Hills Small Acreage Field Days – J. Rockliff
After a month of planning and anxiety, and barely averted technical mishaps, it was time – 6am on Saturday morning at the shed, Keith, JC, and JR loading up the BBQ trailer to head off to Echunga for our first taste of the Hills Small Acreage Field Days at Echunga. Under overcast skies we set up on the periphery of the main oval stuffed with exhibitors, and soon we were under way with bacon and egg sandwiches for the exhibitors and Field Day staff. As the morning progressed and public started filtering in, we could see people circulating through the exhibits or wandering past to go see working dogs herding sheep, but not too many finding their way to our BBQ. Brian and Pam arrived with our bread delivery and carried on till relieved by Brian Wall and Marshall, then we were joined by Des and Margie, allowing Keith and John Caddy to head off. We all took turns to wander through the exhibitors displays – lots of bright orange and green boys’ toys aka farm machinery, camper trailers (is it a camper trailer if it weighs 2.8tonne!!!), water tanks, cattle and sheep crushes and fencing, battery solutions, vibrating massage beds (apparently very relaxing, especially if you could tune out the sales lady)….Custom, not enormously brisk in the morning, dropped away in the afternoon, and by 3pm we decided to start winding it up for the day – knock down and load out, back to the shed for clean-up and restock.
The next morning, rinse, and repeat: JR and JC at the shed at 0600 to load and head out to Echunga, Andrew tasked to pick up a bread order from Mt Barker Woollies. Bacon and eggs once again the mainstay order. Mid-morning JC had to abscond to a prior engagement, and Bob subbed in; then later our colleagues from RC Eastwood, Mark Redmond and Mike Massey, and Rob Rushton-Smith from Rotary club of Norwood, joined us for the afternoon shift. There seemed to be more families around on Sunday, and that with the warmer weather encouraged sales of sausages and drinks. Still, we were hardly rushed off our feet. By 3:30pm we decided to wind it down, so Andrew wandered around doing his best Oprah impersonation – “Everybody gets a loaf” as he handed out over-catered loaves to all and sundry nearby, while the rest of the team encouraged any passing young lad to stuff their faces with the remnant cooked snags. Back to the shed where the stalwart cleaning crew of Des Margie and JC appeared to make things ship shape again.
It was good to be out there supporting the initiative of Stirling Rotary, who are trying to develop this event into a regular fixture, run by the Rotary clubs in the surrounding districts (7 clubs represented this time) – a big shout-out to RC Stirling for the huge effort in putting this event together. But most of all, thanks to everyone who dug in deep to help staff the event for us: Keith, John C, Brian and Pam, Marshall, Brian Wall, Margie, Des, Andrew, Bob, Rob Rushton-Smith, Mike Massey, and Mark Redmond.