum tutor Tom Mewett, pipe major Liam Nicholson, pipe sergeant Jonny Coe, drum major Max Coupland, and drum sergeant Damon Wright.

The pipe band performed as part of the Massed Pipes and Drums in every one of the 26 performances across 20 days in Scotland and performs at countless community events and competitions across the border region and beyond every year.

In a single year, the Pipe Band can conduct up to 50 band and solo performances – an extraordinary achievement.

It has 32 players registered with the Australian Pipe Band Association for the purpose of competing at association competitions and there are 56 pupils attending piping and drumming tuition each week.

The pipe band played a pivotal role in celebrating the school’s sesquicentennial year in 2016 when it proudly performed at The Scots School Albury’s 150th Anniversary Highland Gathering and Tattoo. 

The event drew over 4000 people to the school grounds and the crowd was treated to a great range of entertainment including pipe bands, highland dancing, clan tents, kilted warriors and a delicious selection of food.

In 2014, the pipe band made its first international trip, performing at the Jakarta Highland Gathering where it was crowned Southeast Asian Champions in the Juvenile grade, a feat it repeated in 2015. In August 2014, members of the band travelled to Scotland to compete at several competitions including the World Pipe Band  Championships. 

2016 saw the pipe band vying for national championships on either side of the Tasman. In March the band travelled to the North Island township of Fielding for the New Zealand Pipe Band Championships, competing against many polished bands in both the Grade 4 and Juvenile competitions. 

History was made that year when the pipe band competed for the first time at the 2016 Australian Pipe Band Championships.

Although several members of the band had previously competed at the Nationals as members of other bands, this was the first time The Scots School Albury Pipe Band had competed as its own entity. 

Hutcheon & Pearce will be providing a unique blend of thrilling entertainment with an important safety message for the entire family with a live reptile show. 

The segment promises to be a highlight for families, especially children, offering them a chance to get up close and personal with various native reptiles.

Andrew Melrose, a renowned expert with over 40 years of experience with reptiles, will be showcasing his extensive knowledge and collection of native reptiles at the 2024 Henty Field Days. 

Andrew's professional background includes over 25 years of working as a licensed snake catcher, reptile relocator, and educational demonstrator. His expertise ensures the reptile show will not only be fascinating but also safe and educational for all attendees.

The reptile show aims to teach children the importance of safety around reptiles, a crucial lesson for those living on farms or in rural areas. Andrew Melrose's presentations are designed to be both fun and informative, providing correct facts and education about reptiles. 

The show will cover what to do and what not to do around reptiles, along with first aid education for venomous snake encounters. Parents can rest assured that the show will be conducted in a safe, controlled environment, ensuring the well-being of all participants.

Children will have the opportunity to handle and touch a variety of non-venomous reptiles, including pythons, lizards and turtles. The structure of the show includes interesting and educational information about each species, making it an engaging learning experience. 

For those who prefer a less hands-on approach, a static display will be available where people can observe and learn about the reptiles, excluding the venomous snakes.

One of the key objectives of the reptile show is to highlight the positive aspects of reptiles, which often have a poor image due to misinformation. Andrew Melrose aims to promote respect and understanding of reptiles and their importance in the environment. The show will provide many photo opportunities, so don’t forget to bring your camera to capture the memorable moments.

Having performed at many agricultural shows across NSW, Andrew Melrose's reptile shows have proven to be very popular with people of all ages. His engaging style and wealth of knowledge ensure that every show is both educational and entertaining.

Hutcheon & Pearce invite all attendees of the Henty Field Day to join them for this unique reptile show. It’s a perfect opportunity for families to enjoy a fun day out while learning important safety tips and gaining a deeper appreciation for native reptiles. 

Prepare for an exhilarating adventure into the world of science with the Questacon Science Circus Pop-Up Science Centre and Spectacular Science Shows at the Henty Machinery Field Days. 

Science and technology play a huge part in our daily lives, and Questacon’s Pop-Up Science Centre offers the whole community an opportunity to get hands-on and explore science for themselves.

This family-friendly event is a unique chance to engage with interactive exhibits that showcase different scientific principles while testing your skills and knowledge with various scientific challenges and experiments. 

Questacon’s dedicated science communicators will be on hand to guide you through these experiences, helping you discover the fascinating science that shapes our world.

You will be amazed by our Spectacular Science Shows, that bring science to life in fun and unexpected ways. 

The daily 15-minute shows will be held on the hour from 10am to 2pm opposite site 350. 

Celebrating its 39th year, the Science Circus, has a remarkable legacy of bringing vibrant science presentations to regional and remote parts of Australia. Having inspired over 3 million people, the Science Circus continues to educate and entertain, making science accessible and engaging for all.

Whether you are a student, teacher, community member, or just a curious mind, the Questacon Science Circus offers memorable experiences to ignite curiosity and inspire minds of all ages. 

The Science Circus isn’t just an event; it is a community celebration of science. It is a chance for people of all ages and backgrounds to share in the joy of discovery and learning. 

Come join us for an unforgettable day of scientific wonder and discovery opposite site 350 in the central area. 

Riverina Helicopters, of Griffith, will once again be taking to the skies over the Henty field days site giving visitors a bird’s eye view.

With district canola crops around the field day site expected to be in full flower, the sight from the air is bound to be breathtaking.

Henty farmers wanting an aerial photograph of their farm can pre-book a flight with Riverina Helicopters at this year’s field days.

Managing director Bryce Nietvelt said the 10-minute flights in a Robinson R44 helicopter ($90 per person, minimum two passengers, maximum of three), piloted by Jaimie Cook, would operate on a walk-up basis. 

Operating bases at Griffith and Crookwell, Riverina Helicopters specialise in aerial spraying, fertiliser application, aerial surveying, crop pollination, powerline inspections, mustering, feral animal control, aerial crane, orchard stringing, aerial filming/photography, winery tours and charter work.

The Griffith business has three Robinson R44 helicopters, able to carry three passengers and equipped with Spidertracks, a real time satellite tracking always providing the location of the helicopters. A Bell 206 Jet Ranger is based at Crookwell for the aerial spraying in hill country. 

Riverina Helicopters has been operating for over 25 years and was bought by Mr Nietvelt after a career in the Australian Airforce as an engineer followed by five years flying helicopters in the Northern Territory’s Arnhem Land on aerial mustering, firefighting, and pest animal culling programs. 

Riverina Helicopters services the Riverina, NSW central and southern tablelands, far western and central western NSW and northern Victoria. The business employs four full-time staff plus contractors.

The helicopters are particularly visible around Henty and Mangoplah during August and September spraying the canola and cereal crops.

Pilots work with irrigated and broadacre crops including rice, cotton, wheat, barley, canola, grapes, almonds, walnuts, carrots, onions, sorghum, corn, and pasture, delivering a precise application of chemical with rotor downwash that disturbs the crop canopy allowing deep penetration of droplets for a uniform coverage.

When it comes to charter work, the business caters for Griffith winery tours, weddings, VIP transfers, property surveys, flood inspections, wildlife surveys and pipeline inspections.

“The joy flights at Henty are a great way to engage with potential new clients who may not know about our services,” Mr Nietvelt said.

Visitors to the Isuzu UTE site at Henty will need to prepare for an exhilarating experience that will leave even the bravest souls breathless.

The Iron Summit offers an adrenaline pumping ride like no other where you will experience the thrill of conquering the world’s steepest mobile 4WD ramp, climbing six metres into the air at a daring 45-degree incline, all from the safety and comfort of an Isuzu D-MAX or MU-X.

But as the saying goes, what goes up must come down, with the fun continuing as you tackle the descent back down the other side.

The Iron Summit debuted at the 2023 Henty Machinery Field Days and proved a hit with visitors lining up across the three days to experience the thrill of the giant ramp. 

The Iron Summit presents the opportunity to experience Isuzu UTE’s vehicles in a way that’s not possible in a showroom or regular test drive, and to witness first hand why Isuzu UTE’s technology makes it a leader in the off-road 4x4 market. 

To learn more visit www.isuzuute.com.au/events/iron-summit to see the Iron Summit in action. 

A Border agricultural machinery company’s newly released feed mixer won the coveted Greater Hume Council Award at the 2023 Henty Machinery Field Days.

The award recognises the best new Australian designed and built agricultural machine and was judged by a panel of independent judges with the 2024 winner to announced at The Stump on Wednesday, September 18.

Last year the Award was presented by Greater Hume Council General Manager Evelyn Arnold Mayor and Henty Machinery Field Days director Matt Noll to FarmTech Director Brad Modra for the Ausmix XL26 Fibrex 26-cube feed mixer.

Ausmix has been producing feed mixers out of Wodonga for the last three years with over 60 mixers having been supplied across Australia.

With a release date in mid-August 2023, the first unit was on display at Henty.

HMFD judge Warren Scheetz said the locally built machine was designed for the feedlot industry with much research and development undertaken beforehand. 

“It is a robust design which increases the efficiency of feed mixing time and that all adds up when doing multiple feed mixes each day,” Mr Scheetz said. 

FarmTech Director Brad Modra said the company was passionate about making farm machinery in Australia.

“This award is a huge pat on the back for our hard-working team at FarmTech for the last three years spent on the Ausmix Feed Mixer project,” Mr Modra said. 

“Thank you to the HMFD committee and to Greater Hume Council for supporting this award.

“I want to give a big shout out to Australian manufacturing and all these companies exhibiting at the field days – quality farm machinery is leading the way both in Australia and internationally.

“Thank you to the farming community for showing faith and confidence in Australian made equipment. Without your support we wouldn’t be here today.

“We are proud to be part of the local Albury-Wodonga manufacturing community and hopefully this award will inspire other companies to consider making more here locally, and get behind Australian made products.”

FarmTech northern Victorian and South Australian territory manager Liam Talbot said the chassis, bowl, augers and conveyor are designed and built inhouse with the driveline being outsourced to a reputable Italian supplier.

“As we manufacture these units in Australia, we have a warehouse stocked with parts ensuring any breakdowns or issues are fixed in a prompt manner,” he said. 

“The XL26 is expected to be the flagship model with full customisability to suit any farming operation.

With Australian farmers aways looking for ways to increase profitability and reduce feed costs, Ausmix has developed extra wide bowls to work in concert with the Fiber-X augers to break down big bales and mix them to a final Total Mixed Ration. 

Ausmix knives are heat-treated with tungsten carbide, allowing them to be thinner, lighter and tougher than ever before. 

Ausmix tubs are designed to last in the harshest Australian conditions and are made with thick steel plates all around: 20mm on the floor and 10mm on the walls. The wall’s angled slope works to help funnel materials into the centre of the tub. 

Together with the centripetal motion from augers, materials fall deeper into the mixer, ensuring maximum blade contact, significantly reducing time, fuel and effort. 

Ausmix XL series mixers come in both a standard wide body (2.5m) and extra-wide 2.65m body. The latter option gives the larger, denser bales more space, reducing any material being thrown out

The mixers have a drive-train equipped with a heavy-duty gearbox with the ability to handle high torque loads, propelling the augers through big bales and mixing all fodder types with a consistent result. 

Key innovations include a front feeding conveyor belt which can either be steel slats or a rubber belt and side elevator options, all on a heavy-duty reinforced chassis. 

Children of all ages love their yearly trip to the Henty field days and to make the big day out a lot easier on carers, a free family resting place has been provided.

Henty Early Childhood Association parent volunteers will staff the area, located in Petticoat Lane, from 9am to 5pm each day.

The Family Resting Place provides children, parents, grandparents and carers with a large, covered fenced-in play area, separate nappy changing area, highchairs, cubicles for breast-feeding and pram parking bay. A kitchenette has a microwave and fridge.

Staff and parent volunteers from the association run the Family Resting Place on a roster system.

Carers can take a break in the informal space, while children play with the toys, books, games and chalk boards supplied.

The facility is not a child-minding centre and children must be accompanied by an adult over 18 years at all times while using the service. 

Defence force recruitment, machinery, specialty coffee and illustrated story books were among the winners of the 2023 Henty Machinery Field Days Exhibitor Awards.

The awards were presented by HMFD CEO Belinda Anderson to the winners of the Best Outdoor Large Commercial, Best Outdoor General and Best Indoor Exhibitor sites – Farm Gate Produce Market and Country Lifestyle.

This year’s winners will be announced on Thursday, September 19 at The Stump at 10.30am.

Australasian reseller of industry-leading farming machinery including tractors and harvesters, CLAAS Harvest Centre, Wagga Wagga, won the Best Outdoor Large Commercial, while Australian Defence Force Careers took out the Best Outdoor General.

Graphic designer, children’s book illustrator and new exhibitor at Henty in 2023, Sarah Hardy won the Best Indoor site in Country Lifestyle with her business Popcorn Blue. 

Bec Macdougall and her premium specialty coffee business Emme Mac Black was awarded Best Indoor Site at Farm Gate Produce Market.

Mrs Anderson said the field days co-operative prided itself on providing a showcase with a modern professional image, and the latest in agricultural machinery and technology.

She said the exhibitor awards encouraged site holders to strive for similar ideals during the field days.

The 2023 judges Daryl Thomson and Bec Clancy covered the 14km of external shop front plus the indoor sites, assessing visual presentation, display, layout and innovation.

They inspected sites ranging in frontage from 3m to 180m.

Mrs Clancy said the CLAAS Harvest Centre had great visual presence and presentation with a centrally located marque, large flagpoles with their designated brands, and walkways between the machines lined with bark and trimmed with black piping.

“ADF Careers has an expanded site representing the navy, army and air force with a virtual reality submarine and a helicopter simulator, which were popular with the kids,” she said.

“At the Farm Gate Produce Area, the coffee business Emme Mac Black was nicely decorated with a black and white theme, lighting, background pictures and timber stands with their specialty products displayed.

“At Country Lifestyle, new exhibitor Popcorn Blue had cards, tea towels, books and children’s table ware. Their site was eye catching with timber racks and mini picket fencing with flowers.”

Mrs Clancy said exhibitors were putting a lot of thought into their site design, being innovative to catch the consumer’s eye, attract them into the site and engage with them.

“Often it comes down to attention to the finer details – it doesn’t have to be big and expensive equipment but thinking outside the square in displaying with colour and interactive product to encourage the customer into the site.”

CLAAS Harvest Centre branch manager Andrew Kearns and his team uses a computer model to design the layout of their 50 x 20 m site.

“Henty is one of the main field days for us – the timing is good for getting a feel of what the season is and that is where it is worth making the effort. It is the calm before the storm, the last opportunity to see people before they are fully in the thick of harvest,” Mr Kearns said.

“Whether it is toys or coffee machines to make it attractive for people to come on the stand, we are not trying to sell stuff, it is more about making contact with customers.

“It is important to get the right product for the right clientele – here there are a lot of graziers and big corporate broad acres, so you’ve got to invest the money into the site.”

