Bogged in the Swamp shout a popular A&P initiative

A crowd of over 180 were at the A&P Produce Hall on Saturday night to enjoy the free food, drinks and prizes.

It was a chance for farmers to forget about their woes for an evening, at the Bogged in the Swamp shout.

Nearly 200 of the Tararua District farming community enjoyed the opportunity to get off the farm when the new Dannevirke A&P Association committee invited them to the event at the end of last month at the A&P Home Industries Hall.

A&P Association president Kirstin Wahlberg helped by her committee and sponsor Tararua REAP's Kerri Verwaayen call the first draw winner Shaun Baxter.

They were promised an evening of fun, free food/drinks and opportunities to win prizes.

The invitation was sent out to all rural industries saying, “We’ve done it tough over winter and it’s important to get out of the mud and have a catch-up with others going through a similar battle.”

Louis Bagg on a working tour from Somerset in England appreciated winning a winter jacket and dog food.

The response from rural people and sponsors was stunning, over 100 guests had registered by Wednesday and numbers had doubled by Friday night.

The Shorts and the Perrys were enjoying the barbecue meal.

Sponsors were generous, with more than $2000 in prizes being given away and all of the other costs covered.

The cooks enjoyed it too.

A&P Association president Kirstin Wahlberg says it “did not cost A&P a cent”.

But it did cost her committee a lot of time and planning to get the shout up and running barely two weeks after being elected.

Mayor Tracey Collis and councillor Sharon Wards were amongst the many having a good time.

Kirstin says she was very proud of them.

Jayda Gore was dressed up for the occasion - and dancing practice later.

The Wallace brothers Ron and Steve as joint MCs kept the evening running while farmers, their spouses and families caught up enjoying the free hospitality.

Dave Murdoch is a part-time photo-journalist working for the Bush Telegraph and based at Dannevirke. He has covered any community story telling good news about the district for the last ten years.