Making hay while the sun shines is boosting the fundraising drive to convert classrooms at Omakau School into an assembly room.
The school board is delighted with the response to its first hay-drive fundraiser, which concludes with an auction tomorrow.
"It's been extremely well-supported throughout the Manuherikia Valley, with some farmers giving hay and others, who don't have hay, donating culled ewes instead," board chairman Philip Smith, of Becks, said.
"Everyone's fitted in, the school community and the wider community, town and school, and everyone's doing what they can to make the hay drive and the auction and barbecue on Friday a success."
The idea came from board member Ben McKenzie, of Lauder.
"It's been done as a community thing in other areas and been very successful, so I thought 'why not try it at our school?"' Mr McKenzie said.
"The number of bales donated is growing all the time and it tripled once word got around."
The winter feed to be auctioned includes about 300 big round bales of lucerne and meadow hay, about 150 bales of baleage, a small number of traditional bales of hay and some bags of chaff.
Dairy farmers and owners of horses and lifestyle blocks are expected to be among the buyers.
"It's always a struggle to make ends meet, especially with a country school, so we're hoping to make this a regular fundraiser," Mr Smith said.
The proceeds would go towards upgrading two classrooms into an assembly room and making that space more user-friendly.
The school had 37 pupils and served a wide catchment, from Chatto Creek through to St Bathans, he said.
A prizegiving will be held as part of the auction, and prizes include one for the best bale and one for the best presented of the 15 ewes donated.
Businesses had been generous in support of the cause, Mr Smith said.
The winter feed auction will be held next to the Omakau School grounds at 3.30pm tomorrow.
