The South East Field Days are set to return in March 2022 at Lucindale after the organisers decided late last month to ensure it was not three years without the event being held.
Just six days before the 2020 event the field days were called off for the first time in 42 years as the COVID-19 pandemic emerged. Uncertainty around COVID restrictions and border closures forced the committee to cancel again this year.
Field Days secretary Lyn Crosby said they did not make the decision lightly to plan for the 2022 event at Yakka Park on March 18 and 19, especially with the current high case numbers in Vic and NSW, but she says the committee are hopeful by March next year COVID restrictions may have further eased as vaccination rates rise.
"Hopefully by then we will be opening up and things are back as normal as they can be, but we will work with SA Health and follow whatever requirements we need to at the time to make it a success," she said.
"The community really want to move forward so this is a step towards that, it is such a big part of Lucindale's life and the whole area."
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Mrs Crosby said it would "take a while" for the SEFD to recover financially from being forced to abandon the event so close to 2020's dates and refunding all the exhibitors "as best they could".
"The biggest downside we had was not being able to make our usual donations, we give back big time and for two years charities and community groups who really depend on the field days as a lifeline have got nothing, many have just been limping along," she said.
Mrs Crosby says exhibitor expressions of interest are already flowing in and hopes the 2022 event may see the usual 600-650 exhibitors.
She is expecting strong interest for many products with the strength of agricultural markets.
"We are already getting quite a few calls from people asking for a prospectus on top of the 2020 exhibitors who we are emailing , unfortunately a few of them haven't made it through COVID but surprisingly it is a lot less than I thought," she said.
"During this time people have had to look at things online but I am sure there will be many looking forward to seeing things in person, the opportunity to sit in a tractor or kick the tyres and look at the bits that they may not be able to see on the internet."
- Details: sefd.com.au
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