Wisconsin Farm Tech Days shows off new, old agriculture

By Heather Thorstensen
hthorstensen@agrinews.com

Date Modified: 08/09/2010 3:28 PM

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RIVER FALLS, Wis.— More than 650 exhibitors displayed their latest and greatest agriculture products and services last week during Wisconsin Farm Technology Days.

It was held on a dairy farm run by Roger and Bev Peterson and their family southwest of River Falls.

The show is known as the largest traveling, outdoor ag exhibition in the Midwest, and the only traveling show of its kind in the country, said Mary Brand, publicity and promotion co-show. It is held in a different Wisconsin county every year. It particularly focuses on dairy and forage production.

But weather affected the scheduled. It was set to run July 20-22, but heavy rain on the last day forced organizers to close at 11 a.m., cutting the estimated attendance of 60,000 to 80,000 people down to 40,000.

"It is an outdoor show, that is one of the perils that go with it," Brand said.

Weather has caused schedule changes in the last two years.

This year's theme was the Power of Agriculture, fitting for Pierce County, where one out of every five jobs is directly connected to the industry. The dairy industry has a major presence. It's estimated there is one cow for every two people.

Their location near the Twin Cities had organizers hoping to attract Minnesota producers and urban residents. For the first time, Courtesy Tours were offered that paired non-farming visitors with a volunteer who explained products and equipment as they toured the grounds.

Tent City, the main exhibition area, sat on 76 acres, adjacent to 100 acres of parking. It was so big that aisles were labeled as streets and avenues.

Certain areas had themes. University of Wisconsin-Extension stationed their staff as "doctors" in the Progress Pavilion, ready to help with questions about plants, plant diseases, insects, soils and rocks.

The Applied Technology Center featured information on precision manure placement. The Family Living Tent had booths relating to families, family time, learning and entertainment. A stage inside was the spot for musical entertainment. This year's farming hosts, Roger and Bev Peterson and their family, were introduced there the first two days at noon.

Another tent, named the Country Mercantile of the Arts and Crafts, had vendors selling anything from costume jewelry and quilts to original oil paintings.

Fleet Farm was the biggest exhibitor and had an arena with performances including the Rough Riders Drill Team, miniature horse team and a 10-horse pyramid hitch team.

From the edge of Tent City, visitors took tractor-pulled trams to tour the host farm and see field demonstrations of alfalfa harvesting through mowing, merging windrows and chopping. Other demonstrations focused on silage bagging, grain and straw harvesting, baling, bale wrapping, tillage and drainage tile. People test drove farm equipment in the fields.

Ron DeCoux, one of the show's 1,600 volunteers, washelping out on Heritage Hill, an area devoted to antique machinery displays and demonstrations.

"I grew up on a farm," DeCoux said. "This is great to see all the displays of agriculture at its best."

James Hounsell from Sauk City is a former farmer and drove 260 miles with his son-in-law to get to the show.

"To see what's new and see the old," he said. "There's always stuff I'm looking for."

He saw the trip as a chance to keep updated on the farming industry.

"It's very intelligent," he said. "There's things you learn and things you wish you could learn."

Verle and Karen Deetz of Eleva also came to see what's new.Verle had his eyes on machinery.

"Any kind of machinery, not a particular color," he said.