Farmfest ready to go Aug. 3-5 on Gilfillan Estate

Date Modified: 08/09/2010 3:32 PM

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GILFILLAN, Minn. -- Minnesota's largest outdoor farm show promises another great year of exhibits, forums and demonstrations.

Farmfest is Aug. 3-5 at Gilfillan Estate in Redwood County. Show hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 3 and 4 and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 5. Admission is $10 for those 18 and older. Parking is free.

Farmfest became an annual tradition in 1982. Prior to that, it was held sporadically in different locations in Minnesota.

Since 1994, Farmfest has been held at Gilfillan Estate, near the corner of Highway 67 and County Road 13. The event attracts more than 40,000 people from Minnesota, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Iowa.

Gilfillan Estate was willed to the Redwood County Historical Society to be kept in memory of Charles Oswin Gilfillan, who gifted several buildings in the area. His father, Charles Duncan Gilfillan, purchased 13,000 acres of land in Redwood County and raised livestock for export to Great Britain.

The estate comes to life during Farmfest with public tours, horse and buggy rides and root beer floats. Old-time engines and antique farm machinery will be on display. Threshing, shelling and grinding demonstrations are held. Music flows from the stage while Farmfest-goers catch a break in the shade of large trees in front of the stage.

Next door to Gilfillan Estate will be the state's largest display of what's new in farm equipment.

More than 550 companies exhibit their latest and greatest on more than 50 acres. There's something from A to Z at Farmfest. Exhibitors include alternative energy firms, dairy equipment companies, agricultural equipment companies and welding equipment companies. There will be information on fertilizer, fencing and financial services. Marketing consultants and agricultural consultants will be on hand. Cattle handling and cattle feeding equipment will be displayed. Check out the Exhibitor List inside this special section to see if the vendor you're looking for will be at Farmfest.

You can also see some of the equipment in action. Field demonstrations will be held daily on the east side of the show grounds.

Ride-N-Drives will also be held on the east end of the show grounds. Sprayers, hay equipment, tractors and much more will be available for test drives.

Check out how the crop is doing as you enter Farmfest. There are more than 233 varieties of corn and more than 207 varieties of soybeans planted on the grounds just inside entrance gates 1, 2 and 3. Participating seed companies include: Croplan Genetics, Gold Country Seed Inc., Legend Seeds Inc., Mycogen Seeds, Enestvedt Seed Co., NaChurs Alpine Solutions, Pioneer, a DuPont business, Producers Hybrid, Stine Seed Company, Syngenta Seeds, Wensman Seed Co., Monsanto, BRT Ag & Turf/FHR Farms, Channel Bio Corp., Curry Seed Company, Pannar Seed Inc., Peterson Farms Seed, West Central, Inc./Brett-Young and Ziller Seed Company.

Show-goers may want to stop by the Minnesota Soybean Booth, No. 618, or the AURI booth, No. 612, for a change to win biodiesel. Four $500 prizes will be given away. The drawing will be held daily and winners will be notified by phone after the show. You must be 18 to enter. The Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council and the Agricultural Utilization Research Institute have partnered to provide the four $500 prizes.

Being an election year, politicians are sure to be campaigning at Farmfest. Congressional candidates will debate the issues at 10:30 a.m. Aug. 3 in the Forum Tent and gubernatorial candidates will debate at 10:30 a.m. Aug. 4 in the Forum Tent. Gov. Tim Pawlenty will give an address on Aug. 5.

The Women's Breakfast is moving to a new location in its second year. The breakfast will be at the Tauer Pavilion on Gilfillan Estate, located adjacent to the show grounds. Doors open at 8:30 a.m. with breakfast and the keynote speaker at 9 a.m. Aug. 5.

Esther Duncan will be the keynote speaker. Her topic is "Legacy of the Farm Woman's Apron."

The breakfast is sponsored by the Minnesota Pork Board, Minnesota Farmers Union and the Minnesota Farm Service Agency.

Tickets are $15 and may be purchased at www.farmshows.com or call Melissa Voight at 800-827-8007 ext. 3304. Tickets include a complimentary ticket to Farmfest.

The third annual Auctioneering Competition is 3 p.m. Aug. 4 in the Forum Tent. Sponsored by Steffes Auctioneers, the event gives audience members the opportunity to bid on items donated by Farmfest exhibitors with the proceeds going to 4-H.

