And while that might seem a long way to go for maybe a dozen 20kg bales, Mr Fanning said it showed just how great the need was.

"Hay at the moment is like gold - that's why I had to pick myself up off the floor, basically," he said of the offer from AgQuip organisers.

The hay was used in and around exhibitors' stalls during the three-day event last week.

Australian Community Media Rural Events manager Kate Nugent called Mr Fanning with the offer on Friday.

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The Aussie Helpers Gunnedah co-ordinator tapped into his network to invite people to collect it.

And strewn as it was across the sprawling site, finding it became part of the fun, he said.

"I had a fellow called Ian Mitchell who helped me, and we went hay-spotting and loaded up as we drove around," Mr Fanning said.

"He went left, I went right and we just picked them up as we went.

"It was a bit like driving around the Serengeti spotting lions."

Ms Nugent said the offer of hay was a win-win.

"The AgQuip organisers and their exhibitors wanted to give back to the farmers, the community we serve and the community who support us," Ms Nugent said.

"Aussie Helpers was chosen because they know first-hand who is doing it tough and were able to contact direct farmers in need.

"It's very important for events staged in regional and rural areas to understand their commercial responsibility - and at same time our social and community responsibilities, too."