The Farmers Mart Feb-Mar 2019 - Issue 61 | Page 42

42 RIPON FARM SERVICES
FEB/MAR 2019 • farmers-mart.co.uk
RIPON OPEN DAY;
AN IMPORTANT
START TO THE YEAR
January is always a key time in the agricultural calendar particularly where
machinery is concerned. For some the mighty LAMMA show heralds the
start of the Ag year, for many, dealer open days are more important as
they have the opportunity to speak to manufacturer’s experts as well
as their local dealer experts, nowhere is this more prevalent than at the
Ripon Farm Services 2-day open event every January. It takes place inside
the prestigious Yorkshire Event Centre at the Harrogate Showground.
THE RFS show is very well
organised and this year was no
exception, the layout was moved
around to accommodate more of
the major manufacturers and the
all-important parts and ancillary
suppliers.
Ripon Farm’s own merchandise
stand did very good business
on the two days. Buckler boots
were also busy along with tools
suppliers KRAMP and Vapormatic
who are key suppliers of branded
tractor and machinery parts.
Elsewhere STIHL brought their
show display and hospitality
unit which allowed farmers to
discuss in detail their model
range. There were particularly
outstanding displays of the John
Deere and Kramer ranges. This
year was a first for the appear-
ance of the John Deere compact
tractor range in particular the 3
and 4R models– these created
a lot of interest and booked
demo’s particularly with the
4R’S which have both cab and
aircon.
There was a record number
of Sales and firm leads across all
the manufacturers and this can
be in no small part down to the
fact that every manufacturer/
supplier had their experts on
hand along with a Ripon Farm
specialist available either on
each stand or close by.
Another first was the inclu-
sion of a seminar on the demon
black grass, this proved a huge
success and was fully attended.
Next year there will definitely be
more seminars’
This year there was a bigger
focus on precision Ag as this is
now becoming more popular
with more and more farmers
warming to the concept. For
many it is now a must for man-
aging the best yields etc. Ripon
Farm now have on site experts
who can advise and support
farmers on all aspects of Preci-
sion Agriculture systems. Several
AMS guidance systems were
sold on the day at the show.
The Ripon Farm Open days
have a great following and is a
look forward to event. This is in
clear evidence by the number of
people you see across the two
large halls, outside demo and
display area and the hospitality
area. Hospitality is very impor-
tant at these events to enhance
the overall experience. The
order of the day is simple quality