And just as surely, there’s nothing in dust.

So you can understand the upbeat nature of the organisers this week ahead of what is the biggest rural supermarket in the southern hemisphere.

Barry Harley’s been around for more of those 42 years of the AgQuip phenomenon than he  can count on his fingers second time round but the Rural Press Events manager of all things AgQuip was more than just optimistic about the legacy and the history – but more importantly, the future, of the mega farm fair.

It might be bumper-to-bumper on the road into the 26 hectare site just west of Gunnedah and there hopefully might be bumper sales and crowds, but a real bumper boost this year comes in the wake of the internet revolution.

A few years ago the technological behemoth threatened the AgQuip tradition of big wheels on the ground and plenty of feet trudging the alleyways.

But it might appear to have just been a blimp on the horizon because AgQuip has reported a resurgence in some exhibitors who might have dabbled in the online fantasy of farm sales.

As many cockies will tell you, there’s nothing like putting your feet up under the wheel of a monster tractor. You don’t get that in a virtual reality show although you might get some sense of the magnitude of it.

But farmers like to feel the dirt, so that might well explain that although a few traders gave AgQuip a miss for a year or two, this year they’ve returned to the fold, even allowing for a new generational change at the helm.

The rural bloc still sees a real value in the annual trip to AgQuip.

It’s not just about sales, suppliers and stock. It’s also about seeing and saying.

AgQuip is a remarkable achievement in a world where not all such events have such longevity, and the rainy-day lead-up seals success most often.

Yesterday’s muddy beginning also reflected a renewed confidence and spirit, albeit to a smaller first-day crowd than usual.

The drought has bitten big, and is still biting. Dams are dry, stock have little feed and hand feeding has been a daily diet for many, although more than most haven’t been able to find that fodder for months, apart from big trucks coming from interstate.

Where it can provide a safe haven and a bank of business advice and farming sustainability support, then Ag Quip does even more than just become a supermarket to shop in.