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Farm shows evolve with agriculture

WCF Courier (IA)
March 7, 2010
www.wcfcourier.com

CEDAR FALLS - Farming isn't what it used to be. Neither are the shows that feature Iowa's leading industry.

Like agriculture, the Hawkeye Farm Show has evolved over time. Every winter for 23 years, farm machinery and ag businesses have filled the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls. The latest three-day installment ended Thursday.

Agriculture has consolidated and technology instead of intense manual labor is relied upon to make money.

Not that farming isn't hard work, but producers often say they're working smarter these days, not necessarily harder.

To keep farm-families coming back, show organizers and exhibitors said they've had to change with the times.

Many booths hawk precision farming tools and computer software to maximize efficiency, not just equipment to plant seeds and raise livestock like in the past. Exhibits featuring ways to improve every day living and save energy are also more common.

Penny Swank, manager of the Hawkeye Farm Show, said booths used to be dominated by various types of mechanized and livestock equipment to accommodate smaller farms. Now, fewer and larger tractors and sprayers are shown off to cover more acres quickly. Exhibitors featuring gadgets like satellite-guided steering and computer programs to figure out cost-of-production to the penny catch farmers' eyes.

"Everything is more technical and equipment is getting bigger," Swank said.

"We have the same amount of companies, but they need more space. It just keeps getting better and better."

Approximately 175 businesses purchased 480 booths for the show. Midwest Shows of Austin, Minn., put on the event. Swank has worked for the company for 17 years.

Attendance at the show dropped slightly over time, according to Swank. An estimated 18,000 people attend now, compared to about 22,000 decades ago.

Considering the consolidation of agriculture, Swank is happy with the turnout.

In 1950, government statistics show 206,000 farms in the state averaging 169 acres. That's about four farms every square mile, and most were highly diversified producing grain and several types of livestock.

By 2008, the average farm doubled in size and the numbers dropped by more than half. It's not uncommon for full-time farmers to work thousands of acres specializing in corn and soybeans. Farmers also concentrate in hog, cattle or milk production, raising large numbers often in modern confinement buildings or feedlots, requiring less labor.

Despite dwindling farm numbers and more producers turning to the Internet to purchase equipment, seed and chemicals, Swank believes farm shows will always have their place. A 2008 Oklahoma State University study shows the percentage of farms online has increased from 13 percent in 1997 to more than 60 percent in 2005. In fact, nearly $30 billion of business was conducted online in the agricultural, forestry and fishing sectors in 2005.

"You can see what you're buying. It's like a big, huge mall," Swank said. "Farmers can't kick a tire on the Internet."

Phelps Implement, with John Deere dealerships in Grundy Center, Hampton and Greene, is a fixture at the Hawkeye Farm Show. The company showed off a couple new tractors, a skid loader and a Gator.

Mike Andorf, a customer support representative for Phelps, said letting farmers climb in the cab and knowing horse power specifications used to be enough. Now, the high-tech precision farming equipment spread out on tables in front of the machinery are just as important to show goers.

"We take brute force and tie technology to it," Andorf said. "Farmers are investing heavily in technology."

Years ago, show officials said a person would be hard-pressed to find exhibitors selling cookware, purses and home decor at a farm show, but now it's commonplace. Variety, they said, help draw more than just men to the shows.

Many farmers seeking ways to control costs are turning to wind power to generate their own electricity. Multiple companies peddling wind turbines were at the show, which wasn't the case in the past.

Ritchie Judas, owner of Wind-Rich Energy Solutions of Waterloo, said the opportunity to talk to thousands of potential customers was too good to pass up. His most popular model is a Skystream 2.4 Kw turbine, which generates, on average, 50 to 70 percent of a home's energy needs. Installed, the unit costs $16,000.

"It (farm show) follows my target market," Judas said. "The ag sector benefits the most from wind."