My Land, My Environment: Fieldays 2009

On June 13, 2009, Dairy NZ sponsored some Fielday tickets for the New Zealand Geographical Society (NZGS) Hamilton Branch. As a member of the NZGS, I was lucky enough to score a ticket. Attending the Fieldays was a fantastic experience! I saw so many new things, and saw how New Zealand’s agriculture and food sectors were thriving. I was treated to different kinds of Kiwi food and wine in the Kiwi Food Pavilion. I saw my first steer, Cruze, in the Limougin tent (I sure hope he’s still alive!). I saw my first Alpacas in the garments area (where fabulous scarves, gloves, and Alpaca socks were made). In the main pavilion, I attended the seminar of Dairy NZ where I learned about how their company controls farm effluents from ruining water quality in the receiving bodies of water. I saw the University of Waikato’s site, and we won Best Site Award too!

There were other noteworthy spectacles, such as the oversized ATV car and bikes. I saw a stall that marketed calf-feeds by promoting it as an X-men movie (hence the pop-corn giveaways, yumm!). There were loads of freebies, and loads of people wanting to have a share in the event.

The 2009 Fieldays theme of “My Land, My Environment” really lived up to expectations. The celebration of New Zealand’s agriculture and products definitely had something for everyone.