Excitement over champions' field days in Hawke's Bay and East Coast

Silver Fern Farms Hawke's Bay Farmers of the Year Louise Harvey and Jason Daly, who host the awards' annual field day at Te Onepu, south of Hastings, on May 2. Photo / Scott Cartwright

Farmers wanting to learn more from the best must be near salivating about the prospects with four big field days in Hawke's Bay and the East Coast over the next four weeks.

The big round has been completed with the announcement that Raukawa friesian bull farmers Jason Daly and Louise Harvey will stage their field day on May 2.

The announcement came as they were named winners at the Napier Port Hawke's Bay Primary Sector Awards in the Showgrounds Hawke's Bay Tomoana events centre in Hastings last Thursday.

Previously announced were field days for the three finalists in the Ahuwhenua Trophy Maori Excellence in Sheep and Beef Farming Awards which will be announced in Gisborne on May 24.

With finalists concentrated in Hawke's Bay and the East Coast, the field days will be held today at Whangara Farms on State Highway 35 just north of Gisborne, next Thursday at Gwavas Station, near Tikokino in Central Hawke's Bay, and on April 18 at Kiriroa Station at Matawai, between Gisborne and Opotiki.

Daly and Harvey run Te Onepu and Longridge, two properties both within 30 minutes' drive of Hastings.

The field day will be at Te Onepu, 2849 Raukawa Rd, and because of its location and comparatively close proximity to Hastings is expected to attract more than 250 people.

Awards committee chairman and former Farmer of the Year Peter Tod said although Davy and Harvey's focus is "100 per cent" on friesian bulls, Daly has "a real story to tell" around friesians and feeding.

"He is very focused on growing good quality grass and doing it sustainably," Todd said.

"Anybody can look at that information, take it back to their farm property and look at implementing it, whether they're running bulls, cattle, sheep or whatever.

"I'm not a friesian bull farmer, but I am excited to learn from what he is doing.

"You could make a very good career out of looking at and learning from these field days."

The Primary Sector Awards, attended by more than 400 people, comprised eight presentations for achievements throughout the agricultural, horticultural and farm forestry sector of the region, built around the Hawke's Bay Farmer of the Year Award, which was first presented in 1972.

Among the winners were Pan Pac Farm Foresters of the Year Graeme and Neil Fontaine who will stage a field day on May 9, and Horticentre Trust Hawke's Bay Horticulturists of the Year Leon and Robyn Stallard, who will hold a field day on a date to be confirmed.