• Charles Sturt University will showcase education, research and innovation at the 2023 Henty Machinery Field Days
• The University will showcase collaborations with The Hub, Global Digital Farm, Red Meat Innovation Centre, AgriPark and more
• The Henty Machinery Field Days will be held from Tuesday 19 to Thursday 21 September

Ms Cindy Cassidy has attended the Henty Machinery Field Days (HMFD) in some capacity since she was a little girl.

From attending as a child while growing up on her parent’s farm in Ariah Park, to opening the event in 2015 in her role as the NSW Rural Women’s Award winner and now representing Charles Sturt University as the Southern NSW Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub (the Hub) Director.

Ms Cassidy knows the importance the Field Days plays to rural NSW and beyond and said it was an honour for the University to return to the annual event.

Charles Sturt was awarded ‘Best Outdoor General Exhibitor’ in 2022 and is proud to be bringing its showcase of agricultural postgraduate and undergraduate courses, rural innovations and new technologies, cutting edge research and industry collaborations to the HMFD.

Ms Cassidy said Charles Sturt’s presence at the HMFD allows for a connection with community, including prospective students, but also farmers who use research outcomes to improve their practices.

“Charles Sturt University has an important role in agriculture in research as well as educating students who will become future participants and leaders in the industry,” Ms Cassidy said.

“Showcasing the University’s offerings, as well as collaborators such as The Hub, to the Henty crowd is essential and an opportunity to show potential students that they can stay in their region and still take advantage of the excellent facilities available.”

Charles Sturt is the leading Australian university when it comes to full-time graduate employment. According to the Good Universities Guide for 2024, 87 per cent of Charles Sturt agriculture and environmental studies graduates get full-time jobs within four months of graduating.

The University is committed to keeping graduates in rural and regional areas and Ms Cassidy said Charles Sturt collaborations, such as The Hub, AgriPark and Global Digital Farm, show students the types of careers they can have.

“Throughout its network of regional campuses, students are studying while surrounded by and exposed to the agricultural industries and organisations which employ them,” she said.

“The university has built the respect of the industry over a long period of time as producing quality agriculture and environmental science graduates.”

The Hub has also created HDR Engage, which connects postgraduate students with researchers, landholders, government organisations, community groups and industry contacts through The Hub’s network.

This creates opportunities to build practical skills and identify post-degree opportunities and potential career pathways.

Charles Sturt will be at the HMFD for the full three days and have a range of interactive displays, researchers and academics to engage with, including:

• Faculty of Science and Health, the School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences
• Southern NSW Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub (the Hub)
• Global Digital Farm (GDF)
• Cool Soil Initiative
• Charles Sturt Winery
• Red Meat Innovation Centre
• Department of Rural Health
• AgriPark
• Gulbali Institute of Agriculture, Water and Environment

Exhibits will include hands-on virtual reality by The Hub, mock meat tasting from the Red Meat Innovation Centre, wine tasting (from 12pm to 3pm on Tuesday and Wednesday) from Charles Sturt Winery and Charles Sturt mascot Charlie the Cockatoo (from 11am to 3pm on Tuesday).

The GDF will have a drone, tractor, soil samples, John Deere ATV, electro-magnetic induction sensor, hydraulic soil coring system and Optiweigh livestock system on site.

Members of the public and industry are invited to learn more about Charles Sturt’s collaborations, degrees and research at the University’s HMFD site, located at Block N, site 564-566, near the stump.