National Sales and Operations Manager – Australia Paul Birbeck said CLAAS had been steadily expanding the site at Henty since 2009 and having the same site encouraged repeat visits from customers.

With Henty being one of the largest dedicated field day sites in the nation, the management team have ensured patrons of all ages and abilities are catered for.

The 105ha site offers a free courtesy bus service, toilets and showers for the disabled, a family resting place and parcel pick-up service to make your visit easier and more comfortable.

The site is level making it ideal for access by mobility scooters and prams, with wide, graded and well-drained internal roads.

Single seat, double seat and dual mobility scooters with a roof are available for hire at sites 52-54, just inside the western entry gate.

Scooters can be pre-booked online at www.showlockers.com.au and are reserved strictly for the elderly and disabled patrons.

Two 12-seater buses will operate a free shuttle service around the site from 9.30am to 5pm each day, stopping at eight designated points to collect field day visitors.

There are also free shuttle buses servicing the western and eastern car parks taking patrons to and from the main entrance gates.

See the site map for locations of the toilets including full disabled access and showers in the Petticoat Lane amenities block. The large site maps are located adjacent to the main entrances and next to the HMFD office. 

Other toilets with disabled access are located at 1^st Ag Place, near the Dog and Whistle Bistro, 3^rd Farm Avenue, at the East Gate, and 5^th Farm Avenue.

The team from St John Ambulance NSW are regionally based and their professional and qualified staff are fully equipped.

Medical response vehicles are on site and the field days first aid station is located next to the management office.

The field days office can be easily accessed via a ramp and patrons can chat to the friendly staff and field days committee, who can assist with almost everything.

A well-equipped family and children’s shed, The Family Resting Place, is located on site 345 at the start of Petticoat Lane. 

Co-ordinated by the Henty Early Childhood Association, it provides a place to go for the little ones to get changed, have a play and there are also private feeding areas available.

ANZ are providing an on-site ATM banking service at site 567.

The parcel pick-up office can be found at the corner of 7^th Farm Avenue and Main Road.

A free shuttle bus service around the Henty site this year will help ease the load of heavy shopping bags on weary legs.

Sponsored by the Inspector-General of Water Compliance, two 12-seater buses will operate around the site from 9.30am to 4pm each day, stopping at eight designated points to collect field day visitors.

Courtesy buses will also operate in the western and eastern carparks ferrying visitors to the entry gates.

A parcel pickup service is provided by Henty Park Tennis Club and St Joseph’s Primary School, Culcairn, from the booking office (located on the corner of Main Road and 7^th Farm Avenue) for collection at the western and eastern public car parks.

Major regional air services, with connections to all capital cities, and rental vehicles are located at Albury-Wodonga and Wagga Wagga. Private aircraft can land at the Holbrook Airpark with transport to and from the field days organised by patrons.

EFTPOS is available at the general admission gates and ATMs will be on site. The onsite bank is located at site 547 on Main Road.

Competition is expected to be intense this year as the nation’s best sheep dogs and their handlers gather for the Henty Working Dog Trials.

The trials consist of two events – the sheep field trial and yard dog championships, each running concurrently across the three days and culminating in the finals on the Thursday. 

Run under the auspices of the NSW Sheepdog Workers Incorporated, the sheep field trial is set to attract more than 100 dogs and their workers from around Australia.

The Murray Valley Yard Dog Championships run by the NSW Yard Dog Association, is tipped to also attract more than 100 dogs.

Hypro Pet Foods came on board as a new sponsor for the dog trials in 2022 and continues to support the event in 2024. 

Murray Valley Yard Dog Championships co-ordinator Peter Darmody, of West Wyalong, said the event was one of the most prestigious on the calendar, and would draw the cream of the nation’s best dogs competing for more than $5000 in prize money plus trophies and prizes.

The maiden trial will be held on Tuesday, followed by the novice and open classes on Wednesday and Thursday.

The finals are due to get underway from 1pm on Thursday. 

Dogs will be fresh from the Delungra and Wentworth championships, and Finley and Forbes yard dog trials.

Bill Luff, of Gundagai, along with Dean Incher, of Adaminaby, and Dale Thompson, of Benalla, are expected to be among the top line competitors. 

The event is designed to demonstrate everyday skills a working dog would use on a farm.

Each entrant has 12 minutes to gather a mob of about 18 sheep, herd them through a draft, and then on and off a truck.

Starting on a score of 100, points are deducted for livestock and mishandling breakaway sheep and ineffective work.

Benalla trialler Dale Thompson and his dog Broken River Jake took out last year’s Hypro Murray Valley Yard Dog Championships on 186 points. 

“It is always a good trial at Henty and it is super competitive,” he said.

“Henty attracts the cream of the crop and it’s always very special to have success here so hopefully we can keep it going. As competitors we all help out to make it all happen.”

Equal second was 2022 winner Dean Incher, Adaminaby, and Rafa, and Shane Maurer, Stockinbingal, with Tom on 183 points. Shane also placed fourth with Stuart on 182 points.

Up to 450 sheep will be needed for the Three Sheep Dog field trial heats and finals alone over the three days.

Run by the NSW Sheepdog Workers Incorporated, the event is limited to an open trial, with no encourager or novice class, and handlers entering their four best dogs.

Three Sheep Dog Field Trial co-ordinator Paul Darmody said the event would draw both top-line competitors and younger handlers competing for prize money of $4000.

Mr Darmody said the event would attract entries off the back of the 2024 Australian Supreme Sheepdog Championship at Geelong on September 7.

Last year Paul Elliott, of Henty, and his Border Collie Elliott’s Brisket scored 188 points to win the trial from John Perry, Bredbo, and Boco Raffa on 183 points under judge Ken Robinson, Quirindi, NSW. 

A retired shearing contractor, Paul Elliott moved to Henty last September from Eumungerie to help his shearing contractor son.

“We have great support for the sport here with the local butcher being unbelievably good to us and the whole community is behind us,” Paul said. 

Trialling for over 30 years, Mr Elliott rates Henty as one of the most competitive on the circuit, with his last Henty win in 2017.

“If you win Henty, you’ve won a good trial. It was tough out there today, but the sheep and dog worked well.

“The sheep were consistent from day one to day three. It is a terrific place to trial with a good crowd.”

The event is a three-sheep field trial, requiring the dog to move the sheep around a designed course.

The dog begins by casting around the sheep, bringing them back to the worker.

The dog and worker then move around a marked course through obstacles of a race and bridge before penning them within 15 minutes.

Henty Machinery Field Days visitors will be entertained by a mobile acoustic ensemble from the Australian Army Band Kapooka on the opening day.

Known as the “Pep’’ band, members will perform a wide range of popular songs in a highly captivating performance.

The musicians will perform at The Stump on Tuesday, September 17, at 10.30am as a prelude to the official opening and again during the lunch break.

The full band of the Australian Army Band Kapooka is kept busy performing its primary role of supporting the 1^stRecruit Training Battalion at march out parades and other functions within the Kapooka Military Area.

The band also provides support to various charity organisations and communities within the Riverina. In particular, the band performs a series of Music at Midday concerts in Wagga, and the Wagga Wagga Christmas spectacular.

The Australian Army Band Kapooka can also form various smaller ensembles to cater for a wide range of musical genres and audiences.

In 2023, the band was granted freedom of Entry to the City of Wagga to commemorate the dedicated and distinguished service of the Australian Army Band to the city and the Riverina.

This privilege is regarded as the highest compliment offered to a military unit by a civilian organisation or community.

The band has also represented Australia overseas in various locations including Papua New Guinea, East Timor, Bougainville, Japan, Tonga, Samoa and Fiji most recently in 2023. Additionally, the band has been deployed in recent years supporting First Nations communities and Indian-Pacific Island Nations. 

Grain growers will be able to inspect 47 cereals and new pasture varieties planted across the demonstration plots at this year’s Henty Machinery Field Days.

The Henty Machinery Field Days Co-operative has partnered with Rutherglen company Baker Seed Co to present the latest dual-purpose and milling varieties for field day patrons.

Baker Seed Co business development manager Aaron Giason said the two-hectare demonstration plot complemented the fully replicated trial sites at Rutherglen used to identify elite germplasm within breeding programs.

This year’s demonstration site will feature 32 wheat, 11 barley and four oats – all current and new (pending release) varieties.

The cereal trials are surrounded by plantings of rye corn at 120kg/ha, Marco Turnip, Zoom annual ryegrass and Grunt Italian ryegrass and a Baker Seed Company perennial mix sown on June 13 and 14. 

A site burn-off eliminated vegetative trash before the cereal varieties were sown into dry conditions on April 23. 

Mr Giason said the display of 47 varieties was a big increase on last year’s 38 and one of the largest displays to date. 

“The site has a great combination of numbered lines (brand new varieties destined for the market in 2025), recently released varieties and the tried and tested ones,” Mr Giason said.

“The site includes demo strips of ryegrass, perennial grasses, clovers, herbs, vetch and Baker Seed Co Pasture and Forage mixes. These were sown with an old Connor Shea disc seeder and the Henty Machinery Field Days Massey Ferguson as a nod to Henty’s 60-year history.”

Fertiliser inputs at sowing were 80kg/ha MAP plus Impact with the seed and top dressed with Urea at 200kg/ha. 

The sowing rate was set to achieve a plant population of 180 plants per square metre. 

The list of varieties sown this year include:

Parents or caregivers struggling with anxiety, irritability, frustration or tired beyond words after weeks, months or even years of broken sleep with a child now have a solution. 

Albury-Wodonga naturopath and nutritionist Georgina Windebank founded The Holistic Sleep Project five years ago, helping parents and children around Australia and internationally establish healthy sleeping routines and patterns. 

“This program is not a baby sleep school but a completely personalised plan to transform your child’s sleep and learn the skills to navigate how to handle the ongoing challenges of your child’s sleep,” Georgina said. 

She is a sleep consultant qualified with the International Maternity and Parenting Institute (USA), beginning her journey studying the science of sleep after having her son without extended family support and dealing with her own struggles with sleep. 

Georgina applied her skills as a naturopath and found the sleep solution that saw her baby settling independently and following an age-appropriate routine, ultimately leading to a new career as a baby sleep consultant.

She will be attending the Henty Machinery Field Days for the first time, sharing a site with her husband Shane on Simply Freight. Visitors to The Holistic Sleep Project site will have the opportunity to win a free consultation, access to a free webinar or masterclass on night waking and can also book a free 30 min discovery call with Georgina. 

According to Georgina, sleep is one of biggest challenges in the early years of parenting.

“The biggest problems new mothers have is night waking, cat napping, and early rising. They are so reliant on feeding, holding, rocking, and patting to sleep, the mother is up all night,” she said.

“Parents are working tirelessly to get them to sleep, and they are not getting much sleep at all. They are responding to all crying – we find a way to have minimal tears without doing cry-down or controlled crying.”

She said a holistic sleep consultant examines the timing and content of meals or feeds for baby and mother, stress levels of mother, stress and individuality in the family unit, and any trauma of pregnancy and birth.

“We look at the baby’s sleep space to ensure it is comfortable without bright lights, and evaluating if they are having the age-appropriate sleep, and their connection to parent.

“We then gradually and strategically back away from those things not working whether that be the dummy or feeding.

“Specific sleep goals are set for baby and parents with my ongoing support.”

Georgina was a bronze winner of the Woman in Health and Wellbeing at the Women Changing the World International Business Awards in London in May and is a finalist for the 2024 Ausmumpreneur Awards – podcast and also the Overcoming the Odds Award. 

Her podcast is the “The Holistic Baby and Toddler Sleep” which examines optimal sleep conditions for the newborn, baby, or toddler, while ensuring the emotional wellbeing of the family is a priority. 

The Holistic Sleep Project’s five stage of successful sleep approach addresses all the contributing factors preventing the newborn, baby, or toddler from getting a good night’s sleep.

These factors may include the sleep environment, nutritional intake, feeding schedule for solids and milk feeds, sleep routine that suits the child, and the way the mother is feeling or responding to their baby. 

“The sleep principles are completely unique in terms of the timing, strategy and individual personality and sleep challenges of the child and your family’s lifestyle,” Georgina said.

“The holistic approach will fix the immediate sleep issues at hand and empower and educate you to overcome subsequent sleep challenges.  It’s all about long-term education so you and your family get more great night’s sleep.”

The Silos Accommodation is a unique, luxury, two-person romantic retreat at Junee with breathtaking views of the surrounding farmland and set to open in October 2024. 

It is owned and operated by Nick and Amber Heffernan and their children who are the sixth generation farmers on this property.

The project started after the family could see a need to diversify for the future generations to ensure the caretaker role of the land is passed on successfully.

The building consists of a repurposed grain silo which has been standing in this location for the past 55 years.

Connecting the Silo Accommodation to the existing electricity network was cost-prohibitive, so Nick and Amber contacted solar company SolarWise Wagga to help with the design and budget for an off-grid solar and battery solution.

The decision was made to not to use gas with this build as the owners felt that its use contradicts best sustainable practice. 

Other than water, the build is fully off grid using the latest solar and battery technology to provide enough power to enable all of life's luxuries including heating and cooling as well as an electric vehicle charging station. 

Alex Manley, Managing Director of SolarWise Wagga, indicated there is increased interest by farmers looking to use solar energy and batteries to power farm stays for agritourism. 

Particularly now the NSW Government is simplifying planning pathways to allow these activities to happen. 

SolarWise Wagga helps farmers in a variety of ways other than powering farm stays, homes, and cottages.  

Workshops, tractor GPS stations, surveillance cameras, satellite internet stations, and solar pumps all feature in their thinking, particularly as the cost of technology is markedly reduced and proving to be reliable and productive. 

If you are looking to be a part of the solar revolution, be sure to visit the SolarWise Wagga stand at the Henty Machinery Field Days at site number 802 in Block Q.

Farmers and service providers now have an option for hassle free farming equipment transport, knowing their machinery is in safe hands with Simply Freight. 

With a Riverina office based in Albury-Wodonga, Simply Freight provides specialised farming equipment transport solutions, along with air and sea freight, supply chain management, customs brokerage, delivery and warehousing. 

Simply Freight is a global freight forwarder specialising in providing customised solutions to meet unique shipping requirements, whether that be moving a single pallet from Shanghai to Melbourne or transporting heavy machinery weighing 50 tonnes from Hanoi to Sydney. 

With an extensive local and international network, it delivers integrated solutions seamlessly with outcome and budget at the forefront, with key markets including USA/Canada, China, Vietnam, Europe, the UK, and New Zealand.

Simply Freight will be exhibiting at the Henty Machinery Field Days for the first time in 2024.

Founder and director Shane Windebank established an office in Albury in 2022 to service importers and exporters in southern NSW and northern Victoria. 

