National Dairy Council (NDC)

Quench your thirst by heading over to the NDC stand to experience the best of Irish dairy and get the chance to meet your sporting idols. Leading sport and fitness personalities will be here generally from noon until 2.30pm each day.

Rugby stars Rob and Dave Kearney will be supporting NDC’s new Powered by Dairy campaign, featuring exclusive footage of the brothers trying their hand at different types of exercise and sport.

Kilkenny hurling legend Henry Shefflin will be busy highlighting the 10 national finalists in the 2016 NDC and Kerrygold Quality Milk Awards. These awards identify top dairy farmers and showcase the quality of pasture-based farming.

Get a bit of stretching in with fitness guru Karl Henry, who will share his expert fitness and training advice. Karl and the NDC nutrient team will also be highlighting the positive role of dairy in sports nutrition.

Finally, test if your bones are strong enough with the NDC’s strength test challenge and the old regulars are back – a penalty shootout zone and the ever-popular photo booth.

Glenilen Farm

Visit the Glenilen Farm stand and take a crash course at their Milking Academy where you could become a Glenilen Certified Milker in seconds. Along with their array of creamy dessert deals, they will also be offering a classy kids apron or a bespoke Glenilen bookstand for just €5 as long as you bring along your voucher from Irish Country Living.

Meet Dan, the rebel cyclist, who cycled home to Drimoleague from New Zealand, and if the sun shines, try out Glenilen’s frozen yoghurts, a cool lemonade or a scrummy strawberry smoothie

Bord Bia

It’s the star of the foodie show for many – the Bord Bia Country Kitchen restaurant. Your mouth will start watering because the menu features a variety of Bord Bia Quality Assured dishes, including sirloin steak, roast leg of lamb and honey roast ham: all freshly cooked and served with seasonal salad in a ciabatta roll, or prime 6oz Irish beef burger with cheddar.

That’s not the only place you’ll find Bord Bia. Their centrally located stand opposite the Irish Farmers Journal will focus on its key promotional programmes around the world for Irish meat, livestock and dairy products, along with up-to-date market insights. A large refrigerated unit will also display numerous examples of high-quality Irish beef and lamb products being sold into premium outlets throughout Europe.

An Olivia Chocolate

This is the first year award winning chocolatier Olivia Curran will be exhibiting at the Ploughing. Olivia has treats to suit all tastes and her vast selection of 36 award-winning flavours range from honey, whiskey, Irish cream and Guinness. Olivia will also be showcasing her hot chocolate pots and coffee–choc bar.

Flahavans

With exciting new flavours, discounts and competitions galore, Flahavan’s will be stirring up lots of excitement. Fans of wholesome oaty snacks can pop in and feast on Flahavan’s Irish Oaty Flapjacks, which are sure to tickle taste buds and help tired wellie wearers refuel.

One lucky Flahavan’s fan will also be in with a shot of winning a Nutribullet. The generous Flahavan family doesn’t want to see anyone go empty-handed, though, and will be giving away recipe books and other Flahavan’s goodies.

Coole Swan

The long days walking at the Ploughing can be exhausting so make sure to take a few minutes for yourself and enjoy a relaxing beverage at the Coole Swan stand. Coole Swan is a unique blend of Irish whiskey, white Belgian chocolate and fresh cream, so bring a coffee and create an unrivalled taste experience.

This year’s Ploughing will be a milestone for Coole Swan, as the Brady family will be unveiling their new recipe and cocktail app. The whole family will be at Tullamore to welcome you, including their friendly farming dog, Dixie.

Joe’s Farm Crisps

If you’re feeling a bit peckish, call into Joe’s Farm Crisps and enjoy an appetising and crunchy snack. The luxurious award-winning artisan crisps are grown and hand-cooked on the family farm in Cork. A variety of unusual flavours including beetroot, parsnip and carrot, these innovative and colourful vegetable crisps will be available to sample and purchase.

Truly Irish

With special offers, bumper competitions and new product launches, the Truly Irish stand is set to be buzzing.

Truly Irish will be launching two new products at the event including its gluten- free protein porridge and its cheddar cheese range. There will be lots of samples so you can taste before you buy their €10 promotional pack.

There will be competitions galore, with a 32GB tablet up for grabs in an Instagram contest. Three Truly Irish christmas hams are there for the winning if you can guess the weight of their pig.

Ballymaloe Foods

The €10 Ballymaloe Ploughing pack is a favourite with visitors every year. Purchase any three products and get a luxury Ballymaloe tea towel sewn by Ulster Weavers as well as a recipe booklet with some original Ballymaloe Food recipes.

You might be familiar with the Ballymaloe relishes, but there are a few new products you should really sample including the company’s steak sauce with tarragon and Irish stout from Dungarvan Brewing Company in Co Waterford.

Flynn Hotels

Piping homemade soup accompanied by crunchy homemade bread will warm the bones at the Flynn Hotels stand. While you’re there, the kids will be entertained by Chef Ted, the life-size Teddy Bear who will be posing for photos. Make sure to fill out competition slips to win a relaxing getaway at one of the Flynn Hotels. With locations including the Newpark Hotel in Kilkenny, the Imperial in Cork City, Old Ground Hotel in Ennis and the Park Hotel in Dungarvan, you have a choice of destinations to escape from it all.

Hodson Bay Group

Overlooking the beautiful Lough Ree, the Hodson Bay hotel in Athlone is one of those places where even one night away will leave you feeling rejuvenated and refreshed. Alternatively, if you’re looking for more of a city break, the Hodson Bay group have the Galway Bay Hotel in lively Salthill and the Sheraton Hotel right in the centre of Athlone. If you’re thinking of a break away, find out about their autumn, Christmas and new year breaks and, as a Ploughing visitor, you’ll also get exclusive offers.