WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) will host its second Celebration of Modern Ag on the National Mall next month.

The three-day event, May 6-8, will feature farm equipment and hands-on exhibits, and is open to the public. This year’s theme is The Future of Food and Farming, which showcases modern agricultural equipment essential for a sustainable future of safe and abundant food, fiber and fuel for the nation and the world, according to AEM.

The organization’s primary target audiences are lawmakers and regulators, Nick Tindall, AEM senior director of regulatory affairs, told Farm World. Included in those audiences are staffers, elected officials, political appointees and career staff at the agencies, he said.

“The vision for doing it is just to try to bridge that knowledge gap between lawmakers and regulators that are increasingly far removed from the farm but in charge of writing policies that directly impact farming,” Tindall noted. “The goal is to give them a better understanding of how all the technology that goes into modern agriculture is allowing us to grow more food with fewer resources.”

Given that the event is on the National Mall, it’s also a great opportunity to engage with everyday Americans, he said.

“What we want people to take away from it is how much effort equipment manufacturers, farmers, ranchers, and agri-business companies put in to increasing the efficiency of modern agriculture,” Tindall explained. “This means fewer inputs, less pesticides, less water, less fuel, all while producing more food.”

The first agriculture celebration was in 2022. In 2023, AEM hosted a celebration of construction. Tindall said 24 equipment manufacturers and 30 nonprofit groups will participate in this year’s celebration. In 2022, there were 15 equipment companies and 21 nonprofit groups, he added.

The American Soybean Association (ASA) and United Soybean Board/Our Soy Checkoff will participate in the event. The organizations believe there is no better representation of this year’s theme than U.S. soy, Blair Shipp, ASA state policy communications coordinator, told Farm World. The celebration allows them to showcase the remarkable innovations stemming from U.S. soy, inventive products spanning food, feed, fuel and beyond, she said.

“During the event, we will demonstrate the versatility of soybeans and highlight how U.S. soybean farmers are working to meet consumer demand while also providing sustainable solutions for everyday items,” Shipp said.

The organizations relish the opportunity to engage with tourists on the mall who may have an awareness only of tofu, edamame, soy sauce and soy milk, she said.

“And those are all important products, but it is exciting to chat with attendees about our no. 1 customer – animal agriculture – and then the literally thousand-plus products on the market containing soy that range from sustainable soy fuels to the soles of our shoes, tires, yoga mats, road repair products, adhesives, synthetic lawn and playground materials, paint and more,” Shipp said.

Tindall said visitors will learn about modern spray drift control technologies, modern cutting-edge genetics and seeds, the latest in chemistries and the latest in conservation practices farmers are using in their fields. They will also learn about autonomous equipment and how it improves efficiency and farm safety. They will hear about off-farm career opportunities in the agricultural field.

During the first agriculture celebration, visitors asked many questions, such as if the equipment on display was what a family farm used, Tindall said. The staff explained that was the type of equipment available to farmers of all sizes.

“They are certainly most interested in the equipment, it’s great eye candy.” he said. “The amount of technology in today’s farm equipment really does blow most people away. There are questions about factory farms and industrial agriculture. We educate them that family farms have gotten really big, but at the end of the day they’re still family farms. The vast majority of farming in the United States is done by family businesses.”

The celebration is open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. For more information, visit www.aem.org and click on the events tab.