Looking forward, looking back
Farming in the past and into the future was celebrated at the official opening of Farm World on Friday. Past board member Kevin Dale led a history focussed commentary of the Gippsland Field Days, now Farm World, which celebrated its 50th anniversary on the Lardner Park site this year. Founded by three agricultural businessmen Earl French, Vin Rowe and John Woods, the event has been supported by generations of local farming and business families. Vin Rowe was one of the founding members of the then Gippsland Field Days more than 50 years ago. Three generations later, his grandson Nick Rowe (right) is a board member. Celebrating the history of Farm World at Lardner Park are (from left) Lardner Park chairman Angela Betheras with past and present board members Andrew Schreyer, Graham Rowe, Gary Surman, Kevin Dale, Brian Hopkins, John Rogers and Nick Rowe. Photograph: CAROLYN TURNER Inset: Vin Rowe’s site in the early days of Farm World.
Farming in the past and into the future was celebrated at the official opening of Farm World on Friday.
Past board member Kevin Dale led a history focussed commentary of the Gippsland Field Days, now Farm World, which celebrated its 50th anniversary on the Lardner Park site this year.
Agribusiness Gippsland chairman Paul Ford addressed the official opening on Friday, saying food and fibre were the backbone of Gippsland.
With this year’s four day event focussing on a food and fibre theme, Mr Ford spoke about the value of food and fibre to the Gippsland region.
Tying his presentation in with the 50th anniversary, Mr Ford provided an historical perspective of food and fibre, dating back thousands of years.
“Food and fibre is the backbone of Gippsland. Thousands of years ago there was an active food and fibre trade already operating in Gippsland,” he said.
Instead of a field days, Mr Ford said the “Better Farming Train” visited communities in the 1920s to share ideas of how to get through the tough conditions of farming.
Mr Ford said food and fibre industries were really starting to stand up in the 1960s, which was when Farm World started.
“Gippsland is the economic driver of Victoria, producing 23 per cent of the state’s GDP.
Mr Ford said Agriculture Minister Jaala Pulford once referred to Gippsland as the “hidden secret” of food and fibre.
He said food and fibre was the $7 million hidden secret of Gippsland.
Through dairy, forestry, meat, horticulture and fishing, Gippsland was a supply chain, with food and fibre contributing to $7 billion of Gippsland’s $15 billion GDP.
Mr Ford said there were 2500 agribusiness operations in Gippsland that were highly innovative businesses.
“We are losing things like Hazelwood and Heyfield is unknown but we have a fantastic future for food and fibre which is the backbone of our region,” Mr Ford said.
Mr Dale said Farm World began in 1963 and after four years at various farms, the event moved to Lardner Park.
He said it was appropriate to recognise the efforts, foresight and initiative of agricultural business people Vin Rowe, Earl French and John Woods and what three individuals achieved.
“They understood the value of co-operation. It is amazing that what we have today was created by three people who were in direct competition with each other.
Over the past 50 years, Mr Dale said more than 120 people had been involved with the voluntary committee.
Mr Dale talked about the many politicians and dignitaries who had attended Farm World.
“But the one that everyone remembers is prime minister Gough Whitlam in 1974 who said `the farmers have never had it so good.’
“Polite farmers turned into rowdy protestors…but it gave the field days and Warragul national media coverage,” he said.
Mr Dale interviewed a number of people who had been involved with various aspects of Farm World over the years.
John Rogers, who is the longest serving volunteer of 51 years with Farm World, said it was the size of machinery that had changed the most.
Mr Rogers said he was the “go-to” man and the only form of communication in the early days, as he rode a motorbike from one end of Farm World to another to deliver messages.
Graham and Nick Rowe, second and third generation board members of Farm World, spoke about their long association with the event since Vin Rowe was a founding member.
Graham said he remembered his mum going to Farm World in its first or second year to cook hot dogs and cups of tea, which was the only catering available.
Nick said social media and the internet had changed and challenged the way they did business.
“A lot of our customers will turn up to our stand knowing more about the equipment than we do.
“But people still crave going up to a harvester and touching it. The internet will never be a substitute for seeing equipment,” he said.
Other speakers included past chairman Rob Radford, John Steinfort who spoke about the opportunities for innovation as a Farm World exhibitor, Trevor Hatch talked about the steer trial and Ellinbank Football Club president Rob Pandolfo spoke about the money that flows back to local community clubs and groups.