The 41st National Farm Machinery Show (NFMS) features nearly 800 exhibitors, filling over 1.2 million square feet of climate-controlled space inside KEC, allowing the NFMS to display virtually every major line of farming equipment under one roof.

Attendees can take advantage of in-depth product comparisons, as well as discover solutions to the challenges facing today’s agribusiness professionals. Products and services on display will include: breeder services, irrigation equipment, feed and nutritional information, grain handling and storage equipment, outdoor power equipment, seeds and fertilizer, trucks, tractors, trailers and more.

In addition to gaining hands-on access to the newest and most innovative products on the market today, attendees will also benefit from the selection of free seminars featuring some of the industry’s top experts. The “Marketing Outlook” seminar will provide information focused on marketing practices for farmers to use to improve their bottom lines, while the “Agronomic Clinic” will center on fine-tuning crop production skills. Visitors to the event will also have the chance to watch a live taping of the television program “U.S. Farm Report; Town & Country Living.”

To compliment the seminars and show floor, each day Freedom Hall kicks into high gear for the 38th annual Championship Tractor Pull (CTP), sponsored by Syngenta. Last year’s pull contributed to the overall attendance figure by selling out all five of its performances for the first time in CTP history. Remaining tickets for this year’s pulls are $26 and on sale now at the Freedom Hall Ticket Office and all Ticketmaster outlets. Friday and Saturday nights’ events are sold out.

The Kentucky Exposition Center is located at the junction of I-65 and I-264, five miles south of downtown Louisville, Ky.

The NFMS exhibit halls are open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST, and admission to the show is free. Parking is $5. For additional information, call the NFMS Hotline at 502-367-5004, or visit www.farmmachineryshow.org

Renovations ongoing
In October of 2005, the Kentucky Exposition Center (KEC) opened the South Wing C and provided this year’s National Farm Machinery Show (NFMS) visitors with an entirely new exhibit hall in which to browse. Even though the additional space will temporarily allow some of the show’s displays to grow this year, the actual number of exhibitors participating in the NFMS will not have the opportunity to increase for two more years. Further renovations are scheduled to begin at KEC this spring, which means a portion of the facility will be unavailable throughout the proj-ect’s duration.

In April of 2006, KEC’s East Wing and East Hall will undergo a major reconstruction project, taking their existing 216,000 square feet of exhibit space and transforming it into Class “A” exhibit space, which is defined by high ceilings, few columns and excellent lighting. Upon completion in the fall of 2007, the venue will house 680,000 square feet of contiguous Class “A” space for a total of 1.2 million square feet of exhibit space throughout the facility.

When the NFMS rings in its 43rd year in February of 2008, it will then have access to the reconstructed East Wing and East Hall as well as South Wing C - more than enough room to increase the size and number of its exhibits. For more information on the renovation project, visit www.kyexpo.org

This farm news was published in the February 8, 2006 issue of Farm World.