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.
This year’s Fieldays will feature a Rural Advocacy Hub - bringing together various rural organisations who are advocating for farmers and championing their interests as one team, under one roof, for the first time.
OPINION: The Hound notes that the Taxpayers’ Union recently revealed that the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) spent more than $125,000 for its presence at this year’s Mystery Creek Fieldays.
Once again, the sharp minds at St Paul’s Collegiate School in Hamilton were the 2023 Young Innovators of the Year Winners at this year’s Fieldays.
Once again, the sharp minds at St Paul’s Collegiate School in Hamilton were the 2023 Young Innovator of the Year Winner at Fieldays.
OPINION: The future of agricultural innovation is reliant on the sector being more open with its data.
OPINION: In recent years farmers have been crying foul of unworkable and expensive regulations.
Another 16 commercial beef farmers have been selected to take part in the Informing New Zealand Beef (INZB) programme designed to help drive the uptake of genetics in the industry.
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Kiwi exporters will be $100 million better off today as the NZ-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) comes into force.
Making things simpler, not harder, for deer farmers in farm planning and coping with regulations is Deer Industry New Zealand (DINZ) industry capability manager John Ladley’s current focus.
Rural Women New Zealand (RWNZ) is launching an online business directory called The Country Women’s Collective to promote and support entrepreneurial rural women.
New Zealand actor Sam Neill has joined the Campaign for Wool NZ as an ambassador, lending his name and profile to educate and advocate for New Zealand strong wool.
OPINION: There's an outpouring of concern over the parlous state of one of our major industries.
OPINION: Food security is a sore point in the UK, as a direct result of its National Food Strategy, and…