“We are servicing importers who are sourcing their products or raw materials from overseas or helping local producers and manufacturer’ export their products, safely and efficiently, to their overseas customers” Shane said.

“Located on the major freight corridor, in the nation’s food bowl and at the industrial end of agriculture, there is a lot of economic activity in this region for international freight forwarders like us.”

With 27 years’ experience in international freight and logistics, Shane founded his company 2011 and launched his rebranded business, Simply Freight, in August 2023.

“The name change speaks to the way we want the experience to be felt by our customers, that it was a simple process, handled simply and effectively. While big business is pushing their customers to online platforms for bookings with less and less customer interaction we prefer to have conversations and communicate to better understand what the customer needs are for each and every shipment. The name also speaks to what we do – simply freight. While international freight is our primary business, organically our domestic business is built on specialised, time sensitive or oversized freight, which has been a solid area of growth over the last two years,” he said. 

Simply Freight specialises in providing reliable and efficient heavy haulage services tailored to transport farming equipment storage tanks and water management equipment. With well maintained transport equipment and experienced professionals working to ensure smooth and secure transportation of large-scale agricultural machinery from tractors and harvesters to irrigation systems and more. 

“We prioritise safety throughout the transport process, meticulously planning routes, obtaining necessary permits and adhering to strict safety protocols to safeguard the valuable assets,” Shane said. 

“We are a solution focused business with a mantra of flexibility, accessibility, reliability and trust for our customers.”

Shane visited the Henty Machinery Field Days for the first time last year and was in awe of the sheer size of the both the event and machinery on site.

“I had no idea how big and busy it was – it was another world with mammoth on-farm machinery and other equipment. Exhibiting this year will help us create that brand awareness for us as a Riverina based international and specialised domestic freight solutions provider, and going forward it is it will become a focal point for our business. 

“While we have traditionally been based in Melbourne, we do handle all types of cargo Australia wide and to and from all over the world. Last year we shipped an entire asphalt plant from Korea to Bairnsdale, working with the customer to streamline the packing and preparation of the components for shipping to minimise costs.

“Our expertise in project logistics management ensures efficient handling of complex and large-scale shipments.

“Simply Freight is a boutique operation with a very experienced team providing streamlined supply chain management solutions.

“ From general, containerised, oversized, rolling or heavy lift cargoes by air, sea, road or rail there is little we won’t take on and to complement the moving of cargo, we also provide all the value added services of Customs & Quarantine clearance, cargo consolidations, Import and Export trade consultancy dealing in matters of tariff and documentary requirements, marine insurance and much more” 

OTR Tyres – Wheels - Axles will be at Henty this year with their range of fixed welded wheels, adjustable bolted tractor wheels, demountable rim options and clip-on dual applications and they also carry a complete axle assembly and spare parts range.

Their complete range of wheels from 6-inch through to 63-inch diameter can be designed and manufactured to your requirements. 

OTR is not just a tyre, wheel and axle manufacturer, they can also engineer, design, fabricate and machine components to any required specifications.

Agricultural machinery working outdoors must be robust, which is why OTR Australia take a complete service approach to the manufacture of engineering products and assemblies.

OTR’s manufacturing hubs in Perth, Mildura and Yatala, coupled with regional branches around Australia, allows for timely and cost-effective delivery of components and products no matter where in Australia you are situated. 

The business is staffed by a group of more than 200 experts with vast knowledge of agricultural products from engineering through to design, production and logistics.

OTR’s combination of large workshop space and staff’s extensive knowledge allows them to work closely with their customers to provide customisable agricultural machinery parts for their needs.

Alongside the engineering expertise, OTR carries a complete range of tyres for all applications, from premium brands through to cost-competitive options, and can cater to all your requirements, be it speed, flotation, traction or height.

Manufactured from the best Australian Blue Scope steel products, OTR heavy duty parts and components are developed with one goal; to maximize the uptime of your work fleet.

The wait down-under has ended for the highly anticipated CLAAS XERION 12 series high-horsepower tractor, which will be showcased at the 2024 Henty Machinery Field Days. 

With significant interest in the American and European markets, the XERION has taken some time to get to this side of the world in a low-regulated version.  

Chief Executive Richard Wilson is delighted to be able to finally bring the new CLAAS XERION to the Australian market. 

“We have been working with CLAAS since 1987, and they are a world-leading manufacturer of agricultural machinery. We know we are bringing in a superior product that is right for the farming conditions of our Australian customers because we have been running five evaluation units in Australia this seeding season, and they have completed over 2000 hours of work,” Mr Wilson said. 

In 2023, CLAAS made good on its promise to take the high-horsepower tractor market head-on with the release of its all-new XERION 12 series at Agritechnica. With the CLAAS XERION 12 series, the Harsewinkel-based company currently has the most powerful all-wheel drive tractor with continuously variable transmission technology on the market.

The XERION 12 was the result of six years of research and development, 10,000 hours of field testing across five countries, and was recognised by five international awards at Agritechnica, AGROmash, the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers and an iF design award. 

The new 12.650, 12.590 and 12.540 models in the XERION 12 series are the flagships in the segment and have been engineered to enhance on-farm productivity with four key features in mind:  

XERION 12 is powered by the same 15.6 L six-cylinder Mercedes-Benz OM473 engine found in CLAAS’ combine and forage harvesters. The 15.6L Mercedes-Benz six-cylinder engines boast a maximum power output of up to 653 hp.   

“XERION 12 is all about performance, comfort and productivity – and it delivers all three in spades,” Kevin Walker, Product Business Manager –Tractors Australia & New Zealand, said.

“With a maximum power output of 653 hp and 3100 Nm of torque at just 1300 rpm, this is the most powerful four-wheel-drive tracked tractor on the market with a CVT transmission.

“Thanks to its balanced 50:50 weight distribution the XERION 12 Series tractors are built to exceed expectations and to stand up to any job you throw at it.  A specialist for heavy-duty pulling work in all speed ranges - whether in front of a cultivator, disc harrow, plough, air seeder or trailer.

“Despite its immense power and size, it is extremely nimble thanks to its precise twin-axle steering.” 

 The XERION 12 series TERRA TRAC model is equipped with newly developed triangular crawler units and 914 or 762mm tracks, while the wheeled variants can be fitted with 800/70 R42 dual or 900/60 R42 single tyres.   

The luxe cab has space, comfort, and an unrivaled all-round view supported by four-point suspension. 

State-of-the-art onboard and offboard features for digital agriculture allow automated steering, section control, variable rate, and automatic documentation, as well as the optimisation of machine and process performance with CEMOS. The XERION 12 series is even more connected with further development towards high automation of work processes and autonomy.

Case IH’s introduction of AFS Connect on its high horsepower tractor ranges over the past few years changed the game for local farmers, and now Henty Machinery Field Days visitors will have a chance to see how this advanced technology has been rolled out across the brand’s popular Puma models.

The AFS Connect Puma was launched into the Australian and New Zealand market earlier this year, featuring a range of new design features and performance updates, including the connectivity capabilities of its larger Steiger, Magnum and Optum stablemates.

“The Puma has always punched well above its weight when it comes to performance and versatility in the mid-range of our tractor models, and now with the addition of the AFS Connect platform it’s made an already strong tractor even better, offering customers everything they could once only find in our larger tractors,” Case IH Australia/New Zealand Product Manager for Puma tractors Lawrence Polga said. 

The new AFS Connect Puma models will also come with Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) as standard, and a new 260 horsepower model will be introduced, where previously the range stopped at 240hp. There are also bigger rear tyres, stronger front axle, and on the higher horsepower models in the range, a bigger back axle as well.

The most exciting upgrade though is around the Puma’s technology capabilities, with the Case IH AFS Connect telematics package allowing for instant two-way data transfer between the tractor and the AFS Connect online management portal, giving owners and farm managers complete control over farm, fleet and data management.

Tractor performance and implement operating data are immediately, securely and continuously sent to the online portal for monitoring by the owner and/or operator.

“So, they are able to make management decisions more precisely and with greater speed, supported by instantly-accessible and accurate data, both current and historical. You can also monitor real-time information such as the location of the tractor, its fuel levels and other key management and performance data,” Mr Polger said. 

He said owners could also choose to allow their Case IH dealer to remotely monitor their tractor’s AFS Pro 1200 terminal screen via AFS Connect, providing the opportunity for dealer notification of early warning signs of a tractor issue, remote service access, and operating advice based on machine data.

“Having that connectivity between the farmer in the paddock and the dealer allows us to minimise their downtime and if they choose, to be connected to their machine for any types of product improvements like software and future updates,” Mr Polga said. 

A new hydraulic cab suspension will be introduced for better comfort on the new models, and there will be an option for Advanced Vehicle Suspension (AVS), a fully- integrated suspension system combining front-axle suspension, cab suspension and rear hitch to provide the operator with a higher level of driving comfort.

There’s a new fuel tank with increased capacity of 457 litres, ergonomic steps, a storage box on top, and at the bottom, in front of the steps, is a dedicated storage area. 

A new larger cab features a premium leather seat with active suspension features and full cooling and heating capabilities, and the operating experience is further enhanced by a new drive pedal, which provides enhanced precision and control for slow-speed inching, field work with headland turns, and high-speed travel on the road. Increased storage, large coolbox and multiple USB sockets will also be welcomed by operators.

Remaining in the cab, there’s a Multi-controller armrest and its Multi-Function lever, larger AFS Pro 1200 touchscreen monitor with greater functionality, and A-pillar tablet instrumentation for engine/transmission information read-outs. 

Via the new monitor at the armrest’s front, key controls on the Multi-controller and armrest can be customised to suit operator preference and the job at hand, including the remote valve paddle switches.

“The inclusion of AFS Connect takes the Puma’s capabilities to a new level, giving users a versatile tractor with continuously-variable transmission that offers even more in terms of comfort, capability and connectivity,” Mr Polga said. 

Young people interested in a career in agriculture have a chance to compete in a mini junior judging competition and come away with some fantastic prizes thanks to the TAFE NSW, Primary Industries Centre North Wagga campus, at Henty.

The junior judging was launched at last year’s field days and drew 250 school aged students, with the winners St Pauls College, Walla Walla, and Yanco Agricultural High School taking home prizes donated by the Riverina Co-op and RB Sellers.

TAFE NSW Primary Industries Centre North Wagga Wool classing and Agriculture Teacher Anna Ingold said students competed across seven different stations, testing their knowledge and skills in beef cattle, sheep and wool, crops and grains. 

“One station involved questions on bull selection in relation to calving ease, while others were identifying the different microns of wool, plants and seeds, counting sheep and using data for profitability in animal production,” Miss Ingold said.

Afterwards students were able to learn welding skills on the virtual welder or shear a sheep under the watchful eye of experienced shearer and TAFE NSW trainer Bill Kimber. 

“We are actively seeking to create engagement around the Primary Industries Centre, agriculture and what we do, and have students aware of what their options are throughout school and after school,” Miss Ingold said. 

“We had students last year from urban backgrounds and they were given an insight into what agriculture meant, the different enterprises and their future options in agriculture as a career.

“The average age of students was 13 and they ranged from eight to 18 years.”

This year’s visitors to the TAFE NSW site can learn about the basic, novice and improver shearing courses, along with wool handing and classing, Certificate II, III, IV and Diploma of Agriculture, horticulture, permaculture and animal studies (animal care and vet nursing). 

“We have a dummy fleece for people to practice wool handling skills. The shearing industry is experiencing a lack of skilled staff and within agriculture in general it is hard to find employees with appropriate knowledge and skills,” Miss Ingold said. 

“Even for those young people who work on farm for their parents during the holidays, we encourage them into undertake a course within agriculture. There are some really good options for students to do school based traineeships whilst still at school, and traineeships on completion of schooling.”

School students are welcome to visit the TAFE NSW Wagga Wagga site at Block N, 562-563 and enter the junior judging during the field days on September 17-19. 

TAFE NSW (site N562-N563) Practical Demonstration Times:

Tuesday

Wednesday & Thursday 

Hutcheon & Pearce are excited to share information about the soon-to-be-released 2025 S7 Series Combines, with a unit to be unveiled on site at the 2024 Henty Machinery Field Days. 

These combines promise significant productivity gains and fuel efficiency improvements, making them a game-changer for modern agriculture. 

The S7 Series boasts a four-model line-up, featuring new engines, cab and exterior styling updates, and three automation package options designed to enhance user experience and operational efficiency. Please note that the delivery date for these combines is not yet certain.

The highlight of the S7 Series is the G5 Advanced Package, which bundles five advanced guidance and automation technologies into an annual license. This package ensures that users automatically receive access to new features as they’re released, keeping their combines at the cutting edge of agricultural technology. 

This includes advanced features like Predictive Ground Speed Automation, which uses forward-facing cameras and field yield predictive maps to assess crop conditions and proactively manage ground speed.

Productivity Gains and Fuel Efficiency: The S7 Series promises up to a 20 per cent increase in productivity with 10 per cent less fuel consumption compared to previous models. This is achieved through new, fuel-efficient engines and cutting-edge automation features, which optimize every aspect of the harvesting process.

Four-Model Line-up: The S7 Series spans from Class 6 to Class 9, featuring models S760, S770, S780, and S790. Each model includes new engines, the luxurious X9 cab, and exterior styling updates. The line up’s new naming scheme aligns with the X Series, making it easier for customers to understand their capacities.

Automation Packages: The S7 Series introduces three advanced automation packages, including updated systems for residue handling, grain handling, and loss sensing. These systems enhance operational efficiency and reduce grain loss, ensuring maximum yield from each harvest.

Compared to earlier John Deere S Series combines, the S7 Series introduces updated systems for residue handling, grain handling, and loss sensing. These advancements contribute to the S7's promise of a 20 per cent increase in productivity while reducing fuel consumption by 10 per cent.

The S7 Series combines feature new fuel-efficient engines, cutting-edge automation features, improved grain loss sensing, and enhanced residue management systems. Equipped with the same luxurious cab found on the iconic X9, the S Series combines are comfortable, advanced, and very capable.

“For MY25, the S7 Series Combines will receive a significant facelift with new styling, new engines, new automation technology, and residue management options,” Hutcheon & Pearce sales and marketing manager Andrew Watts said. 

“The model line-up features a new name and numbering scheme in line with the X Series. The S7 is the family with 600, 700, 800, and 900 models representing their capacities.

 “By far, my favourite new feature is the Predictive Ground Speed Automation. S7’s will now be able to use two forward-facing cameras and field yield predictive maps to visually assess changing crop conditions to proactively manage ground speed and maximize productivity like never before. Add to this the 10% fuel saving compared to previous models and our customers will see more money in their pocket with reduced operator fatigue.”

