View from the Cab: Waiting for the show
By: Kent Casson
You won’t want to miss this year’s Farm Progress Show which returns to Decatur Aug. 31 to Sept. 2.
The Nation’s largest outdoor farm event connects farmers across the world with ag’s leading companies. Hundreds of exhibitors are featured with the latest farm products and those who developed and designed them. The show offers something for everyone involved in agriculture.
Here are some interesting facts posted to the Farm Progress Show website. More than 80 percent of those attending are farm owner/operators and 96 percent are involved in farming. Also, 97 percent of the show visitors attend to see new products and practices in the industry. This information is based on data collected after the 2019 event in Decatur.
You may recall the autonomous ag demonstration presented near Fairbury in July. Raven will have the OmniDrive on display which eliminates the need for a tractor operator pulling a grain cart to unload on the go with a combine. This technology will be displayed daily during Farm Progress Show from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Raven will also present OmniPower which is a self-propelled platform that allows farm implements to be easily interchanged to do multiple tasks around the field without a driver. This includes sprayers and spreaders.
The first ever bags tournament comes to this year’s show where teams battle for valuable prizes. Participants must be 18 or older to play. A corny play area for kids features toy tractors and farming equipment. The little ones are sure to enjoy this new feature! A variety of speakers and topics will be discussed on the ADM stage inside the Prairie Farmer and Indiana Prairie Farmer Hospitality Building.
Lee Brice headlines the Farm Progress Show concert on Sept. 1 presented by Case IH. Brice, a supporter of American farmers, will debut his new song “Farmer” to those attending. General admission to the show that day will include entry to the concert. The show begins at 5:30 p.m.
More information can be found at www.farmprogressshow.com.
The weekend prior to the Farm Progress Show, we are all looking forward to the Half Century of Progress event at the old Rantoul Air Force base with vintage farm equipment and demonstrations. Longtime ag broadcaster Max Armstrong is a big part of this show held every two years in east central Illinois.
See you at the shows!
