Agwest Machinery named most outstanding exhibitor at Dowerin GWN7 Machinery Field days with ‘Fendt tent’

Agwest Machinery has claimed top spot in the Dowerin GWN7 Machinery Field Days’ exhibitor awards after the company’s impressive effort to “make a statement” with a towering ‘Fendt tent’ paid off.

The company wrangled most outstanding exhibitor award from last year’s winner McIntosh & Son and attracted plenty of attention with an 8.5m-high marquee Fendt tent filled with towering machinery as well as some impressive displays outside.

Agwest Machinery group sales manager Martin Crawford said the company fielded a huge amount of foot traffic this year, making their four months of planning and many phone calls pre-Field Days well worth it.

“We decided we wanted equipment inside a marquee. . . which was an achievement,” he said.

“The idea grew arms and legs, with hanging signs, corflutes . . . and flooring to allow people with prams and electric gophers to enjoy the inside of the tent. We think farmers enjoyed not having to stand on damp ground.”

Mr Crawford said Agwest’s site was two-thirds bigger this year, and in a different location, with the “huge traffic area” the perfect position for the business that boasts dealerships at Geraldton, Northam, Corrigin and Esperance.

A large showing of machinery was on display at the Agwest site with brands including Fendt, Massey Ferguson, Gleaner, Seedhawk, Raven, Grain Logic and Hansa Spreaders. Agwest joined the Dowerin GWN7 Machinery Field Days as an event partner this year.

One of the major drawcards at the site was the Fendt IDEAL 10T combine, which at 790 horsepower is one of the most powerful top-end harvesters on the market.

“There is a lot of confidence in the industry after last year’s bumper harvest,” Mr Crawford said.

“We have seen people who are dyed-in-the-wool with other brands, who are now talking to us.”

Judges of the exhibitor awards were looking for great storytelling about how exhibitors were supporting the agricultural industry and its farming community — as well as impressive displays and sites that enhanced engagement with visitors.

Other business recognised included Wespray Boomsprays (best customer service), Treerings Australia (best small business), Merre Granola( best regional business), Eagle Eye Engineering (best emerging technology) and Calibre Spraying (best new release).

Merre Granola founder Estelle Madaffari, who farms at Merredin, started the business with her husband Paul in 2020 as a way to harness the great produce grown in WA — with a focus on oats

The business promotes itself as the only WA granola made my farmers, using wholefood ingredients including oats, honey, and nuts.

Merre Granola took out the best regional start-ups exhibit accolade at last year’s event.

“I love Dowerin, it brings everyone together and it’s a great chance to talk about agriculture,” Ms Madaffari said.

“We had free taste-testing, showcased other Wheatbelt products and we wanted to show what we can grow and achieve in WA.”

Wespray Boomsprays marketing manager Elyssa Giedraitis said the family business — which won best customer service — had expanded in recent years, taking on “more roles” to make sure customers had access to what they needed.

“With the closure of another business, have taken on a lot more roles and have had to grow and expand quickly to make sure they (customers) were covered,” she said.

“The award was for both our customer service at the Field Day and the business more broadly.”

One of their key offerings is the creation of comb trailers, with a special royal blue trailer released at the Field Days to fundraise and generate awareness of men’s mental health group 6Bs.

Calibre Spraying owner Daniel Watkins, of Brookton, took out the best new release award for the Calibre Quadro — the biggest spot sprayer ever made with a 10,000-litre tank.

The invention, released at Dowerin, allows farmers to spot- and blanket-spray at the same time.

This means farmers can use it as a universal sprayer all year around.

“This is something Australia has never seen before, it is the biggest WeedIt and spot spraying machine ever made,” Mr Watkins said.

“Traditionally a spot sprayer has a 3000 to 5000-litre tank. People think we are crazy, but we are taking advantage of pulse width modulation technology that can blanket spray- and spot-spray at the same time.

“So instead of running a dual-tank system, farmers can use one main tank for spot spraying all year round.”

Mr Watkins also owns Eagle Eye Engineering, which took out the best emerging technology award for a dual-target control system for its automatic sheep feeder.

It gives farmers the ability to accurately and automatically feed stock through a trail feed function and an auger function.

Not a drop of grain leaves the bin without running through a target system with accuracy and traceability, all linked to an iPad.

“It is the first of its kind in Australia and the world,” Mr Watkins said.

“We are very big on trail feeding in Australia, but no one has ever come up with this sort of technology to use a smart device to accurately feed stock.

“I have always felt like stock feeding equipment lacked innovation, everyone is focused on increasing cropping innovation but stock is forgotten about.”

Treerings brand manager Jessica Clark said the award was a surprise, and made this year’s Field Day – the first the Perth Hills-based business had attended - a memorable experience.

“It was a small business award, and we are a team of four people… we all have full-time jobs elsewhere and we do this on the side,” she said.

“This is the world’s first compact fertiliser… so it is quite innovative.”

The business was launched in 2020, with the first idea first floated by Ms Clark’s father Garry about nine years ago before Ms Clark and her husband Tyron Clark decided to help make it happen.

“He went to the shed and started creating this compact system,” she said.

“This was our first time at Dowerin and it won’t be our last. It didn’t disappoint.”

More details about the winners will follow in upcoming editions of Countryman.

Dowerin GWN7 Machinery Field Day Exhibitor Award Winners

Most outstanding exhibitor: Agwest Machinery

Best customer service: Wespray Boomsprays

Best small business: Treerings Australia

Best regional business: Merre Granola

Best emerging technology: Eagle Eye Engineering

Best new release: Calibre Spraying