The 2025 S7 Series John Deere combines are set to revolutionise harvesting with their advanced features and significant productivity gains. Stay tuned for more details on these automation packages, which promise to transform how we approach harvesting. With the new S7 Series, John Deere continues to lead the way in agricultural innovation, delivering tools that enhance efficiency and profitability for farmers worldwide.

Field day visitors can undergo a free health screen and access health information at the Australian Men’s Shed Association site near the western entrance. 

Health assessments conducted will include blood pressures, waist circumferences, body mass index measures and mental wellness screening. 

The Australian Men’s Shed Association and Uncle Tobys will again partner with Three Rivers Department of Rural Health (DRH) from Charles Sturt University to deliver the Spanner in the Works? health screening and health promotion activity at the 2024 field days. 

Charles Sturt University health students under the supervision of qualified health professionals will be conducting heath screening and health promotion activities to consenting participants over the three days of the event. 

Whilst the health initiative targets men, the activity is open to everyone over the age of 18. 

In its fifth consecutive year at the Henty Machinery Field Days, more than 1200 people have received health screening and advice at the event. 

2023 was a massive three days for the Spanner in the Works? site with 566 health assessments conducted. 

The Spanner in the Works? health screening and health promotion activity at the Henty Machinery Field Days is a student work-integrated learning experience for students coordinated by Three Rivers DRH. 

It has received recognition and awards for both its impact and innovative approach. In 2023 the activity won the Charles Sturt University Teaching Academy Change One Thing Award. This resulted in the activity being nominated in a national award for which it was recognised and awarded the inaugural national winner of the Regional Universities Network Learning and Teaching Award for 2023. 

Whilst at the 2024 Henty Machinery Field Days pop on down to the Australian Men’s Shed Association Spanner in the Works? Block C site 92 and stop in for a free health screen and access to some health information. 

Murray Darling Basin farmers will be able to share their sentiment and concerns around issues directly affecting them with the Inspector-General of Water Compliance staff at the Henty Machinery Field Days.

Water compliance in the Murray-Darling Basin has significantly improved with 80 percent of NSW water resource plans (WRPs) now submitted, and the Inspector-General of Water Compliance’s (IGWC) continues to hold governments and water operators accountable to the rules for water use.

Calling out overdue WRPs was among the first actions by the Inspector-General of Water Compliance, the Honourable Troy Grant, in his speech at River Reflections 2022 in Mildura. 

Since then, 16 of 20 NSW WRPs are accredited and operational with the four outstanding closely monitored.  

“The more light we shine on areas of integrity or improvement, the more work comes our way,” Mr Grant said. 

“My office is maturing quickly to help improve trust and confidence in water management across the Basin.”

Having an independent federal body overseeing water rules and regulations was identified as important by 71 percent of Basin community members, according to a report recently commissioned by the IGWC and undertaken by ORIMA Research.

This value was reinforced by an additional $28.6 million investment over four years in the 2024–25 Federal Budget. The IGWC received funding to further strengthen its independence and engagement, and inquiry powers and function.

“This is a boost for compliance, oversight and integrity across the Basin but also a message to Basin communities that their sentiment and concerns around issues that directly affect them are being listened to and responded to,” Mr Grant said.

“It's a significant measure that helps with our goal to build confidence and integrity in the Basin Plan.”

The IGWC has a network of subject specialists in the water space, and field officers who engage with communities across the Basin, which produces one third of Australia’s food supply. 

“It’s important my team are embedded in Basin communities and genuinely understand local issues and complex water topics. You can chat all things water over a cuppa with them at Henty Field Days site 566, right across from Henty Field Days headquarters.” 

To learn more about the IGWC and review its reports, visit igwc.gov.au or connect with your nearest field officer on 13 IGWC (13 44 92).

Nathan Maloney is Henty born and bred, has been involved with the Henty Machinery Field Days from an early age.

He spent his childhood helping his parents cook in the steakhouse to raise funds for the Henty Public School and also made parcel deliveries at the goods shed.

As an adult, he became an electrician and helped his colleague Rodney Gabriel each year making sure all the power was connected and working on every site.

Nathan grew up playing for the Henty Swampies AFL team and has sponsored the club for many years due to the strong connection of friends and family.

As the owner of Wodonga business, Redi 2 Hire, Nathan and his wife Melinda have been an exhibitor at the Henty Machinery Field Days for almost 10 years and last year became an official sponsor.

While living in Melbourne Nathan and Mel started their own electrical business and after nine years with a young family they decided to relocate to Table Top after opening Redi 2 Hire, an equipment hire and sales business, in Wodonga in 2014.

A member of the Hire and Rental Association Australia, Redi 2 Hire has a large range of hire equipment for access, compaction and excavation, compressors, concreting and bricklaying, generators and welders, landscaping and gardening, scaffolding, mini loaders, lifters, power tools, saws, demolition tools and trailers. 

“Our company is well renowned for being able to find anything people need at short notice. We provide a friendly, professional service to the Wodonga, Albury and surrounding region with an extensive range of new hire and sales equipment for use by the home handyman, tradesman, building, contractor, councils and industry,” Nathan said. 

“Our aim is to provide customers with high quality products, and we have been a premium sales and service agent for Wacker Neueson since 2016. Of German origin, Wacker Neuson is a leading global manufacturer of high-quality construction equipment and compact construction machines, putting their confidence behind the product with an industry leading five-year warranty on all products.”

Due to the growth of Redi 2 Hire, in early 2024 a new sales division called Redi Group Equipment Sales was created to eliminate the confusion between hire and sales.

As well as Wacker Neuson machinery, Redi Group Equipment Sales is also sales and service agents for Ox Tools range of concrete hand tools, Digga attachments, Norm Engineering excavator and equipment attachments, Tracks, Wear Parts, Crommelins Machinery and hydraulic and engine oils from Penrite Oil.

“Henty is my home and any chance I get I like to get back there – we have been an exhibitor under Wacker Neuson so our business is a natural fit with the Henty Machinery Feld Days,” Nathan said. 

Bridges, mobile phone towers, solar farms, sheds, silos and multi-storey buildings have all been lifted into place around the Border region by Dunn’s Twin City Cranes.

The Albury/Wodonga based company has been a sponsor of the Henty Machinery Field Days for about nine years, with a large crane visible in the centre of the site holding aloft the HMFD public address system.

“It’s a big area between Albury and Wagga for farming and construction industries so for people to see our cranes out there it is good exposure,” principal Jon Dunn said.

“We have a crane holding up the public address system 20m above the field day site each year and contribute a crane for five weeks to assist with the site loading and unloading at Henty. It gives me a chance to spend a day at Henty catching up with the people we deal with throughout the year.

“There has been follow-up work from Henty, including shed construction and loads of agricultural machinery, farm equipment and silos.”

The business, operated by Jon and his wife Melanie, services clients within a 200km radius of Albury-Wodonga and also has a strong focus on regional charity work.

Jon was honoured in 2022 by the Crane Industry of Australia – Excellence Award in appreciation of his significant contribution to the industry. 

He had worked as a crane operator, rigger and dogman for Fitzgerald Constructions before establishing Dunn’s Crane and Access Hire with a single crane in 2004 in Corowa.

He is also a qualified diesel mechanic and first began operating cranes at the age of 19.

Dunn’s Twin City Cranes Pty Ltd celebrated 20 years in business in January 2024.

Employing up to 25 staff including subcontractors, the business operates 20 cranes, four semi-trailers, a Peru (powerline construction), a heavy rigid truck and medium rigid truck.

 “Our scope of operations and diversity of equipment enables us to supply to a range of markets including shutdowns, farming needs, building and construction industries, along with transportation requirements,” Mr Dunn said.

“The vast range of cranes range from the 2.8 tonnes mini crawler and seven Franna pick and carry compact city cranes from 20 to 40 tonnes, six all-terrain cranes from 40 to 220 tonnes for construction and communication tower work.

“Last year we purchased a 220-tonne crane which reaches 96m in height and can be used for projects such as lifting precast concrete panels, modular houses, and communication towers. 

“The tight access mini crawler cranes are designed for jobs to fit through a household door.

“Our dedicated employees are experienced in all fields of the industry and there is a strict adherence to industry safety standards.

“We are available 24 hours seven days a week to help our clients and we always ensure the work gets completed in the minimum possible time.”

Among the major projects Dunn’s have been involved in over the past year includes Mars Pet Care, Trinity Anglican College, Wilson Transformers, the Opal factory, Inland Rail and Snowy Hydro.

Dunn’s Twin City Cranes has a strong history of contributing to the community and are major sponsors of the Tallangatta Football League.

The company is a family orientated work environment and spends a significant amount of money annually in donations and sponsorship to sporting organisations, medical charities and community groups.

Many donations of crane hire in-kind have been made to organisations such as Give me Five for Kids, Royal Flying Doctors, and Border Relay for Life.

Monthly donations are made to the Peter Mac Foundation, Heart Research Institute and Starlight Foundation, while annual donations are given to Country Hope, City2City Walk, World’s Greatest Shave and the Christmas Party for Special Kids.

RB Sellars has been outfitting hard-working Aussies who share passion for the land since 1996. 

The brand started life as a small catalogue business with the simple idea of a hard wearing, well-crafted work shirt in a range of colours. 

The now iconic Burton and Sandy work shirt has since become the Australian rural uniform.

The range now includes functional and hard-wearing workwear for both men and women, plus a large collection of casual wear, farm wear and a teen and kid’s range. 

Since its humble beginnings the brand has grown its regional presence to include stores across country high streets in Australia and New Zealand, an online business delivering to homesteads, farms and stations in every corner of Australia, and a business-to-business arm outfitting rural businesses Australia wide.

RB Sellars is proud to support Henty Machinery Field Days for yet another year and can be found at Block A 10-13 during the field days. 

Visitors will have the opportunity to interact with the latest agricultural drones in a large display at the Henty Machinery Field Days thanks to AKRON Australia and DJI Agriculture. 

Based at Gerogery, AKRON Australia is the leading provider of agricultural drones in Australia and specialises in high quality DJI branded drones specifically designed for spraying and spreading in the agricultural sector.

“Our drones are reliable, efficient and provide an innovative solution for farmers across the country. At AKRON Australia we are committed to providing exceptional customer service and support to ensure our customers get the most out of their investment,” AKRON Australia general manager Jimmy O’Neill said

“By harnessing the power of drones, farmers can improve crop management, reduce resource waste and optimise agricultural processes. We see a world where precision agriculture is the norm and drones are an indispensable part of the farming landscape.”

AKRON Australia has been exhibiting for many years at the field days and this year has come on board as a major sponsor. The fully accredited drone demonstration cage will be located inside the western entrance. 

“Drones have fully evolved to become a farm tool rather than a toy for stock and water monitoring, feral animal identification, bird scaring, weed spraying and fertiliser application with their increased payload carrying capacity," Mr O'Neill said. 

“We are excited to be on board as a major sponsor - it is great to see the field days growing every year and we wanted to be a part of it.”

Field day visitors will be able to see the full agricultural range including the DJI Agras T50, T40 and T25, and the mapping and thermal imaging DJI Mavic 3’s.

Mr O’Neill said the fuel efficient and fast charging Agras T50 was released in April 2024 and offered surveying, spraying and spreading in the one package plus double peace of mind with binocular vision and dual radar. 

The Agras T50 has a powerful coaxial twin-rotor propulsion system and split-type torque resistant structure for next level stability when carrying 40kg spraying and 50kg spreading payloads. 

T50 leverages a dual atomising spraying system, front and rear phases array radars and a binocular vision system allowing a peak spreading rate of 1500kg per hour and a flow rate of 108kg/minute, or spray rate of 24 litres a minute. 

The DJI Mavic 3 Multispectral is ideal for orchard mapping, variable rate applications, intelligent field scouting, environmental monitoring and natural resources surveying. 

It combines an RGB camera with a multispectral camera to scan and analyse crop growth with total clarity. It has a newly upgraded imaging system with one 20MP RGB camera and four 5MP multispectral cameras (green, red, red edge and near infrared) enabling applications such as high precision aerial surveying, crop growth monitoring and natural resource surveys. 

The built-in sunlight sensor captures solar irradiance and records it in an image file, allowing for light compensation of image data during 2D reconstruction. This allows more accurate NVDI results and improved accuracy and consistency of data acquired over time. 

The camera and RTK module sync in microseconds to accurately capture the location of each camera’s imaging centre. This enables Mavic 3M to do high precision aerial surveying without using ground control points. 

The aircraft features multiple wide FOV vision sensors that accurately detect obstacles in all directions for omnidirectional obstacle avoidance. The terrain-follow aerial surveying can be easily performed in steep slope landscapes. 

“The imagery from the Mavic 3 can transfer data be to the T50 or T40 allowing them to carry out spot spraying or variable rate applications,” Mr O’Neill said. 

“They are fully battery powered and the batteries charge in about 10 minutes – they are great for timely spray or fertiliser applications, especially in hilly country.

“We have sold a few drones in the local region especially for black berry spraying.”

Mr O’Neill said Akron values collaborating with businesses wanting to bring the benefits of agricultural drone technology to more farmers.

At AKRON, excellent after sales service is paramount and the business has a goal to provide to notch support, training and ongoing assistance. 

“We are here to ensure you get the most out of our products and have a partner you can rely on as your farming needs evolve.”

While many Australians have reliable home internet through Telstra’s nbn plans, some of us live in more remote locations where a different connectivity solution is best.

This is where the Telstra Satellite Home internet comes in – using innovative LEO satellites to provide low latency satellite internet in even the most remote places. It will even provide you with a home phone connection.

Telstra’s satellite home internet plan is available for $125 per month and $599 upfront for the Starlink Standard kit. It also includes unlimited data and estimated typical peak speeds of 50Mbps download and 10Mbps upload. Availability and speeds may be impacted by various other factors such as kit location, sky visibility from that location and severe weather conditions. 

As a world first on the Starlink network, you can even use it as your home phone.

Each Telstra Satellite Home Internet connection comes with a Telstra Smart Modem 3 included for use alongside a Starlink Standard Kit which also includes the latest Starlink Kit plus all the cables needed to make it work together.

The Telstra Smart Modem 3 provides a home phone connection and for those in an area with 4G mobile coverage, the Telstra Smart Modem 3 will also automatically swap to that connection if there’s an issue with your satellite connectivity. 

As with other Telstra services, you can visit one of the Telstra stores for some help from a local or jump into the MyTelstra app to talk with an agent. 

With the 30-day satisfaction guarantee, eligible customers can also troy out Telstra Satellite Home Internet and, if it’s not up to your standards, simply return the hardware within 30 days and you will be refunded the first monthly fee plus any hardware repayment costs. 

Event hire company Barlens is celebrating 20 years of service at the Henty Machinery Field Days, undertaking the mammoth task of transforming the 105ha site into a “tent city” each September.

