By TIM ALEXANDER
Illinois Correspondent PEORIA, Ill. — When the 28th annual Greater Peoria Farm Show opens Dec. 1 at the Peoria Civic Center and Exhibition Hall, more than 300 companies will be exhibiting over 1,000 product lines and services in more than 1,000 booths.
While all of the newest equipment and technology will be on display, show organizers are hoping the show won’t be missing its most important component: The farmers. Long billed as the first major indoor farm show following harvest, the Greater Peoria Farm Show usually attracts some 13,000 Midwest farmers who attend in order to climb up on the newest tractors and combines, or just catch up with old friends.
But with this year’s late harvest – only about 30-40 percent of Peoria County’s corn crop had been under the combine as of Nov. 18, according to Peoria County Farm Bureau manager Patrick Kirchhofer – officials with Midwest Shows, Inc. are bracing for the real possibility of having to compete for the area’s farmers.
“Darned right we’re concerned,” said John Sampson, marketing director for the Austin, Minn.-based Midwest Shows, which organizes several large farm shows and exhibitions across the United States. “We’re just hoping that farmers will be far enough along that they can take one day out from harvest to go to a darned good farm show.”
Those who are able to attend will see everything new in agriculture from large farming implements to the latest in seed technology, Sampson said. Important new product developments from major farm equipment manufacturers, high-tech steering systems, GPS steering aids and farm business management software will be among the products and services exhibited by dealers from 14 states and Canada. “It is a matter of great pride to me and to our company that we have been able to maintain the highest quality show, that brings exhibitors back year after year,” stated show manager Ron Bormaster. “Several great sponsors are joining in, offering great prize packages for farmers attending the show.”
Aside from many raffles for equipment and services offered by exhibitors, a $1,000 prize package will be awarded to a lucky registrant during each of the show’s three days. “Peoria’s WMBD 1470/WIRL Classic Country 1290 AM will give away eight units of Beck’s seed corn, 15 units of Beck’s soybeans, application services from AgLand FS and 25 acres of infrared seal scan and either Headline or Integrity from BASF. That’s worth quite a bit,” enthused Sampson.
While some stalwarts of the farm show circuit have withdrawn from exhibiting because of the economic downturn – such as AGCO – many new exhibitors and sponsors have taken up the slack.
“Many of the big exhibitors have scaled back,” said Sampson, “but we’ve had a lot of new ones step up.”
Still, the economy may put a damper on many a farmer’s enthusiasm for purchasing expensive, new equipment for next year, the show’s organizers admit. Some exhibitors are beginning to put emphasis on other aspects of their business aside from new equipment, Sampson said.
“At the dealer level we’re seeing (companies) starting to push repair over new equipment purchases. They are reacting, I think, to a market situation where even farmers who have money are saying, ‘Well, I think I can make do with this combine or tractor for another year,’” he said.
“There’s an uncertainty out there that I haven’t seen for a long time, a lack of confidence that things are going to get better. Agriculture is not in that bad of shape, but the attitude of apprehension is making everyone doubly conscious of making major acquisitions.”
Expanding their presence at the Greater Peoria Farm Show will be area antique tractor and equipment clubs. Five central Illinois collectors’ clubs will display their vintage iron in the Peoria Civic Center’s recently renovated Exhibition Hall during this year’s show.
Show hours are 9 a.m.-4 p.m. each day, Dec. 1-3. Admission is free, though there is a charge for parking in the Civic Center parking lot or in nearby parking decks. For more, visit www.farmshowsusa.com/Mains/PMain.htm |
