Youth take centre stage at East Coast Farming Expo 2026
There's a special sort of energy at the East Coast Farming Expo, especially when it comes to youth.
The dedicated hub will feature outreach teams, health experts, body and mind fitness gurus, and more.
Event manager Sue Wilson says all too often farmers focus on their operations means their own health and wellbeing can unintentionally be overlooked.
"We've always had experts at the Expo but for 2026 we decided to dedicate a hub and bring everything together."
Keynote speaker on Wednesday (February 18) afternoon is Kane Briscoe from FarmFit NZ. He will speak about his mental health journey and the strategies he has developed to help with mental and physical fitness on the farm.
Kane is known for his open and very frank discussion around the challenges many farmers face and is hell-bent on making a difference. His talks are as confronting as they are entertaining.
The Rural Wellbeing Hub will feature the Kahungunu Executive team, the Bowel Screening outreach team, Rural Women New Zealand - ConnectHER, Craig Wiggins' health check site, Rural Support Trust and free hearing advice.
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"This collective approach ensures farmers can access practical, relevant support in one location," says Wilson.
Craig Wiggins - Wiggy to most - is bringing a nurse doing general health checks.
"We regularly find rural people who haven't had a health check for over 10 years," says Wiggy. "We want to make sure people take the right steps (to health). We all know someone who has died young from something treatable and preventable."
The Carr Family Foundation health and wellness checks are no strangers to the Expo, where he also has his Lean on a Gate, Talk to a Mate initiative. He's teamed up with Mates in Construction to put together a rural mental health training programme designed to help rural service industries and communities.
"Vets, stock agents and agronomists get faced with some tough conversations that they just aren't trained for, and we want to help that."
Wiggy's mantra is simple, "strong people make strong communities and strong communities make strong people".
Bowel Screening Outreach will be leaving nothing to chance with a big walk through blow up bowel complete with educational fact sheets and experts on hand to answer questions.
Kaitakawaenga Sally Moate says the Expo is a great opportunity to educate and highlight the importance of participating in New Zealand's free bowel screening programme.
Bowel cancer is the third highest cancer type in New Zealand which has one of the highest bowel cancer rates globally. "We want to share the lifesaving message so we can improve participation rates and help save precious lives," she says.
"Our participation rates are not great. Many are put off participating in the screening programme because they feel well. Unfortunately by the time symptoms are noticeable, the disease may be quite advanced. Early detection often means a better outcome."
Kahungunu Executive is a Wairoa health provider working in the community and Māori ora space with a focus on increasing access to health in rural areas while supporting and delivering mental health initiatives.
Executive clinical lead Julie Duffell says the Expo is a chance to promote their services and engage with the wider community. As well as promoting breast and cervical screening and working alongside the Heart Foundation and Bowel Screening Programme, she is hopeful the Executive will have rangitahi services present with the team who work in local schools and youth groups.
RWNZ's pilot ConnectHER aims to help rural communities better connect with government and non-government services. The initiative is being trialled in the Wairoa/East Coast and Southland regions.
RWNZ recognise it can be challenging to access face-to-face services in rural communities, with distance from larger towns and cities, and poor connectivity often compounding the issue.
The ConnectHER programme aims to overcome some of these challenges by connecting women and families in need with appropriate service providers.
Event Info:
What: East Coast Farming Expo
When: February 18-19, 2026
Where: Wairoa Racecourse, Wairoa, Northern Hawke's Bay
More Info: https://eastcoastexpo.co.nz
