The 2016 National Horticultural Field Day to be held on July 8 in Hastings is growing year on year to be one of New Zealand's largest horticulture events.
There are few dedicated horticulture events in New Zealand despite it being one of our most significant export industries, so it's no surprise the horticulture industry is pushing for this to be the event for education, networking and information sharing.
The unique business-to-business event is growing to meet the industry's demand with innovation at the forefront, whether it is showcasing new technology and research or information transfer as part of the BNZ Seminar Series held at the Field Day.
One Hawke's Bay-based company which has benefited from the event's focus on innovation, through the Ravensdown Innovation Award, is Scionon. Ian Adams of Scionon is a long-time supporter of the field day and his grafting tool won the 2016 Innovation Award, and on two previous occasions placed second, impressing judges with his ingenuity and increasing international profile.
With more than 50 trade exhibitors booked in already for this year's event, organisers are expecting the final number to be about 80, bigger than 2015, meaning there will be an extensive list of technology, machinery and new products for visitors to see at the field day.
The National Horticultural Field Day will be held at Showgrounds Hawke's Bay in Hastings.
Awards dinner
The awards dinner for the 2016 Ahuwhenua Trophy BNZ Maori Excellence in Farming Award for Dairy will this year be held at the Claudelands Arena, Hamilton on Friday, May 20. The trophy is the most prestigious award for Maori agriculture and was inaugurated in 1933 by the visionary Maori leader Sir Apirana Ngata and the governor-general at the time Lord Bledisloe.
For more information, visit: ahuwhenuatrophy.maori.nz
United voice
Rural health issues are being discussed at the Beehive this week during the Rural Health Alliance Aotearoa New Zealand's' (RHANZ) RuralFest conference.
RHANZ, which comprises 42 membership organisations, are gathering in Wellington for the inaugural RuralFest - to discuss and determine the top health and well-being issues facing rural communities.
Rural GP Dr Jo Scott-Jones says RuralFest is a flagship event for RHANZ, which represents a united voice from across multiple rural sector organisations.
"We're aiming to identify the key 'common ground' issues that all member organisations think are important for the health and well-being of rural New Zealand," he said.