After a forced year off due to COVID-19, the Tocal Field Days returned and were a roaring success.
A wide range of exhibitors, great community spirit and perfect weather conditions all combined to make this year's Tocal Field Days one of the best.
With sites featuring everything from clothing, weed management, tanks, feeders, small machinery and large machinery, there was something for everyone to run their eye over.
Some of the machinery sites were very impressive with well-known brands bringing hundreds of thousands of dollars of equipment.
Also popular were the Tocal College demonstrations, the fine food area and the animal farm where you could get a kiss from a llama.
Crowds were significantly bigger over the three days with visitors and locals alike taking advantage of ideal weather to enjoy the event which was forced to cancel last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Official figures have 28,539 people visiting the field days, compared to 21,743 in 2019, with Tocal Field Days co-ordinator Wendy Franklin thrilled with the result.
"We are very excited with the increase in numbers," Ms Franklin said.
"It is testament to the great work all the team did to make the field days the event it was.
"This year people were really keen to get to the field days after we were forced to cancel last year's event.
"Even this year, it was a risk to plan the event when it only takes a couple of locally acquired COVID transmissions and we could all be in lockdown and we would have had to cancel again.
"It was a great relief to firstly be able to hold the field days and secondly for them to be as successful as they were.
"it was great to have such strong community support.
"We had three fine, sunny days which didn't hurt either."
Ms Franklin said the field days were a great opportunity to showcase what Tocal College has to offer.
"The Tocal Field Days are an opportunity to show the community you don't have to have a lot of land to make good use of it," she said.
"There was something for smaller producers as well as larger ones.
"There was a lot of interest in drones and robotics.
"At our Tocal On Show presentations, which showcased our students and what we do, was standing room only which was fantastic.
"We are looking for another great event next year."
Exhibitors were impressed with the turn out, some saying it was their best event yet.
Organisers, exhibitors and the community will all be looking forward to another successful event in 2022.
