The field day is an opportunity for Wingham High School Ag students to introduce the younger children to the animals and processes of the school farm.

The “Day on the Farm” experience will see the young students roam the cattle and chook sheds, get up close and personal with beef cattle and get a good insight into all aspects of the High School Agricultural department.

Manning Valley primary schools are invited each year with the day serving to open students to the possibilities of choosing a career in agriculture. 

For some visiting schools the day serves as a privilege for year six only.

Over recent years Wingham Public School has taken their year six students to the field day proving a real eye opener for all concerned.

"It's so good for kids who don't come off the land," said one teacher but echoed by many.

The day is as equally valuable to Wingham High School students who relish the opportunity to play hosts.

They also get to show off their prize worthy beef cattle, chooks and sheep (and any other animals roaming around on the day).

The tractor is the first thing you see as you enter the school’s top farm on field day and each year, without exception, it is crawling with young children.

This expensive and very functional climbing frame is always a big hit.

Small groups also seem to gather by a steer being blow-dried in the cattle shed.

This is the Ag department's equivalent to a beauty parlour and it is all demount-able.

The high school students will take the handmade crush (and the blow dryer) to the showgrounds after field day wraps up ready to primp and preen their cattle for the various competitive events.

Around the corner from the demount-able crush the primary students will find another, more scary looking cattle crush.

High school students will explain that this enormous contraption is not so portable and is used for unbroken animals that require the extra support.

They will tell the enthralled youngsters that cattle might be there to be castrated or even de-horned.

On a working farm they may also be branded in here.

Of course no visit to field day is complete until you’ve checked out the washing bay.

Curious students gather to wash the cattle and each year you can always find some soapy steer who doesn’t seem to mind the attention one little bit.

After field day the primary children can go back to school with possibly a whole new appreciation for life on the land.