Public Votes Crown The PostMate as 2026 Innovation Awards People’s Choice Winner

17 June 2026

PUBLIC VOTES CROWN THE POSTMATE AS 2026 INNOVATION AWARDS PEOPLE’S CHOICE WINNER

A farm shed solution to a long-standing safety problem has captured the public’s vote in the Fieldays Innovation Awards with AWS, with Waikato dairy farmer Warren Storey’s invention The PostMate, winning the 2026 Fieldays Innovation Awards People’s Choice Award, supported by KingSt. Advertising.  

"An efficient fence post puller has clearly struck a chord, earning the title of crowd favourite and resonating strongly with farmers and contractors across the country and internationally,” said Steve Chappell, Programme Manager for the New Zealand National Fieldays Society.  

For years, rural communities have faced a common and dangerous challenge removing stubborn fence posts. Traditional methods can take up to four times longer than this new solution, and often require operators to work beneath machinery, exposing them to serious safety risks.

Determined to find a safer and more efficient solution, Warren Storey took the problem back to his farm shed, combining practical farming experience with Kiwi ingenuity. Over the past three years, he refined the invention, using and improving it with the support of former workmates Harry Newey and Shawn Watson, who had worked alongside him in the primary industries.

Storey and his business partners, Newey and Watson, understood the realities of farming and the need for practical, reliable tools. Eight months ago, the trio decided to bring the concept to market. The result is The PostMate, a purpose-built tool designed to make the job safer, faster, and easier, while requiring just one operator.

“The strong public support for The PostMate highlights the importance of practical, safety-driven innovation, particularly in the rural sector”, said Chappell. “The awards started in 1969 and continue to showcase the brightest new solutions for the Primary Sector”.

The momentum behind The PostMate is also opening doors. The company is now exploring more opportunities, with larger-scale models currently in development for civil and infrastructure applications. Check out the innovation at www.thepostmate.com

The trio had accelerated the new business’s growth, opening doors to markets well beyond New Zealand. In its first year exhibiting at Fieldays, The PostMate attracted interest from South America, the United States, and Australia, alongside an influx of sales in Europe, where the business already has distribution in place.

“In a single week, our sales were five times higher than our usual weekly average,” said Harry Newey. “That momentum has reinforced what we already believed, The PostMate has the potential to become an essential tool for farmers. Our goal is that within 10 years, every farmer will have one.”

Voting for the People’s Choice Award supported by KingSt took place during Fieldays (10–13 June) at Mystery Creek, where visitors could vote by scanning their Fieldays Smart Band at the kiosk in the Fieldays Innovation Hub. The runner-up was St. Paul’s Collegiate School – SmoothSip, with The Real Fruit Sorbet Company – Kiwi Sorbet taking third place.  

The award includes a $2,000 cash prize for The PostMate, while one lucky voter has received a $500 Prezzy card. The winner of the Prezzy card was Dorothy M from the Waikato, who voted for The PostMate. 

The winners of the Fieldays Innovation Awards, with AWS were: Young Innovator of the Year Award - Enivo; the Prototype Award, supported by Sprout Agritech and Blender Design - Scanabull; the Early-Stage Award, Highly Commended, supported by Map of Ag - Elm Lab Skincare; the Early-Stage Award, supported by Map of Ag - elert; and the Growth & Scale Award, supported by PwC - Trussed Systems.  The Innovation Awards are also supported by AgriTech New Zealand.

Pictured from left: Richard Lindroos, CEO of the New Zealand National Fieldays Society; Steve Chappell, Programme Manager for the Society; Harry Newey, Shawn Watson, and Robyn Henwood, CEO of KingSt. Advertising