“I’m proud to say 20 years – that number even seems strange to write but looking back over the last 20 years it’s hard to imagine how much the field days have evolved,” Barlens Structures Solutions chief operating officer Morris Mckeeman said.

“In the early days there were quite a few peg and pole tents that would be supplied to the show, and this was just the way it was before the Clear Span (Hoecker) marquee structure really took over.

“The idea of getting away from the traditional peg and pole tent to a structure that could span great distance without intruding centre poles and could withstand big winds was a massive plus in the industry. Game changer would be a better word to use.

“The overall look of the show has come so far in this time and the HMFD sites and attendance just keeps growing stronger, innovation in structure and supply is important to grow and to making change with new ideas is also something that excites us.”

Mr Mckeeman rated Henty as a challenging job each year with staff, stock, logistics and the big ticket (weather) all playing a massive part. 

“We have been fortunate over the 20 years to have had some of the best weather on our side to pull the show together,” he said. 

“But in the same words there has been a couple of trying years with bogged forks, trucks unable to get close to sites, and drenched men before 7am with a full day in front of them all adding to the challenges.

“I also keep in mind the rain is what keeps the farmers going and the whole cycle turning, with crops, stock, and seed in the ground for the next year, including their other day to day challneges outweighing our problems. 

“Without the farmers there is no field day. The HMFD is farming and when it’s a good year the farmers, store holders, infrastructure builders, Henty and all towns around the event have a win and those years are then worth remembering.

“Again, it’s hard to believe I’m talking about the past 20 years but looking back I’m glad we haven’t missed one of them. 

“I am looking forward to the next five years with the HMFD team as it’s always a great show, and would I dare say there’s another five years in us after that.

“As we have said here for the last 20…. see you at the Henty Field Days. Cheers Barlens.”

ANZ is proud to be the major sponsor of the Henty Machinery Field Days and can be found at site 567. 

ANZ recognises the importance of regional events such as the Henty Machinery Field Days and commends the organisers on maintaining the event at such a consistently high standard. 

To support its customers, ANZ has built a team of skilled regional agribusiness managers who are dedicated to your business and your industry. 

Through the ANZ Seeds of Renewal program, ANZ has also donated more than $5 million to over 800 regional community projects in an effort to build vibrant and sustainable rural communities, including farmers and local community groups from Riverina/Greater Hume. 

ANZ looks forward to continuing to help the industry evolve off the back of growing global demand for safe, premium quality food which plays to the natural advantages of Australia’s highly regarded agriculture industry.  

Field day attendees are invited to drop by the ANZ site to say hello and rest their legs. 

Henty Machinery Field Days will step up its promotion of agritourism in the Riverina-Murray region and further increase its visitation reach thanks to NSW Government funding.

The nation’s single biggest agricultural event is one of 66 music, sports, food and cultural events across NSW to receive a share of $1.3 million in funding under the Regional Event Fund.

The fund, managed by Destination NSW, bolsters event organisers with equipment hire, venue hire, market research, photography, videography, publicity and marketing to attract out-of-region visitors.

Henty Machinery Field Days is one of the largest events held in the Destination Riverina Murray NSW region, contributing significantly to the region’s agritourism strategy through its promotion of agriculture. 

Henty Machinery Field Days chief executive officer Belinda Anderson welcomed the funding announcement, saying the $20,000 grant would be used to increase profile and encourage visitation to the 2024 event on September 17-19.

“HMFD provides an opportunity for growth of the region’s agritourism through its marketing plan which aims to attract visitors who have not been before,” Mrs Anderson said. 

“Alongside these visitors to agriculture, this marketing approach also provides opportunity to promote the region and the agritourism experiences available to visitors.”

Mrs Anderson said HMFD collaborated with Greater Hume Council on its aim to enhance economic activity by encouraging visitors to stay and spend locally, capture traffic on the two major highways, promote the shire to residents and visitors alike, and expand visitation from Albury-Wodonga and Wagga Wagga and beyond.

“HMFD is a significant event in the Greater Hume Shire, promoting the region to all who visit the field days through their experience, along with the engagement of local businesses and fundraising opportunities for community groups.”

Mrs Anderson said it was important for the field days to continue to evolve by broadening its reach to visitors outside the agricultural sector.

She said the grant would assist in an increase in targeted marketing and promotion in the digital space, to encourage visitors to focus on the social connections experienced at the field days. 

Market research conducted in 2022 by Ballina based company, Destination Research found 45 per cent of visitors travelled more than 100km to the event, and 78 per cent indicated they had been to the event in previous years an average of nine times. 

“Henty has an established foothold on the agricultural calendar and receives strong support from businesses and visitors each year, however we do not rest on our laurels and aim to remain relevant and continually evolving,” Mrs Anderson said.

“We are broadening our appeal to those who may have never visited the field days and to plan their day off work to coincide with a visit to an event considered as a ‘must see’ by around 60,000 visitors each year.”

Henty Machinery Field Days is one of 22 organisations around the nation to receive funding under Round 2 of the AgriFutures Agritech Event Sponsorship Program to host an innovative new event in 2024, Agtech Alley.

The grants aim to foster commercialisation opportunities, attract investment and elevate Australian agritech enterprises. Henty Machinery Field Days is supported by funding from the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry as part of its Support Regional Trade Events Program.

Henty Machinery Field Days will partner with NSW Department of Primary Industries to present a dedicated interactive trade exhibition space during the agribusiness event on September 17-19.

Agtech Alley will deliver practical advice to producers and industry organisations through hourly showcases, panel discussions and live demonstrations.

Visitors will be able to learn about cutting edge innovation and how they can apply the latest technology on-farm, be it remote sensors, connectivity, or post-harvest solutions to streamline business operations.

Henty Machinery Field Days chief executive officer Belinda Anderson said Agtech Alley would be a one-stop shop aimed to educate and demonstrate adoption of best practice.

Mrs Anderson also welcomed continued support for the not-for-profit co-operative from Albury-Wodonga businesses, Barlens and Dunn’s Twin City Cranes, both extending their sponsorships for another five years.

Barlens chief operating officer Morris Mckeeman was pleased to cement the sponsorship on the back of the event hire business marking 20 years of service to the field days.

“It’s great to be onboard with the HMFD again for another five years, it makes sense to us to have partnerships with large events like the HMFD and ensures the ongoing support in both camps moving forward over the next five years,” Mr Mckeeman said.

Dunn’s Twin City Cranes contribute a 10-tonne City Crane each year to hold the public address system 20m above the field day site and franna cranes for five weeks on site loading and unloading. 

Principal Jon Dunn gives the Henty Machinery Field Days outdoor crews a refresher course on the many cranes supplied by Dunn’s and used each year on site. 

“The Henty team are a fantastic group of people, and the relationship works well for our business,” Mr Dunn said.

“Having our crane holding up the public address system and the Henty staff operating the smaller crane on site set-up and pack-up helps promote our business.”

Designers using natural fibres in their creations are encouraged to enter for the prestigious 2024 Henty Natural Fibre Fashion Awards to be held in September.

Introduced in 2022, The Australian Made Business Award is sponsored by JMP Developments, Wodonga for $500, and will be a highlight of the 19^th annual Henty Natural Fibre Awards at the 2024 Henty Machinery Field Days on September 17-19. 

To be eligible for the Australian Made Business Award, entries must be designed in Australia and be either from fibres grown or manufactured in Australia plus the garment be Australian manufactured.

Last year’s winner Jessica Durman, Kooringal, NSW, teaches fashion design and dress making at Sew Me School of Fashion and Design, Wagga Wagga, and entered five garments in conjunction with her mother-in-law Fiona Durman.

Boasting prizes valued at around $5500, the fashion awards have grown into a prestigious event attracting high profile designers, with the 2024 entries to be paraded in the Country Lifestyle pavilion at 1pm on Tuesday and Wednesday. The final parade will be held at 11am on Thursday with the winners announced at 1.30pm.

Awards convenor Lyn Jacobsen said the Business Development Award was creating excitement among designers with new entrants planning on participating.

“Since the field days are located within a major wool and fibre producing region, it was important an event be carried on to encourage designers to showcase their creativity using the fibres allowed,’’ Mrs Jacobsen said.

“This competition is free and open to all designers, but the fabric in the garment must be at least 70 per cent natural fibre, which can be wool, cotton, alpaca, silk, linen or combinations. Leather is not classed as a natural fibre and can only be added as a trim.

“Garments are judged on visual appeal, creativity and innovation.’’

To be announced on the final day, the winner of the supreme garment made with natural fibres will receive $1000 in prize money from Henty Machinery Field Days plus a Bernina 325 sewing machine valued at $1499, courtesy of Bernina Australia and Sew Fab, Narrandera.

A knitted body-hugging Merino wool dress with a stunning three-tiered hat titled “Coming up Roses” stole the limelight on the catwalk at last year’s Awards winning the supreme garment for international designer Laurel Judd. 

The winners of the best knitted or crocheted garment will receive $500 donated by Fox & Lillie Rural, while the millinery and accessory winners will receive $500 each sponsored by Henty Machinery Field Days. 

Bernina Australia and Sew Fab are donating a Bernette 44 Funlocker valued at $750 as an encouragement award for the best garment by a student designer.

Entries are open until September 3 and for more information on the awards or to enter visit www.hmfd.com.au

Trough sensors, digital dashboards, personal safety alerts, livestock farm management software, technology for bee keepers, and on-farm reporting were all solutions developed by Australian agtech start-ups and showcased at Henty. 

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

Entries were judged prior to the field days and the winners announced at the field days on September 21 by Farmers2Founders Program Manager AgTech Accelerator James Muir. 

Technologies were showcased at the Henty TEKFARM Agritech Innovation Hub by Farmo, AirAgri, LBAgtech, Pairtree, Mobble, Black Box Co, and INCYT.

Henty farmer Daniel Klemke received the Innovative Producer Award for his livestock productivity solution; Nick Seymour, Farmo, received the Agritech Innovation of the Year; Hamish Munro, Pairtree, won the Emerging AgTech Innovation Award, and Jess Brunner, The Bee Buddy, won the Female Innovator of the Year. 

Nick Seymour invented the concept of the Water Rat, a trough sensor, three years ago after losing cattle when a watering point failed and has refined the design over the last 12 months.

The battery-operated Water Rat is simply placed in the trough and once the water level drops, it tilts and sends an alert to the producer’s mobile phone.

“If the operator has half a bar of phone service at any particular trough or tank, the Water Rat will work. Most farmers know their property intimately in terms of mobile coverage so there is no confusion about where it will work or it won’t,” he said.

The plastic section of the Water Rat is injection moulded in China, the electronics made in Melbourne and the final assembly done in Footscray, Melbourne. 

“The Water Rat is a backup or peace of mind so farmers can still have a life away from the farm,” Mr Seymour said. 

Farmo also displayed at Henty gate sensors for retrofitting to farm gates, tank level monitor for reporting the water depth every few hours, an electric fence sensor and remote pump control.

A property specific humidity alert is due to be released for the hay cutting season.

NSW cattle producer Hamish Munro, of Cumnock, developed Pairtree, an independent approach to delivering a cutting-edge service to the Australian agricultural sector to help producers make the most of the smart farm revolution. 

Pairtree is a universal dashboard with more than 1000 agtech and data integrations for weather, markets and satellite imagery.  

During his time as a board member of Cattle Council of Australia, Hamish was given a glimpse of what lay over the horizon for agriculture. 

“Farmers can choose any of the different apps out there and we put those apps together on the one dashboard,” he said. 

“There is information and then there are insights, and that’s where we are trying to change the dial. How does the farmer get the best out of their investment of good quality hardware is the question Pairtree solves.”

Pairtree recently began providing dashboards for the Charles Sturt University Global Digital Farm of 20 different integrations of agtech.

The journey began in 2018 when NSW Department of Primary Industries approached Pairtree to visualise two research stations 30km apart. 

“Where we really discovered our model for farmers was through Meat and Livestock Australia’s Red Meat Digital Forum in 2018. There were five farms, 15 different providers, five different networks, 25 different device types, and 280 different devices we pulled together in six weeks,” Mr Munro said.

“We now have five developers and five staff working on business development, project management, communications and finance. Seven of the 10 staff are regionally, remotely based.”

As Pairtree director, Mr Munro said the Henty TEKFARM Agritech Innovation Hub allowed networking between businesses and capitalised on the strong presence of Farmers2Founders. 

Farmers2Founders Program Manager AgTech Accelerator James Muir said TEKFARM helped to identify and address problems of skilled labour shortages, biosecurity and global food security.

“Start-ups have a huge opportunity to do that. A key example of innovation is start-ups like SwarmFarm who are using robotics to help solve those labour problems,” Mr Muir said.

“We put farmers at the centre of innovation and take producers with an idea right through to a development prototype under programs funded by the research and development corporations, NSW and Victorian governments. 

“At Henty we were identifying trends in problems on farms across the region and will make the solutions personalised over the next few months. We are looking for farmers interested in testing those solutions.”

Physical and mental well-being for rural and regional people was firmly in the spotlight at Henty with farmers encouraged to step up for their health checks.

The Australian Men’s Shed Association partnered with Murrumbidgee Local Health District and Charles Sturt University asking “How are ewe doing?” and when blokes had had their last “service”.

The Australian Men’s Shed celebrated its 30^th anniversary at the Henty Machinery Field Days and now boasts 1300 men’s sheds in Australia and 2500 globally. 

Men’s Health Project Officer Stuart Torrance has attended the past four field days, completing over 400 health checks in 2022 and 566 this year.  

“This year we partnered with the paramedic students and their supervisors from Charles Sturt University. What surprised me was the number of guys who said, yes, let’s go, whereas in previous years we had to cajole them to come in the door,” Mr Torrance said. 

“The train of thought is changing – we are trying to relate the servicing of the operator to the servicing of your car. 

“There is a sticker on your car to tell you when it needs servicing. Unfortunately, what men tend to do is wait until the bumper bar or the muffler falls off before they seek help. 

“In other words, they are either sick or injured - this is a lot of the comment we are getting from the farming community.

“Now the guys are saying they need to do a regular health check, especially those with young families. They are coming straight in the door this year, no questions asked.”

Mr Torrance said mental health was now openly discussed by the men.

“Anyone with a red flag about a health issue, we strongly suggest they see their doctor. We can’t ask the hard questions or give out scripts,” he said.

Murrumbidgee Local Health District Farm Community Counsellor Jenn Pegler was at Henty promoting the free and confidential counselling to rural and regional residents.

Ms Pegler said with a drought looming, it was critical for people to know phone, telehealth, or face-to-face counselling was available in their home or on-farm.

“It is user friendly and tailored to the individual. We service an area from Albury, Uranquinty, the Snowy Valleys shire, Gundagai, Corowa and Tocumwal,” she said.

