Chris Lewis: Fieldays memorable family affair

Now's the time to catch up with the advances in farm technology.

Today is the start of Fieldays, an event I have enjoyed going to since a kid and now I take my two children to experience it.

I guess it's a pathway into the primary industries where you start as a young one looking at all the agriculture equipment, eventually graduating to talking shop with sales reps and renewing relationships with your key suppliers.

My children remember the farm servicing people that came to the farm to help us -- and then recognise them again at Fieldays when we talk business. This is how relationships start for generations and good companies recognise this, with many businesses I deal with being family-owned.

A lot of the local schools have a teacher's-only day on Friday, as parents and teachers recognise taking their kids to Fieldays as an educational opportunity. It's a bit like a calf club in spring, compulsory learning for rural kids in their educational development.

A lot has been written about the dairy payout lately and the ups and downs we are experiencing.

One thing I have learned in farming is that we need to look forward to the next cycle and have a plan. That's why I go to Fieldays, to look at different products for a project I am embarking on or as capital replacement. It's good to compare technology when planning ahead for projects on farm.

While we farmers may be going with a long-term view we still need to run our farms more efficiently in the short term. This entails hundreds of thousands of dollars in spending. Binder twine and No8 wire won't hold our equipment together forever.

I was brought up on a dry-stock farm, and these farmers have been the consistent performer over the years. I think their optimism is going to be the leader at the Fieldays this year. They are having a good year with beef prices at the moment higher than my milk payout. So the confidence is there for them to start looking ahead to increase productivity by investing in their farms.

Also, most local agriculture contractors have had a boom year with silage and cropping. The machinery dealers tell me that they are taking a lot of orders and walking around with quiet confidence in their business. At the end of the day animals need to be fed and feed needs to be harvested, preferably by the most efficient machinery. So the guy in the Swazi shirt and jeans will be out on the prowl today and the nightclubs at night.

This is an event to showcase to farmers just how innovative the farming industry is. It's also now an international trade promotion with a lot of international visitors and ministers there to help facilitate this for international prosperity and trade.

Federated Farmers has its own site at Fieldays in the pavilion, with elected leaders and staff there through the day to share their experience.

Federated Farmers has a bunch of firsts at Fieldays this year.

There's the partnership with Fieldays to hold two seminars, where influential speakers will stimulate and provoke debate with audiences on water and technology.

Then there's the partnership between the Federation and the Ministry for Primary Industries for the Global Research Alliance (GRA) World Farmer Organisation (WFO) Study Tour. The Fieldays will host the final round of the competition where Minister for Primary Industries Nathan Guy, will select two farmers to join the international delegation in Argentina this August.

The tour aims to increase global understanding and engagement on agricultural greenhouse gas research and environmental management practices that support sustainable productivity.

There will be a lot of glitz and glamour at the Fieldays but my favourite part is the real opportunity to connect the farming community. It's really an institution and I know my children will have fond memories of these days, They may even attend as adults in the future. Imagine the advances they will see then.

Chris Lewis is Federated Farmers Waikato provincial president.