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A Rural Expo in support of the Warkworth Wellsford Hospice building project will be held at Wellsford’s Centennial Park on December 12.
The expo is being organised by Farmlands Co-operative and FMG Insurance, which are both 100 per cent New Zealand owned.
FMG area manager Nicole Sorenson, Farmlands regional manager Lew Duggan, Farmlands card account manager Suzanne Parpinello and Farmlands Wellsford business manager Vanessa Corry came up with the Rural Expo concept as a fundraiser.
“Our concept is not to compete directly with A&P shows or other rural field days, but to bring together rural and urban members of the wider community to support a worthwhile community project, and to obtain information and deals from a wide range of rural service and product providers,” Lew says.
“We decided to hold it after the local Wellsford Summer Show so as not to detract from their event.”
Lew, who is also Northland Field Days president, says the event is a mixture of everything – almost a mini field day – which is why they decided to call it a Rural Expo.
Suzanne says exhibitors involved will include professionals from fencing, animal health, horticulture, bee keeping, aerial contractors, agrichemical, pasture seed, animal nutrition, farm machinery and yarding, as well as household appliances.
Representatives from community organisations such as Rural Women, Dairy Women’s Network and Northern Young Farmers will also be on-site to add to the rural flavour.
Wellsford was chosen as the venue because of its good mix of dairy, beef, horticulture and lifestyle sectors, as well as its ease of access for neighbouring communities and townships within an hour or so drive.
“We will have something for everyone, even a petting zoo and Mr Whippy for the kids,” Vanessa says. “Community organisations will be helping out and exhibitors are donating prizes for raffles and auctions. The funds raised from raffles and auctions, along with the gold coin entry, will go to the hospice building project.
“Most of us at some stage will have a family member, friend or work colleague who will need hospice and we never know when we will benefit from them ourselves.”
The expo will from 9am to 3pm.
