
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.
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