TODAY five-year-old Lachlan Polson will turn to his dad, Murray and ask "How many sleeps to the show?".

According to Murray it is a regular, if not daily, question he gets from his son.

Excitement grows for Taree Show inside the Polson household for weeks.

This excitement is shared by Murray's daughters seven-year-old Ruby and two-year-old Isabella, along with Murray's nephews and nieces who will also attend and compete at the show.

For Murray, the excitement he sees from the younger generation is a replica of what he experienced when he was a boy.

Murray started showing at Taree Show when he was around four or five years old.

"I remember just getting so excited about that time of year, because it's spring time, so its always a good time coming into summer," Murray said.

"Back in those days, it was where everyone went, every dairy farmer was at the show.

"It was a two day affair then, you would go in on the Friday and you wouldn't get home until the Saturday night."

Murray and his wife Jane are a part of the family partnership that is Oxley Vale Holstein on Oxley Island, which was founded in 1966 by Murray's parents Doug and Zandria Polson.

Showing and breeding quality, functional cows is a major part of the family's farming life.

But despite frequently attending "bigger" shows such as Sydney Royal Easter Show, Murray says there is still something special about showing in Taree.

"We always like supporting the local show," he said.

"Unless you look after everything in your backyard, there's no point gallivanting around the country doing all the big shows if you don't look after all the kids coming through.

"It really is great for our kids and other local kids.

"A lot of the bigger shows we go to are so competitive, the poor kids get lost in amongst all the other people."

Here in Taree, Murray says the kids get to run around and "do all the fun things at shows".

"They learn to love it before they get to the competitive part."

In recent years as Murray takes on more farming responsibilities, he has started to step out of the showing ring.

"I love to take calves for the kids," Murray said.

"I used to do all the showing, but now I tend to step back and my niece and nephew, Madison and Alexander Barlin are stepping up."

Amongst his children and other nieces and nephews Murray says there is a "tribe of them" wanting to lead, and so he prepares a cow for each child.

Murray says they begin preparation around six weeks in advance of the show with the kids getting in on the action too.

According to Murray, the kids learn to clip, wash and feed the cows, and even clean out their stalls.

Murray believes showing is a highly important aspect to being a farmer.

"We really enjoy it, we like interacting with the rest of the dairy farmers," Murray said.

"That's one of the biggest things we like about shows, it's not so much taking your cow and you win the prize, it's all about getting to talk and pick other breeders' brains, who are also your mates.

"It's good to spend time like that, because we're all so busy these days. When you're on your own farming, you're just running around like crazy.

"It's good to go in there and just talk to other like-minded people in the industry."

Another favourite aspect of the show for Murray is when the public get to come and see them milk the cows in the shed using a portable milking machine after showing.

"It's great to interact with the public and to see them interested in what we do."

Murray was also on the winning team of last year's bi-annual Taree Show Farmers Challenge.

Murray says he was lucky to have the opportunity compete in the farmers challenge at Sydney Royal Easter Show.

However, he thought the Taree Show version, being set out in the open, was a more enjoyable experience.

"I hope events like this attract more young people to the show in coming years."

laura.polson@fairfaxmedia.com.au