Indiana producers who attend the 2005 Farm Progress Show can easily locate familiar and new Indiana agricultural manufacturers, suppliers, services, organizations and associations with its new "Indiana Influence" feature.
The Farm Progress Show is the nation’s largest outdoor farm show and makes the move to a permanent biennial Indiana/Illinois location in Decatur, Ill., with this year’s show. It includes an entire street dedicated to ag suppliers and service companies headquartered in Indiana. This special show area and its exhibitors will be assembled under the "Indiana Influence" banner. Show visitors can review the "Indiana Influence" area and see Beck’s Hybrids, Purdue University, Indiana Soybean Board, ICORN, Dixie Chopper and Countrymark Co-op and many more exhibitors. Purdue Agriculture will feature interactive exhibits on the emerald ash borer, precision agriculture, obesity, agricultural air quality and other topics.
Indiana producers will feel at home and have the season’s best opportunity to examine extensive state-of-the-art information, technology and products in the "Indiana Influence" area surrounded by all the tractor, equipment, seed, crop protection and other companies they expect to see at an Indiana Farm Progress Show.
Indiana Prairie Farmer Editor Tom J. Bechman will be on hand to answer questions and chat about issues facing Indiana farmers.
"Late summer is a great time to discuss what’s happened in the season so far, and to look forward to what the fall might be like," Bechman says. "We will have plenty to talk about."
The "Progress City" exhibit field showcases the best in agriculture with displays sponsored by leading ag companies. Plus, hundreds of acres surrounding the show site and will be used for harvesting and tillage field demonstrations, Ride ‘n Drive demonstrations and more.
The Farm Progress Show is now set to be staged on a permanent biennial show site in Decatur to reduce the risk of weather-related difficulties and provide show visitors and exhibitors with upgraded facilities and services. The show’s site has easy driving access from Indiana. Construction on the show site is slated to begin early this spring.
Additionally, 2005 marks the first year the show’s Indiana/Illinois location hosts the show one month earlier than past shows. Show exhibitors and visitors wanted earlier dates to avoid late September harvest-related conflicts. Farmers who attended the 2004 Farm Progress Show near Alleman, Iowa, also held in late August, appreciated the earlier dates and timing with their corn and soybean harvesting. The new show dates helped make the show a greater success, as well.
The show’s 50th anniversary was held in 2003 near Henning, Ill., near the site where the first show was held in 1953. Agriculture’s latest technology, products and services vital to America’s producers are featured at the show. The annual gathering represents a tradition of rural community building with its educational offerings and has hosted many political leaders. Most recently, President George W. Bush visited the 2004 show. The country’s top agribusinesses plus many regional and local manufacturers and suppliers are regular exhibitors. The Farm Progress Show has been the blueprint for other farm shows that have been started around the country.
Indiana Prairie Farmer and Prairie Farmer are this year’s show host publications; Wallaces Farmer is the Iowa site’s host publication. The Farm Progress Show is owned by Farm Progress Companies, located in Carol Stream, Ill.
The Farm Progress Show is the nation’s leading outdoor farm show and features exhibits with the latest products and services from local, regional, national and international agricultural manufacturers, suppliers and service organizations. The show dates are Aug. 30 to Sept. 1, 2005. Show hours are 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Thursday. Admission is $7 for adults, $3 for ages 13 to 17. For more information, visit www.FarmProgressShow.com or call toll-free (866) 264-7469.