Ruralco’s “mini-Fieldays” put the spotlight on businesses, new tech, and mental health.

“It’s taken since 1963 to get it right,” Ruralco chairperson Sir David Carter said of the Instore Days event.

More than 80 vendors set up shop at the Ashburton store over Thursday and Friday for the popular event.

It drew big crowds, with parking at a premium for several blocks.

Chief executive Tony Aitken said the Instore Days are “a sales event, but equally [for] networking, connecting".

“When you come to agriculture, it’s about servicing your members.”

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon also stopped in to visit, and was gifted several beanies as he toured the marquee.

While both Sir David and Aitken are relatively new to their positions, they’ve had a long history with Ruralco and say that history is what farmers join for.

“If you’ve got a (membership) number under 1000, you joined in the first five years,” Aitken said.

“And that number gets passed down to generations, and people are very, very proud of it.

“It’s that loyalty to Ruralco that you won’t find anywhere else,” Sir Carter added.

The loyalty is two-way, he said, mentioning the conversation hub set up in the centre of the stalls.

The Rural Support Trust, which helps farmers connect with wellbeing services and runs mental health workshops, were placed in the hub to encourage tough conversations.

“All of us in farming have had friends or acquaintances that have suffered because of mental health issues,” Sir David said.

He added that attitudes in the rural community towards mental health have changed a lot, and while the taboos have faded, there’s still work to be done.

“If you put the Rural Support Trust in the middle of the conversation hub, we’re doing our bit to provide that support.”

The RuralCo Instore Days began in 1994 and have grown into a mini-Fieldays over their 30 year existence.

Some farms outside of the region have joined the cooperative, but its priority is Mid Canterbury. It’s that local focus, said Sir Carter, that makes Ruralco efficient.

“My counterparts have to worry about what’s happening with farmers in Gore and Whangarei.

“But we’re here, just here. We can respond to [Mid Canterbury’s] needs, really fast.

“The other thing we offer, because we’re small and not a national cooperative, is events like this,” he added.

By Anisha Satya