A celebration of Ag

BOONE — Call him biased if you want, but Dan Tourte still believes the Farm Progress Show is a bigger event than the Iowa State Fair. Tourte, the Senior Vice President in charge of the annual Ag-industry gathering, met with reporters Wednesday morning to provide media members with a first look as exhibitors put the finishing touches on their booths.

Located just outside of Boone, the show is the nation’s largest outdoor farm show, with more than 2.3 million square feet of exhibit space.

“I’m an Iowa kid, even though I live in Illinois now,” Tourte said. “The Iowa State Fair is not a celebration of agriculture, it’s a celebration of Iowa. The Farm Progress Show is all about agriculture. They’re two totally different animals.”

During the show’s three-day run from Aug. 28-30, more than 160,000 visitors from 46 states will visit the show, walking the 4.88 miles of streets inside the exhibition complex. According to Tourte, the event, which rotates between Boone and Decatur, Ill. has an economic impact of more than $13 million for the surrounding communities each year.

Visitors will have a chance to see exhibits from all of the major agricultural manufacturers, with many choosing the show as an opportunity to unveil new products for the first time. The event isn’t just show and tell. Farmers will have an opportunity to get some seat in some of the newest products on the market, as well as watch daily field demonstrations.

While the show is an obvious draw for farmers, who will flock from across the state to take in the show, Tourte said the event has plenty to offer non-farmers as well. For producers, it’s a chance to see the latest and greatest technology up close, but for non-farmers, it’s an opportunity to get an in-depth look at how agriculture works.

“This is a celebration of agriculture,” Tourte said. “I think city people don’t always have that. They think food just shows up in grocery stores.”

New this year for the show is a beer tent. Featuring selections from the Iowa Brewers Guild. The Syngenta Square will offer live music while highlighting selections from Iowa’s 75 different craft brewers. Show Director Matt Jungman said it’s an area of the show that’s been growing every year.

“This is a good addition,” Jungman said. “It’s something we can grow and expand every year.”

Two of the displays that will likely draw big crowds this weekend are the Mitas Tires “floating tractor” and a system from Smart Ag, which has pioneered a “plug and play” option which automates tractors. Iowa billionaire Harry Stein announced he’s made a $5 million investment in the company earlier this summer after the Ames-based start-up announced they’d been able to fully automate a grain cart tractor for use during the harvest season.

Using tires specially designed for flotation, Mitas Tires unveiled their floating tractor. Using a retention pond on the edge of the Farm Progress Show site, the blue tractor paddled effortlessly through the water during an early morning demonstration Wednesday.

Having a chance to see cutting-edge tech is what brings farmers back to the show year after year, Tourte said.

“Every year the show changes. There’s new technology, new changes every year,” Tourte said.

The show will also feature several high profile visits. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue will make an appearance at the show this year, along with Iowa Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig. During a chance encounter with Perdue earlier this year, Tourte said he was surprised to hear the secretary had already circled the event on his calendar.

“For him to know the Farm Progress Show was in Boone, he has his finger on the pulse,” Tourte said.

Despite Purdue’s visit, Tourte said the show won’t have a focus on politics, even as farmers continue to express concerns about the ongoing trade war with China. Rather, Tourte said the show planners are focused on the technology, not the politics. Even so, Tourte acknowledged farmers will be looking to maximize profits as they face lower than expected revenue from row crops.

“It is a tough time in agriculture right now. Commodity prices aren’t very high,” Tourte said. “It’s probably more important than ever for farmers to find out what they have that can give them an edge.”

Contact David Dolmage at
641-792-3121 ext. 6532 or
ddolmage@newtondailynews.com