Field on Fieldays – Day Four

“For the first time in years we ran out of whitebait yesterday,” said the lady at the only whitebait stand on the huge National Fieldays’ site.

It wasn’t surprising – Thursday was believed to be something of a record for visitor numbers, and already, within an hour of the gates opening on Friday morning, there was a small queue beginning to form for either whitebait fritter sandwiches or for the equally-tasty venison pattie sarnies.

The weather helped. There was a touch of frost smeared across the parking paddocks as the early birds arrived, and a lowering sky held the cold in and made the first few hours a rather bleak and chilly wander. Hot coffee and hot food was a very popular idea.

Most people were glad to huddle into heavy jackets and warm beanies, with sturdy footwear and thick socks, but there was the occasional hardy soul in tee-shirt and shorts. There was even one rugged individual clad in a generous beard, long, ragged Swannie bush-shirt and rugby shorts, and sporting a pair of bare feet a rhino would have been proud to own.

Those staffing the police stand near the Fieldays’ headquarters had a very smart operation that attracted a minor tsunami of interest – they set up a rudimentary P-lab and were happy to explain at least some of the methods of P manufacture. Along with it were vivid photos of the stark, horrible and highly dangerous results, either from using the drug or from messing up the manufacture and literally having it all blow up in your face.

Several big machinery salesmen were talking more happily after the first couple of days too, one saying his stand had  had more serious inquiries and orders in those first two days than they’d had in the previous two years.

“It’s obvious the cockies are feeling more confident,” he said.

“And it’s not just because of good dairy prices. Sheep and beef farmers are also getting decent payouts now, and after years of doing repairs to their farm machinery they’re now in a position to buy replacements with new gear.

“This could be a very good year for the big machinery sellers.”

And if the farmers start buying big, it’s likely they will set up a money-go-round from which everyone will benefit.