Auctioneers must be non-professional, amateur auctioneers with less than two years experience. Prizes and awards go to the top three auctioneers. Space is limited to 20 contestants. Call Voight to sign up.

The Craft, Toy, Home and Garden Pavilion is expanded this year and includes several seminars. The Pavilion is located just inside the entrance between gates 2 and 3. Seminars include container planting, Legacy of the Farm Woman's Apron, Landscaping with Perennials, Basic Gardening Tips and Floral Arrangements.

The Agripreneurship Segment has been relocated to Ag Tent No. 3 between Seventh and Eighth streets. This Segment includes alternative ways that farmers can generate additional income on their farm. This segment will include organizations that work in sustainable and organic agriculture, energy conservation, alternative energy and renewable resources and water management and conservation.

The Forum Tent is sure to be hopping this year. Kent Thiesse, Farmfest forum organizer, has arranged a full slate of interesting forums.

Bryce Anderson starts the forum schedule at 9 a.m. Aug. 3 with "Expert Outlooks on Weather and Commodity Markets."

Two major political forums hold the 10:30 slots on Aug. 3 and Aug. 4. The 1:15 p.m. forum on Aug. 3 is "Carbon Credits … Economic Opportunities or Just Headaches?" At 3 p.m. Aug. 4, the topic changes to "Agricultural Education … Connecting with Opportunities."

On Aug. 4, the Minnesota Pork Ambassadors will be spotlighted from 1 to 1:15 p.m. At 1:15 p.m., "The Livestock Industry: From Red Ink to Regulation … What's Next?" will be the forum topic.

At 10:30 a.m. Aug. 5, a panel of four will offer advice to the next governor at a forum, "What the Next Governor Needs to Know about Rural Minnesota."

The last event in the Forum Tent will be a 1:30 p.m. ceremony Aug. 5 honoring Farm Families of the Year. Seventy-three farm families from across the state will be honored at the event sponsored by the University of Minnesota, Farmfest and the Minnesota Farm Network.

If you're going to Farmfest on Aug. 4, get there early if you want pancakes. The Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation and Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council will sponsor a free Pancake Breakfast for the first 1,000 show attendees. The breakfast begins at 8 a.m. and ends at 10 a.m. Breakfast is served in the Forum Tent and the Great Pretenders will provide entertainment.

Farmfest organizers didn't forget to offer something for its younger visitors. A 1 p.m. pedal pull is planned each day located near entrance gate 2. Children ages 4 to 11 are eligible to test their skill in the pedal pull. Awards are given to the top three contestants in each age category.

A Farm Safety Carnival offers hands-on education for children and their families. The event teaches about recognizing and avoiding dangers and practicing safe farm activities. The Farm Safety Carnival is sponsored by RedBrownVille Farm Safety 4 Just Kids and the Minnesota Farm Bureau. Stop by the Minnesota Farm Bureau booth, No. 007, on the north side of Farmfest to take part in the carnival.

Also back by popular demand is the Noontime Ag Jamboree from noon to 1 p.m. in the Forum Tent. Each day, Lynn Ketelsen of the Linder Farm Network will host the live broadcast. The Jamboree features music by the Great Pretenders, audience participation, joke contests and special guests.

The Great Pretenders have a full slate of activities at Farmfest. They perform several times throughout the three-day event. Catch them at 10 a.m. and during the Noontime Ag Jamboree Aug. 3; at 8 a.m. and during the Noontime Ag Jamboree on Aug. 4. On Aug. 5, they perform at 10 a.m., during the Noontime Ag Jamboree and again during the Farm Family of the Year presentation that begins at 1:30 p.m.

If you're worried about getting around at Farmfest, you can rent a golf cart. Midwest Golf Car rents carts at the show. Reserve yours by calling Jack Mills at (605) 368-2154.

For those who crave even more excitement, a Minnesota Bio-Diesel Pull-Off is scheduled at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 3 at the Redwood County fairgrounds. The event is organized by the United Puller's of Minnesota and features seven classes of tractors, trucks and semis.

Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for children 6 to 12 and free for 5 and younger. They are available at the fairgrounds beginning at 4 p.m. the day of the pull.