With a move to animal manures as natural soil conditioners, the increased demand for reliable manure spreaders was in the spotlight at the 2023 Henty Machinery Field Days.

The E-Series Manure Spreader was launched to the Australian market at the field days by Canadian manufacturer JBS Equipment and Australian importer Atlas Ag on September 20.

The E-Series features an upgraded long link floor chain, quick attach Vertimax beaters, steel idler sprockets, low friction hard-wearing plastic floor, hydraulic guillotine gate and a low maintenance hydraulic gearbox.

Optional upgrades include Hurricane beaters, scale and rate controller system, and flight protection system. 

Atlas Ag distribution manager Jeff Saunders, Brisbane, said the 20-tonne heavy duty, powder coated E-Series was designed for low maintenance. 

“There are a lot of regions around Henty involved in the manure spreading industry with a balance of feedlots and dairies, and we felt this was the best place to capture those customers,” Mr Saunders said.

“The feedback has been excellent with customers wanting choice in the spreader market combined with reliability.

“Many producers in Europe, North America and Australia are moving back to natural fertilisers such as manure as opposed to chemical fertilisers for rejuvenation of the soil. We are seeing manure will have a much bigger role to play as a soil conditioner in Australia.

“Contractors are telling us they cannot get enough manure so clearly the market is really going ahead, with the bigger feedlots and dairies realising the value of what they have sitting in piles, and they are turning that into a commodity.”

Mr Saunders said the E-Series Manure Spreaders were designed to top dress paddocks in the most efficient and reliable way possible.

“These units are working in conditions from -45 degrees Celsius to +45 degrees in North America, and they have to be reliable,” he said.

“Secondly, the beaters are interchangeable, so the same unit does several different jobs.

“The beaters can be removed and used as forage flailers – there are forage gates which can be attached, resulting in a versatile machine.

“These machines can handle from light materials such as gypsum and lime through to clay.”

Mr Saunders said bearings had been replaced by neoprene blocks for less wearing parts and ease of maintenance. 

“A lot of dairies and feedlots have sand which ends up getting mixed up with the manure and is highly corrosive to machinery. The spreader has a neoprene floor to reduce wear.

“The springs are designed to carry 20 tonnes.”

A minimum of 130hp is required to pull the E-Series.

“The horsepower requirements compared to the size of the machine are quite low,” Mr Saunders said.

“We have a full dealer network in place with all of those dealers carrying parts and factory trained for maintenance.

“The beauty of these machines is they are simplistic – there is not a lot that can go wrong.”

The spreader on display at Henty was equipped with scales and dynamic rate control, ensuring the correct spreading speed according to the material weight. The angle of the beaters allows a natural fall pattern of material.

The E-Series has a transport width of 3.5m. The wheels sit outside of the tub rather than underneath ensuring stability on slopes and increasing safety by lowering the centre of gravity. Flotation tyres are fitted to reduce soil compaction. 

The JBS E-Series Manure Spreader retails from $195,000 + GST (fully optioned).

A new book launched by the Henty Machinery Field Days traces six decades of history from its early days to a grass roots event driven by farmers to its position as a global agricultural phenomenon.

The 84-page coffee table style book was written by Henty Machinery Days Media Manager Kim Woods and launched at the official opening of the 60^th anniversary event on September 19 by HMFD Chief Executive Officer Belinda Anderson.

“The book is filled with images of the machinery demonstrations popular in the 1960s and where crowds were held back by a string line, through to the inventions, technology, machinery, fashions, exhibits and displays of the 21^stcentury,” Ms Woods said.

“It traces the rapid growth of the field days, the decision to purchase an old travelling stock reserve on the Cookardinia Road and the many thousands of volunteer hours to transform it into a dedicated field days site. 

“It is a remarkable story of how a bunch of growers having problems with their grain samples in 1961 was the catalyst for an event that is now iconic and an institution on the Australian agricultural calendar for farmers, exhibitors and the mainstream community.”

“The true authors of this book are the founding members, the directors who are still here now, all our members who are working hard and the staff involved over the last 60 years,” Belinda Anderson said.

“Part of that story is the exhibitors as well because we can’t have one without the other – it is a proud part of our history.”

The book includes a list of more than 200 HMFD Co-operative members dating back to 1963.

It features photographs taken over the years by The Border Mail, and photographers Michael Bell, Simon Dallinger, Andy Rogers and Kim Woods.

HMFD Chairman Nigel Scheetz said the book was compiled to showcase the dedication and positive vision of a small group of farmers from the southern Riverina.

“Over a period of 60 years these farmers grew a one-day header school into what is seen today as one of the biggest machinery expos in the southern hemisphere,” Mr Scheetz said.

“The unequivocal passion of our directors, staff and community organisations to provide a service for our exhibitors and an experience for our visitors alike is what keeps Henty Machinery Field Days alive.”

Henty Machinery Field Days – celebrating 60 years of showcasing agriculture to the nation is available through the HMFD office for $40 plus $10 postage and handling.

The ability to draft feedlot or containment fed lambs into weight categories ready for processing without using any labour is a benefit of the award winning The Shepherd Auto Drafter. 

Temora prime lamb lot feeder Justin Dunn, The Shepherd Ag Pty Ltd, was highly commended in the 2023 Henty Machine of the Year for his auto drafter on September 19.

HMFD Machine of the Year judge Warren Scheetz said the auto drafter automatically weighs and drafts lambs in the feedlot, saving time, labour and increasing animal welfare.

“Producers want the animals to be as stress free as possible to put on the weight and this eliminates the work for the producer, and also electronically moves the animals from one pen to another once they reach a certain weight,” Mr Scheetz said.

Justin Dunn said the data captured by the drafter was sent back in real time to the producer’s mobile phone 24 hours a day. 

“This unit is built by ourselves in-house at Temora, everything from the software development to the steel fabrication,” Mr Dunn said. 

“Henty was our launch so it is now ready for people to put it out there in the wild – we will go through a 12-month pre-commercial deal so we can work closely with those clients to make sure the machine settles in.

“At Temora we have a privately run research and development unit where we hone all the equipment we sell. For the past 12 months we have had the auto drafter working in our own commercial feedlot.”

Mr Dunn breeds commercial Aussie White and Sheepmasters, along with finishing second cross trade lambs in the feedlot. 

“Skilled labour is very difficult in the ag sector these days and affordability of those who do have the skills is a challenge. Facing a drought, the prospect of feeding and bringing sheep into close containment where they are monitored is key,” he said.

“We are developing our systems, so it is straight monitoring with low stress handling and less workflow. We are managing the glycogen levels in the animal, resulting in better carcase quality.”

The sheep passively walk onto the drafter of their own accord, attracted by a lick block.

“We found a side effect was marketing as the lambs are going into pens of particular weight groups, we know at any particular time how many sheep we have in each weight band. Right now, it is competitive and if a processor contract opens, we can look at our phone and know comfortably how many lambs we are prepared to book. 

“We still use a traditional weighing system for onboarding sheep into the feedlot and the final draft to get the maximum number of lambs into the top of the grid.

“This particular machine is about low stress handling while they go right through the feeding process and we are monitoring exactly how many lambs are progressing and how fast. We can graph trajectories and predict how many sheep will be ready at any particular point.”

While most of these types of drafters are air operated, the Shepherd Feedlot Auto Drafter is solar powered, retails from $8000 and comes with complete technical support.

The largest exhibition space in the history of the event combined with 55,000 visitors helped the Henty Machinery Field Days celebrate 60 years of showcasing the latest in agricultural technology to a global audience. 

Community groups throughout the Riverina were also the benefactors of the milestone event with funds raised by the not-for-profit Henty Machinery Field Days to be ploughed back into community social capital and infrastructure.

Held on September 19-21, the 60^th annual field days featured 14km of outdoor shop fronts from more than 800 exhibitors representing more than 3500 companies on over 1200 sites.

Farmers and visitors from every state and territory sought out the hot ticket items of compact tractors, hay and silage equipment, tillage, fencing, and grain handling equipment, headers and stock handling equipment.

HMFD chief executive officer Belinda Anderson said the event had showcased over $200 million in agricultural machinery, quantifying the event had matured into the nation’s leading field days. 

“We have had 55,000 visitors across the three days with the bulk of those attending on Wednesday,” Mrs Anderson said.

She said the largest exhibition area in history combined with strong crowd numbers represented a massive economic injection to the local, regional and national economy.

“The growth of this event post covid has ensured its future. The team at HMFD continue to develop the event with showcasing agriculture as its primary objective.”

Mrs Anderson said HMFD hosted a trade delegation from the Saskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership including a High Commission of Canada representative.  

The delegates were actively looking to explore mutual business opportunities in agricultural machinery and agtech. 

Mrs Anderson launched an 84-page coffee table style book on the 60-year history of the event.

The field days were officially opened on September 19 by Kotzur Managing Director Andrew Kotzur, of Walla Walla, also marking 60 years since his family company first exhibited at the event in 1963 at the Henty showground.

Bryson Terlich, Table Top, Barry Scholz, Henty, Neil Bahr, Henty, and Kerry Piestch, Pleasant Hills, all served as HMFD Cooperative members, directors and volunteers since the first field days in 1963, and cut the 60^thanniversary cake. 

The four men have given a combined total of 240 years of voluntary work to the field days across six decades. 

A highlight of this year was the coveted Henty Machine of the Year Award being presented to the GUSS autonomous orchard sprayer entered by Hutcheon and Pearce. 

Highly commended was The Shepherd Feedlot Auto Drafter entered by Justin Dunn, of Temora.

In other awards, FarmTech, Wodonga, won the Greater Hume Council Award for the best new Australian designed and built agricultural machine for the Ausmix XL26 Fibrex 26-cube feed mixer.

Australasian reseller of industry-leading farming machinery including tractors and harvesters, CLAAS Harvest Centre, Wagga Wagga, won the award for the Best Large Commercial and Australian Defence Force Careers took out the Best Outdoor General.

Graphic designer and children’s book illustrator Sarah Hardy is a new exhibitor but won the Best Indoor site in Country Lifestyle with her business Popcorn Blue. 

Bec Macdougall and her premium specialty coffee business Emme Mac Black was awarded Best Indoor Site at Farm Gate Produce Market.

New this year was the TEKFARM Agritech Innovation Awards held in partnership with Farmers2Fouders and open to tertiary and university students, farmers, backyard tinkerers and innovators from any state. 

Henty farmer Daniel Klemke received the Innovative Producer Award for his Safe-Cut, Nick Seymour, Farmo, won the Agtech Innovation of the Year with the Water Rat, Hamish Munro, Pairtree, received the Emerging AgTech Innovation of the Year, and Jess Bikaum, Bee Buddy, was the Female Innovator of the Year.

Vintage machinery was to the fore this year with a display of five of the world’s rarest tractors, the Australian designed and built Upton, with owners bringing their machines from Mudgee, Swan Hill, Ardlethan, Corowa and Albury for the one-off event. The design and manufacturing staff from the 1970s also attended. 

The Henty and District Antique Farm Machinery Club also celebrated the centenary of the Farmall tractor and Howard rotary hoe production. 

Henty was a platform for the debut to the Australian market of the JBS Manure Spreader and the CLAAS Torion range while Telstra unveiled a new mobile base station. 

Compact tractors and machinery for lifestyle blocks were in strong demand this year but exhibitors say rain in coming weeks could build on the inquiry for broadacre harvesting machinery, grain handling equipment and hay/silage machinery. 

Landpower Australia National Sales and Operations Manager – Australia, Paul Birbeck, said there had been strong inquiry despite farmers waiting for a good rainfall.

“We had some interest on hay and bigger seeding and tillage equipment with a lot of people getting their prices together on machines,” Mr Birbeck said.

Case IH Regional Sales Manager Norm Bradshaw said the burst of hot weather earlier in the week may have put a dampener on some crops.

“If we can get a rain going into October, there will be a lot of happy people around for sure,” he said.

Hutcheon and Pearce Sales and Marketing Manager Andrew Watt said rain over the next month could bring to fruition strong enquiry received at the field days.

“The crops around Henty have been holding up strongly – another drink in the next four to six weeks will hopefully see the crops fill. Henty was a good event and a great celebration of 70 years for the company,” Mr Watt said.

HMFD is set to host the 61st field days on September 17-19, 2024 with planning already underway. 

A new Henty resident made the Three Sheep Trial his own at the Henty Machinery Field Days, taking out the tough event against the cream of the nation’s best trialers.

Paul Elliott and his Border Collie Elliott’s Brisket scored 188 points to win the trial from John Perry, Bredbo, and Boco Raffa on 183 points under judge Ken Robinson, Quirindi, NSW. 

Last year’s winner Mick Hudson, Cobar, and MGH Rabbit, was third on 170 points, Tony Elliott, Gundagai, and Gundagai Frosty in fourth with 161 points, fifth was Australian representative Peter Oxley, Orange, and Rivlin Caesar, sixth Will Goggin, Bredbo, and Vaimari Triton on 150 points and Paul O’Kane, Cobram, with MGH Billabong Creek.

Benalla trialler Dale Thompson and his dog Broken River Jake took out the prestigious Hypro Murray Valley Yard Dog Championships on 186 points. 

Equal second was last year’s winner Dean Incher, Adaminaby, and Rafa, and Shane Maurer, Stockinbingal, with Tom on 183 points. Shane also placed fourth with Stuart on 182 points.

Sponsored by Hypro Pet Foods, the three sheep and yard dog trial drew 268 entries and was run over the three days of the Henty Machinery Field Days on September 19-21.

For the yard dog trials, the open judge was Andrew King, Tumut, Dean Incher judged the novice, Olly Hanson, Forbes, the improver and Peter Darmody, Beckom, the maiden. 

A retired shearing contractor, Paul Elliott moved to Henty last September from Eumungerie to help his shearing contractor son.

“We have great support for the sport here with the local butcher being unbelievably good to us and the whole community is behind us,” Paul said. 

The homebred five-year-old Brisket is out of a homebred bitch belonging to Paul and by a sire carrying genetics from Kevin Bell. He rolled off a win in a cattle dog trial at Molong in August.

Trialling for 30 years, Mr Elliott rates Henty as one of the most competitive on the circuit, with his last Henty win in 2017.

“If you win Henty, you’ve won a good trial. It was tough out there today, but the sheep and dog worked well.

“I have pups on the ground by him and he is a good sire. I worked four dogs altogether and got bashed all over the paddock with Brisket the only one making the finals.

“The sheep were consistent from day one to day three. It is a terrific place to trial with a good crowd.”

Mr Elliott said a top dog displays loyalty and confidence.

“Brisket is the go-to dog at home, if I’m in trouble he is the first one we let go.”

In the yard dog trial, Barry Parker, Nangus, and Jess won the novice class on 180 points, Ben Coster, Reids Flat, and Rip won the improver on 183 points, and Matt Whitley, Wagga Wagga, and Giles Creek Sam won the maiden on 188 points.

