Nearly 30,000 people attend the Tocal Field Day
More than 27,000 people attended the 25th Tocal Field Day, making it the most successful yet.
The 2008 TFD, with the theme, ‘Then and Now’ of sustainable agriculture, was held in perfect autumn weather from 2nd to the 4th of May.
A total of 67 DPI staff from 17 locations across NSW were involved in successfully creating an informative and memorable experience, with the DPI displays and talks proving to be extremely popular among attendees.
Popular DPI features this year included:
- Discovering micro-organisms
- Parasites and minerals under microscopes
- Exploring local geological data bases
- Coping with floods on a model farm
- The DPI Fisheries’ trailer and fishing clinics.
In addition, DPI provided five scheduled short talks each day with the more practical sessions on managing natural resources proving very popular.
The Minerals team was kept busy fielding a wide range of questions. Many visitors were impressed by the digital technology used by DPI, with a variety of 3D fly-throughs and SPOT satellite data being employed to show how they could zoom in on their property. All were intrigued by the application of geological and historical cadastral digital overlays over recent satellite imagery.
Talks on geophysics, volcanoes, and on the technology used in modern geological mapping were given to groups of attentive high school students.
In total visitors were treated to more 450 exhibits, along with demonstrations and activities.
New DPI activities are featured each year, with the Gosford Horticultural Institute already keen to feature the emerging Asian Greens and Green Tea industries in 2009.
Also Tocal Field Days produced a small book this year that they handed out titled, ‘Three days in May’. The book, by Jo Hathway, profiles the 25 field days. Copies can be obtained by contacting Tocal College.