All welcome at East Otago Show

Palmerston and Waihemo A&P Association president Garry Dodd (left), shown cooking his Curly Fries invention with Greg McLeod. Photo / Sally Brooker

The Palmerston showgrounds will be heaving with activity at the weekend.

The East Otago Show takes place there on Saturday, and equestrian events are carried over to Sunday.

The show, run by the Palmerston and Waihemo A&P Association that dates back to 1865, combines traditional and novel elements, association president Garry Dodd said.

Dodd is a big fan of innovation.

He invented Curly Fries, the skewered, spiral potato snacks that have become a sought-after treat at fairs and sports fixtures.

He won an award at the inaugural East Otago Field Days for the venture that entails growing, harvesting, packaging and manufacturing the potatoes.

The business also gives Dodd what he calls ''quite a privileged position'' - attending many other shows in his Curly Fries van, seeing first-hand what works and what to avoid as an administrator.

East Otago was ''aiming at the younger generation; we're on track to do that'', he said.

''The committee has been working very, very hard behind the scenes. It's working well, and they've got good sponsors behind them.''

Dodd wants to get schools involved in the show, and even have a representative on the committee.

He also planned to ''door-knock the area'' to introduce himself to newcomers and get feedback on the show.

While some people would like to see animal classes such as piglets and calves returned to the schedule, he believed New Zealand agriculture became a world-leader by thinking outside traditional practices.

He was liaising with Lincoln University personnel and eager to include virtual reality technology in the future.

Meanwhile, Dodd said everybody was welcome at the showgrounds on Saturday.

''We need to see integration of town and country - that's what the plan is.''

To improve safety, there would no longer be a thoroughfare for vehicles.