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St Paul's Collegiate students received the Young Innovator of the Year Award, presented by Fieldays chief executive Peter Nation, for Crankholder – a trailer attachment that makes drilling post holes safer and more cost efficient.
Nation also on day two presented the Innovations Launch NZ Award to The Wrangler Ltd for their innovation PollenSmart – a machine designed to dispense pollen to increase yield, reduce costs, and optimise timing.
Fieldays visitors were inspired on the Village Green as they heard more about looking after their emotional wellbeing. Doug Avery, The Resilient Farmer, presented in Fieldays Knowledge Series, shared his valuable experience of resilience in industry. Eighteen years ag, Avery turned his life around after suffering from depression for five years. He now hopes sharing his experience will help to stop suicide rates in the agricultural industry from climbing.
This year's NZ Fencing Championships sees local legend Paul Van Beers gun for his 15th WIREMARK Golden Pliers title, before hanging up his tools for the last time. At 4pm today, a celebration will be held in the Village Green to honour Paul and his lifetime achievements in fencing.
Day two at the Kitchen Theatre in Kiwi's Best Kitchen delighted audiences with home cooked meals and helpful tips and tricks. New Zealand's first-ever MasterChef winner, Brett McGregor cooked up a storm at Fieldays and demonstrated his own unique travel inspired dishes.
The dry weather today helped this year's Tractor Pull get off to a roaring start, as the Rural Bachelors completed their latest challenge which put their driving skills to the test.
The new grandstand seating and Good George bar overlooking the site gave visitors a chance to take a break and catch some of the action.
"This year we are up on entry numbers. When we first used this track last year we thought there'd be no way we'd ever fill it up, and now we have no space left," says Andrew Reymer, Tractor Pull Team Leader.
Today sees the Schools' Tractor Pull final at 1pm as Matangi Primary School and Tamahere Model Country School go head to head in what's sure to be an exciting event. Also catch the NZ Young Farmers North Island Debate Final on the Village Green at 3pm for some thought-provoking discussion.
The iconic services building at National Fieldays' Mystery Creek site will be demolished to make way for a "contemporary replacement that better serves the needs of both the community and event organisers," says board chair Jenni Vernon.
OPINION: The Rural Support Trust ran a dinner and debate at the National Fieldays last month. In tables of 10, over 540 people were wined and dined, including the Prime Minister, supported by ministers from around the country.
OPINION: Good times are coming back for the primary industries. From sentiment expressed at Fieldays to the latest rural confidence survey results, all indicate farmer confidence at a near-record high.
OPINION: The Federated Farmers rural advocacy hub at Fieldays has been touted as a great success.
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.
The Royal A&P Show of New Zealand, hosted by the Canterbury A&P Association, is back next month, bigger and better after the uncertainty of last year.
Claims that farmers are polluters of waterways and aquifers and 'don't care' still ring out from environmental groups and individuals. The phrase 'dirty dairying' continues to surface from time to time. But as reporter Peter Burke points out, quite the opposite is the case. He says, quietly and behind the scenes, farmers are embracing new ideas and technologies to make their farms sustainable, resilient, environmentally friendly and profitable.
Relationships are key to opening new trading opportunities and dealing with some of the rules that countries impose that impede the free flow of trade.
Dawn Meats chief executive Niall Browne says their joint venture with Alliance Group will create “a dynamic industry competitor”.
Tributes have flowed following the death of former Prime Minister and political and business leader, Jim Bolger. He was 90.
A drop in methane targets announced by the Government this month has pleased farmers but there are concerns that without cross-party support, the targets would change once a Labour-led Government is voted into office.
OPINION: Media luvvies at Stuff, the Spinoff and the Granny Herald are spending more time than ever navel-gazing about why…
OPINION: Why does it take Treasury so long to turn around its figures on how the economy is tracking?
