Wimmera Machinery Field Days Exhibitor Awards 2020 recognise innovation and engagement | The Wimmera Mail-Times | Horsham, VIC

Wimmera Machinery Field Days Exhibitor Awards 2020 recognise innovation and engagement

INNOVATION RECOGNISED: The exhibitor winners of the Wimmera Machinery Field Days 2020. Picture: ELIZA BERLAGE

An award winner at this year’s Wimmera Machinery Field Days has said it is “refreshing” to come to a field days looking to the future.

Agrifrac, which took out the Machine of the Year award for their self propelled sprayer Condor Endurance 2, hailed the committee for their efforts to modernise the three-day event.

Two major product awards and seven site awards were presented this year, with innovation at the forefront of the committee’s mind when deciding which exhibitors would be recognised for their sites and products.

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“It was refreshing to come to a field days where the committee is looking to the future,” an Agrifrac spokesman said.

“There’s too many field days we go to where it’s fair to say they are dying and here they are trying hard to keep it alive.”

A spokesman from Alterra, who were the winners of the AgBiz Innovation of the Year Award for the Yass Optical Sprayer Technology, said they were glad that field days provided an opportunity to showcase their precision weed management equipment to people on the frontline of the agriculture industry.

“It’s good for city slickers like us to connect with farmers,” he said.

O’Connors won Best Ag Machinery Outdoor Site, which the committee said was due to the longstanding exhibitor shifting their site location and modernising it.

The award was collected by O’Connors Horsham branch manager Zach Holmes.

Agriculture Victoria received the award for Best Alan Heard Pavilion Site and were commended for creating an engaging space for attendees.

The display included a “prickle gallery”, an array of intrusive weeds commonly found in the Wimmera, with seasonal risk agronomist Dale Grey agronomist on hand to answer questions.

Full list of winners

  • WMFD Machine of the Year: Agrifac – Condor Endurance 2
  • Ag Business Innovation of the Year: Alterra – Yass Optical Sprayer Technology
  • Best Ag Machinery Outdoor Site: O’Connors
  • Best General Outdoor Site: Ahrens
  • Best Alan Heard Pavilion Site: Agriculture Vic
  • Best Moore Exhibition Site: Wimmera Aquatrail
  • Best Indoor Country Lifestyle Site: Equestria
  • Best Outdoor Country Lifestyle Site: Steiny’s Traditional Mettwurst

Read more: Who was at the Wimmera Machinery Field Days? | Photos

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