Power Show is huge draw in Des Moines
By Jean Caspers-Simmet
simmet@agrinews.com
Date Modified: 02/18/2010 11:24 AM
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DES MOINES —The Iowa Power Farming Show gave Gary Kregel, a Guttenberg dairy and grain farmer, and Duaine Davis, a Luana grain farmer, a chance to see equipment they have ordered for spring.
They came to the show on a bus that brought 45 farmers from Clayton and Winneshiek counties.
"There are a lot of things you can wish for here," said Davis as he and Kregel looked at the new machinery in Hy-Vee Hall. "It's the latest and the greatest."
One of the first stops for Davis was the John Deere exhibit. He wanted to see the John Deere 8345 tractor he has ordered. It will be delivered in April.
"Oh yah, it's green," Davis said with a grin when asked if he made the right purchase.
Kregel planned to look at the Great Plains no-till planter he has ordered.
Both farmers intended to talk to Brock about updating their grain dryers after this year's harvest, which brought wet corn and soybeans. Both were combining into December.
"It was a struggle," Kregel said.
"I don't want to be combining corn in December again," Davis said. "It was snowing when we finished."
Fred Abels of Holland was looking for a hoop building for his 80 beef cows. He was also looking for sprayer equipment. He talked to dealers, and they will follow up with him after the show.
"After that three days of rain at Christmas, I decided I needed more shelter for my cows," he said. "It's been a long winter. I was tired of winter in December."
Abels said it's been a few years since he's attended the event.
"It's a lot bigger than I remember," he said.
"The show has been going really well," said Wade Prouty with Fast Sprayers in Mountain Lake, Minn. "There's tremendous interest in our product."
More farmers want their own spray equipment, Prouty said.
"From a time standpoint, they're able to get it done when and how they want, and they know the accuracy is there," Prouty said.
Fast displayed its 9500 and 9600 series sprayers and applicators. Sales representatives had information on Fast's newly released inboard track tanks for the John Deere 8RT series tractors.
Prouty found equal interest by farmers in the sprayers and applicators.
Joe Malecek, owner of Progressive Planting Systems in Osage, was on his feet most of Wednesday talking to farmers about McFarlane and Blu-Jet tillage equipment.
"It's been excellent," Malecek said. "There is a lot of interest in our vertical tillage tools. Farmers are updating and going to less tillage. Our vertical tillage tools are not moving as much soil, but they're still creating an environment for the seed to thrive."
Malecek said a lot of farmers didn't get their tillage done last fall and the McFarlane reel disk is ideal for that situation. It prepares the ground for planting next spring in one pass.
"People have read about it, and they come to the show to see it and touch it and feel it," Malecek said.
He said farmers are upbeat, glad 2009 harvest is over and looking forward for 2010.
Collins-Maxwell FFA brought 25 members to the show. They completed a scavenger hunt by getting signatures after talking to show exhibitors.
"All the equipment was cool," said FFA member Ryan Plunkett.
"I like anything John Deere," said Josie Harmon.
"I really liked the big grain carts," said Steven Baldwin.