Farming smarter with technology
The National Fieldays is an annual fixture in the farming calendar: it draws in thousands of farmers, contractors, and industry professionals from across the country.
He had just finished seven rounds of chemotherapy for throat cancer and was awaiting the news of his results.
However, he never dreamed he would also receive the news from New Zealand National Fieldays Society chief executive Peter Nation that he was the winner of a brand-new Isuzu D-Max.
“You’re bloody kidding me… I can’t believe it,” he said on the phone after realising he wasn’t being scammed.
The prize, a white Isuzu D-Max LX Double Cab Auto 4WD, is valued at $61,990 and includes all on-road costs.
“I thought he was having me on,” Calkin says. “It started to sink in when he said that I’d attended Fieldays and scanned my Smart Band to enter the draw to win a ute and that I had won it”.
“It couldn’t have gone to a more deserving winner,” Nation says.
Calkin, who works for electricity and fibre solutions company Unison based in Rotorua, attended Fieldays with wife Julie on Saturday 3rd December.
Last year, the four-day event moved to the summer dates to play catch-up after Covid.
“We usually attend Fieldays every year, but Covid put a stop to that for a bit. It’s been a pain in my backside really”, Calkin says. “When I was diagnosed with cancer, I had to undergo a pre-treatment and have a tonsillectomy, then Julie got Covid, then I got Covid. So, it all got delayed. I didn’t end up starting treatment until September”.
When they heard Fieldays had moved to the summer dates, the Calkin’s thought it would be a good opportunity to attend again and have a day out.
“We brought a truckload of beef jerky, some wine and spent time looking at the range of outdoor fires,” he says. “It was good to be back, it’s always such a great event”.
Collecting a Fieldays Smart Band at the gate, he registered his details and scanned it on the Isuzu site and dropped it into the back of the ute at the end of the day.
“Never in a million years did I think I would win it. I have only ever won $100 at Lotto; seems my luck might be changing.”
Handing over the keys to the Ute was Isuzu Utes New Zealand General Manager Scott Kelsey.
“The first place I’ll be driving it is around town for everyone to see, stopping in to show it off to family and friends”, Calkin says. “Then we will head to the Redwoods with the bikes on the back. The last year has been pretty brutal, but you know it could be worse and at least I can still get out on the trails”.
