Six of the eight pavilions at Farmlands AgFest were rebuilt thanks to a surge of volunteers including members of the 600-strong Gloriavale Christian Community, one of the biggest workforces on the Coast.
Every helper was crucial as the region has just 30,000 people, spread thinly.
Farming comprises about 350 Westland Milk suppliers and a couple of hundred sheep, beef or deer farmers.
Coasters rallied after the Tuesday April 10 storm and enjoyed fine weather on the Wednesday but it rained again the next day.
Volunteers and contractors toiled from 6am to 10pm for those three emergency days to be ready for the event on April 13-14.
Tent contractors and others did an amazing job to put the show back together for the Friday and Saturday, AgFest co-owner Andy Thompson said.
No-one made much of a fuss and he never doubted it would come together, despite effectively having 36 hours work wiped out on the Tuesday.
“It was no choice, it was emergency work.”
There was a lot on the line for Thompson, his wife Anna-marie and their business partners Adam Berry and Tracey Anderson.
AgFest is basically the West Coast’s only trade show and unlike other comparable field days and trade fairs it is privately-owned.
The wide-ranging retail show was in Greymouth for the first time.
Hokitika’s 2ha Cass Square worked well for the first three AgFests but it was cutting up a sports field and costing ratepayers, Thompson said.
Grey District Council wanted a large trade event so it offered AgFest free use of the publicly-owned 5ha aerodrome.
Most of the coast’s 30,000 people are from Greymouth or further north so the new site is more accessible, attracting visitors from as far away as Tasman.
The event needed room to grow so it made sense to be in Greymouth, which had 12,500 people compared to Hokitika’s 4000.
So being close to town rather than in a field attracted a strong walk-up crowd.
Thompson estimated up to 15,000 attended. The organisers didn’t do formal ticketing so figures were patchy but numbers were up significantly on last year.
“In the pavilions there seemed to be a third or a half more.”
“We are a profitable company and continue to be. We have no back-up from local councils but that also means we’re not beholden to anyone but ourselves.”
Farmlands took a naming right in 2014 and AgFest aims for a rural market but is always a blend of town and country people and businesses.
Cities had home, building and educational shows and several regions had farm field days whereas the Coast brought it all together.
The event was geared toward women with a dedicated Women’s Pavilion.
Farmers were out in force on the Friday, which, like other field days and shows, was often considered a default country day while the Saturday was almost universally accepted as the main public day. Farmers like their peace and quiet, and time to talk to ponder. “On Friday it’s quality, not quantity.”
Ordinarily rain wouldn’t be a biggie running the event although this year’s debrief would include a look at “the issue of under-foot conditions,” Thompson said.
“We’re a West Coast event. Rain doesn’t bother us. All of our exhibitors are under canvas. We’re expecting it to be two days of rain.”
Thompson is a broadcaster for NZME rural radio shows The Muster in Southland and a back-up to the nationwide show, The Country.
He’s also a volunteer communicator for West Coast Civil Defence and communications contractor to the Department of Conservation for the new 65km Paparoa National Park Great Walk – a memorial to the 29 men killed in the Pike River coalmine disaster in 2010.
Anna-marie Thompson and Tracey Anderson are account managers for NZME and Berry is a builder and account manager.
