increase font size
A volunteer driving visitors around with a vintage Massey Ferguson tractor.
History will come alive in a fresh way at the Fieldays Ag Heritage Village.
Visitors to the village can travel back in time on an interactive scavenger hunt and see views of farming life as it was for the pioneering families of New Zealand.
Educating youth about their agricultural heritage is the focus of the village, emphasised by the recently refurbished barn; heritage co-ordinator Alan Reilly is putting together pieces of the past for younger generations.
"The land that we live, work and farm on holds the stories of our history, and these shape who we are today, whether we realise it or not. Opening our heritage buildings during Fieldays will help us to share some of these stories with our community," says Reilly.
He wants to tell the stories in a way that will educate and encourage children to look closer at everyday items and think more about their history. "All these stories will soon be lost, which is why it's important to share and record them.
"During Fieldays we'll have hands-on challenges, puzzles and ag heritage activities in all our heritage buildings."
This year the vintage tractor parade has had a revamp and will be bigger and louder than ever.
Tractors from the Waikato Village Tractor and Machinery Club will park around the heritage village lake and complete a vintage tractor parade twice daily at 10am and 2pm.
Signalling the Fieldays society's commitment to the heritage village, the barn got a facelift earlier this year and now houses a collection of items that illuminate Waikato's rural past.
The next village project will be to create a space where people can record and share their own stories about the artefacts on display, eventually integrating these stories into the education experiences on offer.
For more info, Waikato Village Tractor and Machinery Club tel. 07 883 1103.
Already causing a stir in the burgeoning ute sector, JAC (“Jack”) has raised its profile by being named as the latest major sponsor of June’s National Fieldays, where it will officially introduce its top-of-the-line T9 4WD double cab ute to the market, joining its fleet of 100% EV and Cummins diesel trucks.
With two months until National Fieldays at Mystery Creek, organisers say 90% of sites have been booked by exhibitors.
Out of more than 80,000 entries, Daniel Neil from Piopio has been announced as the lucky winner of the Isuzu D-MAX LX Double Cab 4WD Ute in this year’s Fieldays Ute giveaway.
OPINION: The inquiry into rural banking practice was welcomed at Fieldays, but Groundswell NZ added a proviso that this must include banks' treatment of agricultural emissions.
The Forestry Hub returns to Fieldays for its third consecutive year, showcasing how trees and wood are transforming New Zealand.
Nominations are now open for the Horticulture New Zealand (HortNZ) board.
A Mid-Canterbury dairy farmer is bringing a millennial mindset to his family farm and is reaping the rewards, with a 50% uplift in milksolids production since he took over.
OPINION: People have criticised Christopher Luxon for the time he’s taken to appoint a new chief science advisor.
A new Indonesian school milk programme is expected to significantly increase the country's total dairy consumption, creating opportunities for New Zealand and other global dairy players.
Fonterra has invested in a new effluent pond mobile dosing service to support farmers to reduce emissions and make progress towards its on-farm emissions reductions target.
It was again time to celebrate a successful year at Waikato's Westmorland Estate Limited.
OPINION: Last week's announcement of Prime Minister’s new Science and Technology Advisory Council hasn’t gone down too well in the…
OPINION: At its recent annual general meeting, Federated Farmers’ Auckland province called for New Zealand to withdraw from the Paris…
