The reintroduction of an agricultural field day at Koroit is filling a void in south-west Victoria and exceeding organiser expectations.
The field day will be held on Saturday February 22 as part of the Koroit Show and has attracted more than 25 exhibitors with more expected in coming weeks.
The positive response could lead to the event being extended next year.
The field day will fill a gap left by the Sungold Field Days that were last held at Allansford in 2020. The event had run since 1981 and was recognised as the one of Victoria’s premier agricultural shows.
Koroit field day co-ordinator, Julie Houlihan, said the response to the new event had shown the need for a local agricultural field day.
“When the much-loved Sungold Field Days stopped, we knew there was a gap in the market,” Mrs Houlihan said. “We decided to have a go and combine it with the show and we’ve been overwhelmed with enquiries and bookings.
“Because it’s the first year, we didn’t know if it would take off, but with the response we’ve had, next year we might have to run two days or look at running the show separately.”
The field day will feature more than 25 exhibitors, including tractors, drones, contracting and irrigation equipment, dairy innovation and feed and pasture companies.
The event will cover all agricultural fields but with a special focus on dairy.
All the usual agricultural show events will be also be held, including horses, cattle, poultry, cooking, flower/vegetable and photography classes. “The field day is just adding another dimension and making sure we remain relevant to the community, especially agricultural industries,” Mrs Houlihan said.
Most of the field day will be based on land owned by the agricultural society on the side of Victoria Park, with the oval being kept for traditional show activities.
Mrs Houlihan said the field day would provide a platform for farmers to learn about new technologies, techniques, and products; facilitate networking opportunities between farmers, suppliers, and industry experts; showcase the latest research and development in agriculture, including new crop varieties, farming methods, and equipment; offer hands-on demonstrations and trials of agricultural products and services; and provide a forum for discussions on key industry issues, such as sustainability, climate change, animal husbandry and environmental management.
“Koroit Agricultural Field Days aim to promote the development of sustainable and productive agriculture, and to support farmers in improving their operations and contributing to the growth of the agricultural industry,” Mrs Houlihan said.
Innovation technical presentations and workshops will run through the day where selected suppliers and service providers can outline how their products features are innovative and would be useful to attending farmers. DemoDAIRY Foundation is assisting with this activity.
The presentations/workshops will be in the basketball stadium.