Fieldays powered by volunteers for 58 years

10 March 2026 

FIELDAYS POWERED BY VOLUNTEERS FOR 58 YEARS

While Fieldays is synonymous with the atmosphere of crowds and exhibitors, there’s a vital force of volunteers who work closely behind the scenes with the wider event team to ensure the event runs smoothly over the annual four-day event.  

Last year, 151 volunteers contributed their time to Fieldays, and the New Zealand National Fieldays Society is looking for a number of new volunteers to join their returnees for this year’s event, to be held on 10 – 13 June at Mystery Creek.  

Like many long-standing events, sustaining this legacy requires ongoing renewal. As valued volunteers relocate or step back after years of dedicated service, they must invite the next generation to come on board.  

“Our volunteers are the reason we have reached 58 years,” says Beth Jobin, People & Culture Executive. “Their commitment and passion are what keep the tradition alive. Every year, we look for new faces to join us and become part of something truly special.”

Peter Fisher, a retired seed industry specialist, has volunteered for seven years. He began volunteering in 2018 at the 50th anniversary Fieldays event, helping in the New Zealand International Business Centre, and now supports the mobility parking space.  

“I had always enjoyed coming to Fieldays during my working life and wondered what it would be like to volunteer. I had good knowledge in the seed industry and an interest in agriculture and felt I could add value,” says Fisher.

“I enjoyed meeting many people from across the world, all coming to Fieldays at the bottom of the world to do business.” For Fisher, he loves meeting and working with a great group of people. “Volunteering is a good social thing to do, enabling you to give back to the community. You make lifelong friends.”  

 Anita van Beek’s connection with Fieldays began in the early 2000’s when she was a carpark attendant with NZ Young Farmers.  

It wasn’t until 2014 that she officially signed up to become a volunteer with the Society, volunteering for the full four days.  

“Those first few years were full-on, helping in the Site Services team. I would start on Gate 2, welcoming exhibitors, then move on to deliveries, then helping with the vintage tractor parades, and then either roaming or area-specific exhibitor assistant, and of course, afternoon traffic management,” says van Beek.  

Over the past 12 years, she has filled several roles, last year driving the visitor shuttle. “I enjoyed chatting with people, asking about their plans for the day or how their day had been so far.”  

What van Beek loves most about volunteering is the sense of team unity, whether it’s with familiar faces or new ones. “It’s incredibly satisfying to be part of something so dynamic and to interact with such a wide variety of people, whether that’s team members, exhibitors, or visitors,” says van Beek.

“Mostly I love the spirit and atmosphere around the site,” she adds.  

Keith Flockhart became a volunteer in 2024 and last year won the Society’s ‘Volunteer Rookie of the Year Award’. He says, “Winning this award was an unexpected honour”. After learning that the Society relies on volunteers, he joined and has helped with pre-Fieldays signage installation, as well as woolly nightshade weed control throughout the year.

The roles the Society is looking to fill include event support, ticketing, hosting, administration, customer engagement, parking and more.  

“Volunteers are integral to the Society as a charitable organisation, and to Fieldays, supporting all aspects of the event operations and driving its core mission of advancing agriculture in New Zealand,” says Jobin. 

Fieldays welcomes volunteers with all backgrounds and experience levels, as training and support are provided. Applications are now open and close Friday 27 March. To learn more about volunteering opportunities, visit www.nznfs.co.nz/working-with-us/volunteering