Dale Thompson, Broken River Kelpies, Benalla, competed alongside his wife Carolyn and their team in the Murray Valley Yard Dog Championships. Carolyn placed equal third in the maiden final with Karana Jed on 177 points and fifth in the novice.

Dale bred the seven-year-old Broken River Jake out of Roustabout Girl and by Go Getta Brew. Roustabout Girl was the stud’s foundation bitch and won the Henty trial in 2016.

“We have been on the road for the week at a couple of trials at Eugowra and Molong, winning both opens. This is the trifecta for him and the third time I’ve won at Henty,” he said.

“It is always a good trial at Henty and it is super competitive.”

Dale said determination and temperament gave Jake the edge in the competition.

“He loves his work and has been very consistent from four years old onwards, giving 100 per cent. He is used every day on the farm on sheep and cattle – sheep are his forte, but he stands his ground with the cows.

“He has a great nature and personality but is the alpha male.”

Serving as a North East Zone representative on the Victorian Yard Dog Utility Farm Dog Association, Dale is now aiming for the Victorian Championships at Bairnsdale in October. 

“Henty attracts the cream of the crop and it’s always very special to have success here so hopefully we can keep it going. As competitors we all help out to make it all happen.”

A knitted body-hugging Merino wool dress with a stunning three-tiered hat titled “Coming up Roses” stole the limelight on the catwalk at the Henty Natural Fibre Fashion Awards winning the supreme garment for an international designer.

Past winner Laurel Judd, of New Zealand, returned to the winner’s circle with a $1000 cash prize and Bernina 325 sewing machine for her felted top, knitted skirt in grey, pink and white, and three-tiered hat embellished with crocheted roses, paired with matching accessories. 

It was one of three entries sent by Ms Judd.

The 18^th Henty Natural Fibre Fashion Awards were a highlight of the Country Lifestyle program at the Henty Machinery Field Days on September 19-21, drawing 87 entries from almost every state and internationally with the winners announced on Thursday. 

Fashion designers vied for the chance to win a Bernina 325 sewing machine valued at $1499 plus $1000 cash prize money courtesy of Bernina Australia and Sew Fab, Narrandera, for the Best Garment in Natural Fibre. 

Open to amateurs and professionals, the awards recognise the innovative use of natural fibres – from paddock to catwalk – in creative but wearable clothing.

The judging emphasis was on visual appeal, creative and innovative use of natural fibres.

This year’s judges were Colleen Langtry, Wagga Wagga, Leanne O’Toole, Wodonga, and Lisa Schaefer, Grenfell.

Awards organiser Lyn Jacobsen said the natural fibres could include wool, alpaca, angora, mohair, cashmere, cotton, silk and linen.

Mrs Jacobsen paid tribute to the models from The Riverina Anglican College, Wagga Wagga, trained by Peta Schaefer, compere Bernadette Torresan, MC Steve Bowen, the sponsors, judges and assistants out the back.

The best garment designed by a student was won by Wodonga Institute of TAFE student Sharon Heard, Shepparton, with a blue jumpsuit matched with a white shirt and blue, white and red scarf.

Myra Farrell, Blue Mountains, NSW, won the accessories category with a 100 per cent cashmere coat in red, grey, tan and black patches.

Karen Hyde, Lake Albert, notched up back-to-back wins on 2022, taking out the millinery section for her entry “Autumn Mood” adorned with hand dyed and cut felt leaves. 

Long-time entrant Judy Bond, Buronga, NSW, also made it back-to-back wins on last year in the knitted and crochet section with a black evening gown made from 100 per cent Merino wool with sequins threaded through the back. 

The Australian Made Award, sponsored by JMP Developments, Wodonga, and winning $500 was Jessica Durman, Kooringal, NSW. 

Mrs Durman teaches fashion design and dress making at Sew Me School of Fashion and Design, Wagga Wagga, and entered five garments in conjunction with her mother-in-law Fiona Durman.

The winning garment was a two-piece flared, high waisted pants with side slit pockets matched with a cropped and gathered top. 

“It was my first time entering the awards, but I was here last year to support several of my students,” Mrs Durman said.

“I have been here for the three days and watched the parades, looking at the other garments on the stage, and I was not expecting to win at all.

“I was dumbfounded to win – I am more about technique but now next year I’m going to up the ante with something more flamboyant and out of my comfort zone.”

Mrs Durman, 30, is expecting her third child and juggles her young family with her teaching.

“They were riding their bikes around the studio while I’m trying to sew – I’m not going to quit my family for my business, it all has to meld into one.”

She is planning to spend her $500 prizemoney on a new door for her sewing studio.

The problems of cutting strings on large square hale bays while feeding them into a mixer spawned an award-winning idea for Henty farmer Daniel Klemke.

His design, called the Safe-Cut, won the TEKFARM Agritech Innovative Producer Award at the Henty Machinery Field Days on Thursday, September 21.

The 2023 Henty Machinery Field Days marked the resurgence of the Agri-Innovators Award in partnership with Farmers2Founders to showcase innovative solutions ready for adoption on farm.

A cropping and wool grower, Mr Klemke invested in a feed mixer during the last drought to keep his Merino flock alive whilst using home-grown, including straw, barley and silage.

He was concerned about the constant danger presented to the operator when climbing on the mixer to cut strings off bales.

Mr Klemke was prompted to design and make the Safe-Cut with the assistance of former farm employee Nathan Holmes, a knife and string holder mounted on the forks of a loader, to increase worker safety and feed-out efficiency.

“Originally we had to have the bale over the fed cart and operators climbed up to cut strings, which was dangerous,” he said.

“Sometimes we even had to climb into the machine to get the strings out when they had fallen into the machine. I thought there must be an easier way.

“I had ideas of holding the strings on the loader, lifting the bale up and driving across the mixer while a knife cuts all the strings releasing the bale into the feeder yet retaining the strings on a string holder while the mixer backs away. 

“It meant no one was climbing up in the machine. During the drought, we made a knife and mounted it on the loader. With the Safe-Cut, workers are not near any knives and don’t have to climb on any machines.

“I have seen dairy and beef farmers struggle with cutting strings on bales on the side of mixers.”

Mr Klemke is not interested in commercialising the product but would be happy to speak with any interested manufacturers.

“I’m surprised no one has designed something similar. If someone wants to run with it, that’s good,” he said.

“This the first time I’ve ever won anything and was reluctant to enter, thinking it wasn’t worth it, but my wife encouraged me.

“I was very surprised to receive this award – obviously other people can see the benefits of the safety features. I would love to see a lot of mixers with this design and giving producers an option of a safer way of feeding out.”

Defence force recruitment, machinery, specialty coffee and illustrated story books are among the winners of the 2023 Henty Machinery Field Days Exhibitor Awards.

The awards were presented on Thursday, September 21 at The Stump by HMFD chief executive officer Belinda Anderson to the winners of the Best Outdoor Large Commercial, Best Outdoor General and Best Indoor Exhibitor sites – Country Lifestyle and Farm Gate.

Australasian reseller of industry-leading farming machinery including tractors and harvesters, CAAS Harvest Centre, Wagga Wagga, won the Best Outdoor Large Commercial, while Australian Defence Force Careers took out the Best Outdoor General.

Graphic designer and children’s book illustrator Sarah Hardy is a new exhibitor but won the Best Indoor site in Country Lifestyle with her business Popcorn Blue. 

Bec Macdougall and her premium specialty coffee business Emme Mac Black was awarded Best Indoor Site at Farm Gate Produce Market.

Belinda Anderson said the field days co-operative prided itself on providing a showcase with a modern professional image, and the latest in agricultural machinery and technology.

Mrs Anderson said the exhibitor awards encouraged site holders to strive for similar ideals during the field days.

Judges Daryl Thomson and Bec Clancy covered the 14km of external shop front plus the indoor sites, assessing visual presentation, display, layout and innovation.

They inspected sites ranging in frontage from 3m to 180m.

Mrs Clancy said the CLAAS Harvest Centre had great visual presence and presentation with a centrally located marque, large flagpoles with their designated brands, and walkways between the machines lined with bark and trimmed with black piping.

“ADF Careers has an expanded site representing the navy, army and airforce with a virtual reality submarine and a helicopter simulator, which were popular with the kids,” she said.

“At the Farm Gate Produce Area, the coffee business Emme Mac Black was nicely decorated with a black and white theme, lighting, background pictures and timber stands with their specialty products displayed.

“At Country Lifestyle, new exhibitor Popcorn Blue had cards, tea towels, books and children’s table ware. Their site was eye catching with timber racks and mini picket fencing with flowers.”

Mrs Clancy said exhibitors were putting a lot of thought into their site design, being innovative to catch the consumer’s eye, attract them into the site and engage with them.

“Some of the exhibitors have expanded their sites and in a year of record bookings it has been a challenge to do that.

“The demand has been very strong this year for sites with waiting lists for all areas. 

“It is hard to judge them all as we would like to acknowledge more than one for their efforts.

“Often it comes down to attention to the finer details – it doesn’t have to be big and expensive equipment but thinking outside the square in displaying with colour and interactive product to encourage the customer into the site.”

CLAAS Harvest Centre branch manager Andrew Kearns and his team uses a computer model to design the layout of their 50 x 20 m site.

“Our team of 15 has been on site for the last two weeks setting up plus another four back at the dealership and four in Melbourne loading and unloading,” Mr Kearns said.

“Henty is one of the main field days for us – the timing is good for getting a feel of what the season is and that is where it is worth making the effort. It is the calm before the storm, the last opportunity to see people before they are fully in the thick of harvest. 

“Whether it is toys or coffee machines to make it attractive for people to come on the stand, we are not trying to sell stuff, it is more about making contact with customers.

“It is important to get the right product for the right clientele – here there are a lot of graziers and big corporate broad acres so you’ve got to invest the money into the site.”

National Sales and Operations Manager – Australia Paul Birbeck said CLAAS had been steadily expanding the site at Henty since 2009 and having the same site encouraged repeat visits from customers.

Five tractor enthusiasts created Australian history when they stood by their monstrous Upton tractors, still regarded as the world’s biggest factory built two-wheel drive tractors, at Henty Machinery Field Days today.

Regarded as among the rarest in the world, the Upton was built to order at Upton Engineering, Corowa, with just eight MT-855’s built, and around 30 of the smaller Upton 180’s produced before manufacturing ceased in 1980.

Earning a reputation as heavy duty, robust, dependable work horses, the Upton’s were bought to Henty by collectors Robert Allan, Mudgee, Allan Arthur, Albury, Bill Petzke, Corowa, Doug Carroll, Swan Hill, and Andrew Taylor, Ardlethan. 

Designer and manufacturer Carl Upton, of Corowa, was joined by his former staff, engineer Darrell Leahy and fabricator George Tobias to speak on the history of these unique tractors.

Mr Upton said his father, Arthur, built the first tractor using second hand parts sourced from surplus army tanks sold after the Second World War. 

“Arthur used to buy a lot of army disposal equipment and he ended up with 32 Grant tanks, selling bits and pieces off them but he could never sell the transmissions, so he decided to build a tractor using the Grant tank transmission,” he said.

“He decided to use the UD diesel engine as a promotion for the UD’s as that was the engines he was importing from Japan at the time. We powered about 130 Chamberlain tractors with those engines.

“The first guy to buy one of the Upton tractors drove it from Corowa to Springsure, Qld, a distance of 1600km in three days in the middle of winter with no cabin.”

Among the five tractors was an MT-855 owned by the Druce family, farmers and owners of the Junee Chocolate Factory. The tractor continues to be used for cultivation and is now maintained by their employee and Ardlethan farmer Andrew Taylor, who drove it from its Ardlethan home to the field days.  The journey took seven hours at 30km/hr. 

Darrell Leahy said the 180hp engine was an economical choice at the time and a test bed tractor was made using surplus parts.

“A good load for the tractor in those days was 22 discs at 4 gallons an hour. We proved the engine was what we needed at a very flat torque curve, and we had to educate people coming from kerosene to diesel engines on driving it with the speed altered using the throttle,” Mr Leahy said.

“After the test bed was done, we come up with this design. We never decided to put a PTO on them as it was a tillage tractor.”

George Tobias, of Corowa, said it was a privilege to see all the tractors together at Henty.

He joined Upton Engineering as an apprentice diesel mechanic, eventually moving into welding and fabrication to work on the MT-855.

“The only work I didn’t do on these tractors was the hydraulics, electrical, paint work and lathe work. I am proud of the work completed and it is embedded in my heart.”

Doug Carroll’s tractor had been bought new in 1966 or 1967 by Rob McCarroll, of Manangatang, and then sold to Bill and Shirley O’Shanassy, Manangatang, in 1977-78. Rob McCarroll went on to buy a 300hp 8-cylinder Scania powered MT-855, now owned by the Druce family, Ardlethan.

The two tractors were parked side by side at Henty and used as a backdrop with Carl Upton holding a photograph of the two tractors originally side by side working at Manangatang. 

The tractor owned by Robert Allen was originally built in 1976 and spent its working life in Western Australia. It was the second Upton to be fitted with a 14 litre Scania V8 engine when it was built I 1976.

Bill Petzke’s tractor was purchased from John Muirhead, Pinnaroo, South Australia, and in its later life was used for clearing Mallee scrub. It has a Grant tank diff back end and a Grant tank gearbox.

Allan Arthur’s tractor was originally delivered in 1980 to Peter Van Der Hucht at Warramboo, SA, and completed 38 years of scrub and mallee root clearing, trash clearing, and stone crushing, racking up 22,000 hours. 

“I don’t think justice has been done to Carl Upton. He was so far ahead of his time and had the concept of getting more horsepower to the ground with two wheels than we ever could with a four-wheel drive.

“Carl had the concept of putting lots of weight on big wheels and making that tractor really earn its keep. He was a 25-year-old at the time and came up with this beautiful looking tractor – they are still impressive after 40 years. 

“These tractors are still quiet and smooth to sit in – Carl was so far ahead of his time and that’s why I own one of these things.”

A Border agricultural machinery company’s newly released feed mixer has won the coveted Greater Hume Council Award at the 2032 Henty Machinery Field Days.

The award recognises the best new Australian designed and built agricultural machine and was judged by a panel of independent judges with the 2023 winner announced on Wednesday, September 20.

The Award was presented by Greater Hume Council General Manager Evelyn Arnold Mayor and Henty Machinery Field Days director Matt Noll to FarmTech Director Brad Modra for the Ausmix XL26 Fibrex 26-cube feed mixer.

Ausmix has been producing feed mixers out of Wodonga for the last three years with over 60 mixers having been supplied across Australia.

With a release date in mid-August, the first unit was on display at Henty.

