The Henty Machinery Field Days are all about new technology and the Greater Hume Shire Australian Machine of the Year Award is about homegrown innovation.
This year, the award presented to the best new Australian designed and manufactured machine went to West Wyalong's Steele Steel for it's MP Ezy Feeder 70B.
Steele Steel's Dan Draper took on the business in 2018 from Dave Perks and Donna Steele.
"It is a great privilege to receive this award," Steele Steel principal Dan Draper said.
"This award means a lot as it is helping to acknowledge local manufacturers.
"I want to thank our farmers who give great support to local, state and interstate businesses.
"I also want to thank Dave Perks and Donna Steele for their help since I took the business over.
"Dave has been a magnificent mentor and still comes in and jumps in the truck to do deliveries to existing customers as well as new ones.
"Finally I want to thank the boys at Steele Steel who put in the hard yards.
"We all know how hard it is to get and keep labour and these guys bend over backwards for me."
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Made with Bluescope steel, the 70-bag MP Ezy Feeder comes standard with twin bins, six inch PVC lined auger, a 9hp Honda motor, 50mm solid axles, 5mm heavy duty chassis and A-frame checker plate infill.
"I think what stood our machine out was its versatility," Mr Draper said.
"It is a 70-bag unit with roughly a five tonne capacity.
"It easily handles both seed and fertiliser, and can mix grain.
"The heavy duty PVC lined auger makes it ideal for fertiliser.
"The MP Ezy Feeder 70B can be used for filling both seeders and feeders and comes standard with a 2.9 metre high auger.
"We have multiple splits we can do it in and this one is in a dual auger system.
"You have the shorter auger to put into self-feeders and then you have your extended auger to put into an agro drill or a smaller air seeder.
"This version also has a rear platform with a rear 305 litre additive box.
"The purpose of that is to give a better mixture going out of the deployment auger off the side."
Greater Hume Council deputy mayor, Cr Annette Schilg, said the council was happy to support the award.
"We are proud to have started this award four field days ago," Ms Schilg said.
"While still in its infancy, this award is significant as it recognises local design and manufacturing which we should all celebrate.
"It is great to see the winner is a home-grown farmer from West Wyalong."
The award was last won by Clear Ridge Fabrication for the CRF Superbin 4200.
