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Peoria Farm Show featuring 1,000 product lines in 2015

 

By TIM ALEXANDER
Illinois Correspondent

PEORIA, Ill. — With more than 340 companies displaying 1,000 product lines in approximately 900 display booths, the 34th Greater Peoria Farm Show (GPFS) has something of interest for every farmer.
Known as the state’s largest indoor farm show and one of the premier agricultural events in the United States, the three-day show Dec. 1-3 attracts about 20,000 visitors from many of Illinois’ 76,000 farms, due in part to Peoria’s central location and excellent transportation access.
Held at the Peoria Civic Center (PCC) since the facility’s 1982 christening, the GPFS and PCC have literally grown up together. Now with more than 100,000 square feet of exhibit space and plenty of room for educational seminars and special events such as the popular farm toy and antique machinery show, the PCC continues to provide the ideal facility for the annual exposition, noted Ron Bormaster.
“The GPFS is one of the biggest events of the year at the PCC. Along with more than 340 exhibitors and events, there will be daily seminars scheduled with expert presenters. With all the support from the community, exhibitors, farmers and sponsors, the 34th annual GPFs is sure to be the best show yet,” said Bormaster, show manager for Farm Shows USA-Midwest Shows, Inc.
As the first major farm show after harvest, the GPFS is renowned for providing farmers a first glimpse of new machinery and technologies on the market for the following crop production year. But it wasn’t until just a couple of years ago that show organizers decided to bring in guest presenters to afford them opportunities to learn more about the products and technologies that influence their operational decisions.
This year’s educational seminars will be hosted by Chad Colby of Colby Ag Tech, who will provide valuable insight on drone technology, and Dr. Elwynn Taylor, an Iowa State University professor of meteorology who is highly regarded for his informative and entertaining insight into weather patterns and their impact on crop production.
Taylor said his presentation will center on the need for producers to effectively manage production and marketing risks associated with the weather, something the meteorologist says is of “prime importance” to successful farming. One of next year’s biggest weather risks will be warmer and wetter weather patterns associated with the El Nino winter of 2015-16, he said.
“The El Nino is strong, and is influencing the seasonal weather pattern of the Midwest.
The La Nina of 2010-13 was the second strongest on record and was associated with the first widespread Corn Belt drought since 1988 and drought conditions in Texas much like in the mid-1950s,” said Taylor, who serves as ISU extension’s climatologist.
“The strong (currently forecast) El Nino that followed has been greeted with concern. However, the indications of a strong La Nina influence during the coming decade may result in crop conditions not unlike those experienced in the 1980s.”
Confused? Make sure to catch one of Taylor’s two presentations, scheduled for 11:30 a.m. on Dec. 1 and 1:30 p.m. on Dec. 2, for clarification.
A described “technology guru,” Colby will present “Aerial Drones in Agriculture” on all three days of the show (Tuesday and Thursday at 11 a.m., and Wednesday at 1:30 p.m.). Colby, whose company is known nationally for its expertise in ag technology, is a frequent guest of television and radio farm news reporter Max Armstrong.
Armstrong said farmers seeking reliable, current news about the use and potential regulation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) should sit in on one of Colby’s presentations. “He not only knows the very latest technology and updated rulemaking progress for unmanned aircraft ag applications, but Chad also communicates the story superbly,” Armstrong explained.
Again this year, the Peoria-Bloomington Chevy Dealers group will display new trucks and vehicles. Search the expo hall for the smell of fresh coffee and doughnuts (free every morning!) to locate their display area.
Early attendees can qualify to win $1,000 in ShowBucks each day, courtesy of AgriNews, a GPFS media partner along with Farm World.
Lunch will be provided by a local Peoria favorite, Alwan’s Meats, in the Arena Club Room accessible from the floor of Richard Carver Arena within the PCC. With a $2-off coupon available at the Store-Loc exhibit booth, lunch is only $5.
Admission is free to the three-day GPFS; show hours are 9 a.m.-4 p.m. daily. For more information and an interactive floor plan of exhibits, visit www.GreaterPeoriaFarmShow.com
11/25/2015