The official opening of the Henty Field Days on Tuesday by Senator Pauline Hanson heralded the start of this year’s major event.

Also at the opening was Bruce Wright, chair, Association of Agricultural Field Days of Australasia, and David Farley MP, Federal Member for Farrer, Barnaby Joyce and One Nation Senator Sean Bell.

Henty marks 50 years this year since relocating to the permanent site on Cookardinia Road. HMFD member, former director and now volunteer Barry Scholz has been to every field day - he was part of the team which moved to the new site in 1976.

NSW Farmers Association newly elected president Rebecca Reardon attended the field days yesterday.

The NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD), Farms of the Future, Mobile Learning Centre brought Agtech education directly to farmers.

A new exhibitor this year in the agtech space was Halter. In June, Halter launched Beef Pro, a major upgrade built specifically for beef producers. Beef Pro layers grazing and feed-demand planning, satellite forage data, grazing intensity heat maps and automated grazing records onto the existing virtual fencing platform, turning the system that moves cattle into a tool for planning, measuring and improving every paddock.

Country Lifestyle attracted 101 stall holders this year. A guest speaker at Country Lifestyle was Jane Cay of Birdsnest. Her small fashion store in Cooma, NSW, has grown into one of Australia’s most loved women’s fashion retailers now employing more than 100 local people and sending outfits to women in every corner of Australia and beyond.

• The crowd-pleasing Henty Working Dog Trials, sponsored by Dogpro, were on again with over 200 entries. Maiden and novice classes were held on Tuesday, novice and open yesterday and the finals today from 1pm at the yard dogs. For the yard dogs there were 57 entries in the open, 20 in the improver, 39 in the novice, and 52 in the maiden, a total of 168 dogs.

HMFD CEO Belinda Anderson was scheduled to present the HMFD Exhibitor Awards to the winners of the Best Outdoor Large Commercial, Best Outdoor General and Best Indoor Exhibitor sites today.

• The Henty Natural Fibre Fashion Awards winners were also to be announced this afternoon with 65 entries including 21 millinery and 34 repurposed and recycled competing for the awards.