Field Days 2020
The largest agricultural event in the Southern Hemisphere, Field Days is the ultimate display of cutting edge agricultural technology. At SmartShelters it has always been the highlight of our calendar, being a chance to show our latest innovations, and shake hands with the people who’ll benefit from them.
Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 Field Days in Hamilton has been cancelled. But at SmartShelters we’ve decided that the event is too special for us to simply skip, so we’ve decided to bring our innovations to you.
Welcome to the virtual SmartShelters stand.
Field Days 2020 dates
The 2020 Field Days was originally scheduled to be held from the 10th to the 13th of June. The COVID-19 outbreak forced a postponement and a transformation – Field Days has been rescheduled as an online-only event that will run from the 13th to the 26th of July.
The SmartShelters virtual stand will be up and running on our website over both the original and the new dates, guiding you through our best products and latest innovations.
A BRAND YOU CAN TRUST
While a stand off pad can technically be any purpose-built loafing area, and can be as simple as a well-drained open field, the best dairy stand off pads are:
Covered: To protect livestock from the elements, keeping them healthier and reducing vet bills.
Well-drained/easily cleanable: To guard against the build-up of effluent.
Designed and constructed for you: To make the job of managing your herd as simple as possible.
Well built: To ensure it can handle all conditions and will continue to do so for the long term.
A BRAND YOU CAN TRUST
There are so many variables in terms of location, climate, breed, herd size and herd health that getting hard numbers on how much a composting shed improves productivity can be difficult. But by way of an example, this American study found measurable improvement in herd locomotion, hygiene and health. On the local front, Professor Keith Woodford described a New Zealand case where milk solid production increased from 380kg to 544kg per cow after utilising a composting barn for just one year.
A BRAND YOU CAN TRUST
Using a feed pad cover to protect your herd from the elements will improve the overall health of the animals. Our high-quality covers let in up to 90% of natural light, while stopping heat, rain and snow from entering the structure. Your animals will enjoy conditions that are 3-4 degrees warmer in winter and up to 12 degrees cooler in summer, increasing herd health and reducing your vet bills
Field Days 2020 location
The 2020 Field Days was originally scheduled to be held, as per usual, at the Mystery Creek events centre in Ohaupo to the south of Hamilton. But as COVID-19 forced New Zealand to institute lockdown and physical distancing measures, it became clear that a traditional Field Days was out of the question.
This is a huge blow to thousands of farmers and industry players who no longer have the ability to engage and interact with different companies and technologies. For many people, Field Days represents the only opportunity to learn about and test new technologies, and network with others in the industry.
The New Zealand National Field Days Society has decided to turn the 2020 Field Days into an online experience, and with our virtual stand, so have we.
Who normally attends Field Days?
Field Days attracts stallholders and attendees from every nook and cranny of industry; predominantly agriculture, but from a number of other sectors too. With hundreds of stallholders exhibiting their products and services, everything from farming machinery to fashion, shearing to shelters are on display.
Last year’s Field Days attracted 128,000 attendees, making it the largest such event in the Southern Hemisphere!
A BRAND YOU CAN TRUST
Free stall shelters are permanent structures designed to house livestock and provide them with feed and water. Typically designed to house cattle for extended periods, free stall shelters will usually feature both feed alleys and bedding areas.
Free stall barns bring a wealth of benefits, including:
- More effective feed rationing, reducing wastage and lowering cost
- A SmartShelters free stall shelter is 3-4 degrees cooler in summer and 12 degrees warmer in winter, improving herd health, comfort and productivity
- More efficient herd management and monitoring
A BRAND YOU CAN TRUST
Young animals are far more susceptible to disease and extreme conditions than older ones. Housing your calves make it far easier to keep them healthy, by:
- Ensuring regular and easy access to food
- Providing shelter from the elements and more comfortable temperatures (SmartShelters calf rearing shelters are 3-4 degrees cooler in the summer and 12 degrees warmer in the winter)
- Centralising your young herd, facilitating easier management
- Enabling you to put firm processes in place for vaccinations, disease management and disease treatment
We’re in full swing providing structures for emergency needs around the country.
Get in touch to register your requirements – we’re ready to assist and have product available to install nationwide.
MAKE A SMART CALL
0508 743 583
Field Days cancelled for 2020
While the COVID-19 pandemic has forced the cancellation of the Field Days as we know it, at SmartShelters we see it as an opportunity to do something a little different, and perhaps get a sense of what the Field Days could look like in decades to come: i.e. a more virtual experience.
We’ll be setting up our stand on the SmartShelters site, and taking the opportunity to offer VR walkthroughs, product demonstrations, and live chats with attendees in the same way that we normally would at the Field Days!
Where is national Field Days normally held?
Traditionally Field Days is held at the Mystery Creek events centre in Ohaupo, just south of Hamilton. The 2020 event will be the first fully online experience.
What activities does Field Days provide?
Apart from the endless rows of exhibitors, Field Days traditionally offers up plenty of action for its attendees, including:
- Specials and promotions exclusive to Field Days
- Live entertainment and interactive events
- Competitions and giveaways
- Product and innovation demonstrations
- The opportunity to network
- Displays of the latest and greatest industry research
While capturing the feel of the Field Days will be a challenge, we’ll be aiming for our virtual stand to tick as many of those checkboxes as possible!
Field Days exhibitors
Just like hundreds of other exhibitors, at SmartShelters we have spent decades displaying and demonstrating our products at Field Days. It’s a unique opportunity to meet new faces, or ones that we have only ever spoken to over email or phone. We also enjoy being attendees ourselves, wandering the grounds and finding exciting exhibits and demos.
We aim to use our wealth of experience as Field Days exhibitors to create a virtual stand experience that is as close to the real thing as possible.
Related Field Days events
What has happened to New Zealand’s other major field day events?
Taking place right before the pandemic hit, Northland Field Days went ahead as scheduled from the 5th to the 7th of March, and is likely to go ahead around the same time next year.
Central Districts Field Days, New Zealand’s largest regional field days event, wasn’t so lucky. Having been scheduled for the 19th to 21st of March, it was cancelled just three days before the opening day. It plans to be back from the 18th to the 20th of March next year.
Field Days virtual experience
Just as Field Days has morphed itself into an online experience, so too will the SmartShelters virtual stand. The stand will be set up on the website during June and July, offering our normal Field Days site experience, but via a screen.
We’ll have VR walkthroughs and drone flyovers of our range of shelters. We’ll conduct live product demonstrations, and give attendees the opportunity to chat with us about the products. We’ll do all that we can to replicate the fun, excitement and education that the Field Days has always offered.
ASK US A QUESTION ABOUT OUR SHELTERS