HMFD judge Warren Scheetz said the locally built machine was designed for the feedlot industry with much research and development undertaken beforehand. 

“It is a robust design which increases the efficiency of feed mixing time and that all adds up when doing multiple feed mixes each day,” Mr Scheetz said.  

FarmTech northern Victorian and South Australian territory manager Liam Talbot said the chassis, bowl, augers and conveyor are designed and built inhouse with the driveline being outsourced to a reputable Italian supplier.

“As we manufacture these units in Australia, we have a warehouse stocked with parts ensuring any breakdowns or issues are fixed in a prompt manner,” he said. 

“The XL26 is expected to be the flagship model with full customisability to suit any farming operation.

With Australian farmers aways looking for ways to increase profitability and reduce feed costs, Ausmix has developed extra wide bowls to work in concert with the Fiber-X augers to break down big bales and mix them to a final Total Mixed Ration. 

Ausmix knives are heat-treated with tungsten carbide, allowing them to be thinner, lighter and tougher than ever before. 

Ausmix tubs are designed to last in the harshest Australian conditions and are made with thick steel plates all around: 20mm on the floor and 10mm on the walls. The wall’s angled slope works to help funnel materials into the centre of the tub. 

Together with the centripetal motion from augers, materials fall deeper into the mixer, ensuring maximum blade contact, significantly reducing time, fuel and effort. 

Ausmix XL series mixers come in both a standard wide body (2.5m) and extra-wide 2.65m body. The latter option gives the larger, denser bales more space, reducing any material being thrown out

The mixers have a drive-train equipped with a heavy-duty gearbox with the ability to handle high torque loads, propelling the augers through big bales and mixing all fodder types with a consistent result. 

Key innovations include a front feeding conveyor belt which can either be steel slats or a rubber belt and side elevator options, all on a heavy-duty reinforced chassis. 

FarmTech Director Brad Modra said the company was passionate about making farm machinery in Australia.

“This award is a huge pat on the back for our hard-working team at FarmTech for the last three years spent on the Ausmix Feed Mixer project,” Mr Modra said. 

“Thank you to the HMFD committee and to Greater Hume Council for supporting this award.

“I want to give a big shout out to Australian manufacturing and all these companies exhibiting at the field days – quality farm machinery is leading the way both in Australia and internationally.

“Thank you to the farming community for showing faith and confidence in Australian made equipment. Without your support we wouldn’t be here today.

“We are proud to be part of the local Albury-Wodonga manufacturing community and hopefully this award will inspire other companies to consider making more here locally, and get behind Australian made products.”

An autonomous sprayer eliminating operator downtime and breaks while increasing speed, consistency and efficiency of application is working its way through the almond crops in Victoria and NSW.

The GUSS sprayer’s ability to solve the problems associated with spraying orchards, vineyards and high-density orchards earnt the machine the title of the 2023 Henty Machine of the Year.

The award was presented by Henty Machinery Field Days award judge Warren Scheetz to Hutcheon and Pearce sales and marketing manager Andrew Watt and integrated solutions manager Hamish Ross on September 19.

The autonomous sprayer on display at the field days is one of less than 10 in Australia with the others field proven in almond orchards in the Sunraysia and Riverina districts.

The sleek stainless steel plated machine looking more like a rocket than sprayer captured much interest from field days visitors keen to see what the future of horticulture will look like.

Designed and developed in the US, the GUSS sprayer has worked in cherry, tobacco, pecan, grape and apple crops.

Mr Watt said GUSS sprayers solve the problems associated with spraying orchards, vineyards and high-density orchards.

He said GUSS sprayers drive themselves – a single employee can monitor a combination of up to eight GUSS, mini GUSS and Herbicide GUSS sprayers at a time using a laptop computer. 

In the event an issue is detected onboard a GUSS sprayer, the interface automatically sends both visual and audible alerts to the operator.

GUSS sprayers use a combination of GPS, LiDAR, sensors and software to guide GUSS sprayers safely and efficiently.

It allows precisely control application rates and sprayer speeds across entire fields and in variable terrain.

GUSS eliminates operator downtime and breaks, while increasing speed, consistency and efficiency of application, eliminates human error, reduces exposure to materials being applied and reduces the need for PPE, shade and water.

It features multiple weed detection sensors for precision spraying and minimal chemical usage plus features an adjustable boom height and width with breakaway booms for various field conditions.

Mr Watt said the Machine of the Year Award meant much to Hutcheon and Pearce, reaffirming the release of the autonomous technology to the Australian market. 

“There are less than 10 units in Australia as they were only released officially by John Deere in mid 2022 and we have strong interest with a number of orders in the system and demonstration units gracing customer’s fields over the next 12 months,” he said.

“In the US, the GUSS is working in permanent plantings such as almond orchards and citrus.

“There are three different versions including the mini GUSS for narrower rows and horticulture and an Herbicide GUSS with multiple weed detection sensors for precision spraying and minimal chemical usage.

“Global labour shortages are essentially driving these innovations in ag and challenges of inputs whether it be chemical and fuel costs or labour itself.”

Hamish Ross said a single GUSS sprayer can replace six normal blast sprayers equating to six operators plus nurse trucks, and reducing 45 minute downtime to refill to just three minutes.

“Six to eight people are replaced by two – one monitoring using a laptop and one running a nurse truck – so it’s all about productivity,” he said.

Andrew Watt said every Australian GUSS unit would soon be integrated with the intelligent spray control system, SmartApply®, giving control over each individual nozzle using LiDAR to map the canopy density.

“The nozzle will turn off if there is no tree, saving a huge amount of chemical in blast spraying applications. The data captured by SmartApply® allows tree health to be mapped.”

The GUSS retails at USD $307,000 plus freight and delivery. Each machine weighs 5288kg, is powered by a John Deere PowerTech 4 cylinder 4.5 litre diesel and equipped with a 600-gallon stainless steel material tank and 32 nozzle spray manifold with individual shutoffs.

The machine comes in standard, narrow or low impact options.

“Several hundred machines have been at work in the US over the past few years spraying over 1.4 million acres with high reliability. The long-term plan is to fully integrate the Australian units with John Deere engines and technology replacing the Trimble system,” Mr Watt said.

A ground-breaking machine not only enhancing productivity, precision, and efficiency but also reducing operational costs, overhead expenses, and ensuring the safety of workers has won the coveted 2023 Henty Machine of the Year Award.

The autonomous orchard sprayer is the result of a joint venture between John Deere and GUSS, a California-based technology company, impressing judges with its innovation, design and engineering. 

Highly commended was The Shepherd Feedlot Auto Drafter entered by Justin Dunn, of Temora. 

A total of 23 machines and equipment at the cutting edge of agricultural technology were showcased in the Henty Machine of the Year.

Announced on the opening day, this award is presented to the most outstanding new piece of agricultural machinery exhibited at the field days.

It was judged by an independent panel of five regional primary producers on Monday (September 18) and presented at the field days opening today (September 19).

Judging criteria included the machine’s purpose and suitability, scope of application, construction (durability and design), ease of maintenance and service, ease of operation and adjustment, availability of parts and overall value for money.

Judge Warren Scheetz said GUSS marked a significant milestone in the journey towards sustainable and intelligent farming practices.

“We selected GUSS for its advancement in autonomous spraying technology with a strong commitment to precision chemical application, increased labour efficiency and employee safety,” Mr Scheetz said.

“The technology of this machine allows for the horticultural industry to apply foliar applications safely and accurately. With reduced labour requirements it can remotely monitor and control.

“The machine was well built and designed while the technology behind it has taken years of research and development.

“All industries in agriculture are struggling for labour and from what we heard today, this is a world-wide trend.

“It is exciting to be able to have the first look at GUSS here at Henty.”

Hamish Ross, Integrated Solutions Manager, Hutcheon & Pearce, said there are about 250 GUSS autonomous sprayers working globally with the machine at Henty one of a few in Australia. 

GUSS uses a combination of GPS, LiDAR sensors, and software to guide safely and efficiently though orchards unmanned. Its intentionally low-profile design, measuring 7 metres in length, 1.9 metres in height and 2.29 metres in width, seamlessly allows tree branches to flow over the top. 

Equipped with a 2,727-litre tank, a 32-nozzle spray manifold with individual shutoffs, 4-wheel drive and 4-wheel steering, and a 14-hour run time powered by a 400-litre fuel cell and 3.8 litre Cummins diesel engine, GUSS keeps moving row after row, field after field, day or night. 

Using the innovative Select Spray^TM technology, GUSS identifies the target tree and applies the precise amount of spray required for optimal coverage, irrespective of height or canopy size. 

This approach minimises material usage and reduces drift during application. Updates on sprayer information, including position, spray rate, and speed, are available in real time to GUSS operators. 

Sheep feedlot and containment specialist Justin Dunn has done it again and come up with The Shepherd Feedlot Auto Drafter, highly commended in the Machine of the Year Award. 

Justin, of Temora, was an entrant in last year’s Machine of the Year Award with the Road Runner, an off grid and solar powered loaded automated feeder with online connectivity, and was the winner of the 2018 Henty Agri-Innovator Award. 

Justin said the new auto drafter is a system that can weigh and draft sheep in a feedlot continuously without leaving their pens.

“The drafter is installed between two pens so lambs who reach target weight can be drafted to the adjacent pen,” he said. 

“This enables lambs to be combined with other lambs of similar weight, reducing stress and shy feeding, and provides continuous data acquisition for marketing and performance. 

“This system significantly reduces stress and risk of injury that often reduces growth performance. 

“Time and labour are also reduced, and the system captures continuous performance data displayed on your mobile phone or web app.”

Warren Scheetz said the design was impressive for increasing animal welfare and labour efficiency.

“You want the stock to be as stress free as possible to optimise weight gain and this eliminates work for the producer, allowing them to electronically move animals from one pen to another once they reach a certain weight. 

“With the potential for a heavy focus on containment feeding over the coming year, this product has a wide scope of application within the sheep industry.”

Mr Scheetz paid tribute to the excellence in design displayed by all entrants, which varied from battery chargers to sprayers and disc chains.

“The competition is very well supported, and we appreciate the interest each year from local and international businesses,” he said. 

Retired farmers with a combined 240 years of volunteering cut the 60^th anniversary cake at the official opening of the Henty Machinery Field Days today.

Bryson Terlich, Table Top, Barry Scholz, Henty, Neil Bahr, Henty, and Kerry Piestch, Pleasant Hills, have all served as HMFD Cooperative members, directors and volunteers since the first field days in 1963, helping shape the field days into the globally renown event it is today.

All continue to give their time during the field days with Bryson manning the forklift/crane hire office, Barry helping out with fuelling up the generators and Kerry overseeing the vintage machinery display while generations of the Bahr family take a hands-on role.

Kotzur Managing Director Andrew Kotzur, of Walla Walla, officially opened the 60^th anniversary field days, also marking 60 years since his family company first exhibited at the event in 1963 at the Henty showground.

“Sixty years ago, a group of famers were keen to improve their harvest quality and gathered at the Henty showgrounds to learn more about the operations of their headers,” Mr Kotzur said.

“When I travel across Australia that same passion is still driving our farmers to improve and make innovations.

“Aussie farmers are truly as good if not better at their craft as any of their global contemporaries.

“Farmers still come in droves to the Henty field days – why is it that has not changed? There is nothing like talking face to face, seeing and touching in real life, having a day out to do some serious business, to enjoy the excitement in person and to take time out to look at machinery and other systems while dreaming about the future of farming.

“This is one of the lessons of COVID – commercial or augmented reality cannot replicate the real country atmosphere we immerse ourselves in at Henty. Virtual reality doesn’t come close to the experience as having a cold beer with a mate at the bar at Henty.

“That’s why I’m confident the Henty field days has such a bright future. This is why this event will continue to play such an important role in our region. 

“On behalf of everyone I thank all those involved in staging the field days, and the service you provide to our rural and regional communities.”

HMFD Chairman Nigel Scheetz paid tribute to the members, volunteers, exhibitors and visitors across six decades of the event.

“The Henty Machinery Field Days as we know it today began as a header school for farmers at the Henty showground in 1961 to show them the finer details about operating their machines to improve their grain samples and general operation tips,” Mr Scheetz said. 

“The success of that day fed the dreams of our founding members, and the first field days were held 60 years ago this year in 1963.

“Members from the early days through until the early 1970s had a vision to provide an event for farmers to learn about advancements in agriculture, to showcase and demonstrate agricultural machinery in the one space at the one event.”

HMFD Chief Executive Officer Belinda Anderson launched an 84-page coffee table style book on the history of the field days.

Written by HMFD Media Manager Kim Woods, the book was compiled to showcase the dedication and positive vision of a small group of farmers from the southern Riverina. 

“The true authors are our founding members, the directors still with us now, all our members working very hard and the staff who have been involved over 60 years, also part of that story is the exhibitors as well,” Mrs Anderson said.

Residents and visitors to Henty Machinery Field Days and surrounds are now enjoying improved mobile coverage and connectivity, with the recent construction of a Telstra mobile base station.

Telstra’s Regional General Manager for Southern NSW Chris Taylor said mobile connectivity was becoming increasingly important for Australians and this was evident in daily network data. 

“Each day we have about 20 million devices using our mobile network and together they make about 60 million phone calls, send 40 million SMS, and use about 8.6 million Gigabytes of mobile data,” Mr Taylor said.

“Co-investment programs such as this, where carriers like Telstra and the government work together to share the cost in bringing new connectivity in regional and rural locations, are really important in helping deliver great connectivity outcomes and enabling all Australians to participate fully in the digital economy.”

The Henty site was built by Telstra as part of the Regional Connectivity Program (RCP), with funding provided by Telstra and the Commonwealth Government.

The new installation which provides 4G and 5G connectivity will help allow the latest in Ag tech to be showcased at the field day event each year and support economic growth and prosperity in the agricultural area of Henty.

However, this base station will be more than a support for the field days, as this permanent facility will provide long term improved coverage and capacity for residents, particularly those living on the western side of the township. 

It will also help provide additional Triple Zero coverage for people on other mobile networks in times of emergencies.

As part of RCP, across Australia Telstra is partnering with the Commonwealth Government to fund the construction or upgrade of 168 sites across 147 different telecommunications projects. 

The projects range from transmission, coverage, and capacity upgrades plus construction of new macro or small cell mobile base stations in blackspot areas.

“As a company, we also heavily invest in improving regional connectivity. Over the past seven years to end June 2022, we have invested around $4 billion in improving our regional mobile network,” Mr Taylor said.

Telstra has over 11,700 mobile base stations covering more than 2.7 million square kilometres, around one million kilometres more than any other mobile network. Nationally the Telstra network provides coverage to 99.6 per cent of the Australian population.

For more information on the Regional Connectivity Program visit: www.infrastructure.gov.au/rcp.