Pssst! You might have heard the whisper “The Fieldays are on” at Mystery Creek. And if you don’t rattle ya dags, you’ll miss it!
They reckon with the good weather there’ll be near enough to 130,000 people making the trek. Farmers all over the country are making the pilgrimage to the mecca of agriculture in this country. It’s like ten A&P Shows in one.
A great event and really like a grand daddy get together for all those associated with farming. In the old days the farmers would probably go down to the local A&P Show, perhaps the dog trials or the sheep and cattle sales to meet up with other like minded rural citizens and just chew the fat and look at farm ‘stuff.’ The National Fieldays are just like that but on a much larger scale.
The Waikato rakes in $129 million over the four days and all the associated agricultural businesses probably do very well depending on the state of the economy and the predicted payout.
The event grew from an idea by some Waikato locals 42 years ago. They had $10,500 which was probably reasonable money then and in 1969 the gates opened for the first event which attracted around15,000 people.
Now it spreads over 40 hectares with 1000 exhibitors and 1400 sites and the amazing thing is that it is run as a not-for-profit charitable organisation by a committee of volunteers and 30 staff.
The Mystery Creek connection began in 1971, but it wasn’t until the mid 90’s when the Events Centre was built at the Creek that the Fieldays blossomed to the point where now 38 countries are represented over the four days.
Apart from the new ideas, the machinery and the bargains, the event has so much to offer from the Tractor Pull, the Rural Bachelor of the Year, the Ag Art Awards, to the Number 8 Wire National Art Awards, the Rural Good Keen Girls and the Fencing Competition.
The National Fieldays are an annual event to look forward to and treasure and the sales generated are a real indication of the state of the national economy. After all, if the farmers are spending then the rest of the country is benefitting.
