Big Week of Farm Shows | by Shannon Peterson

This is a huge week in agriculture, and not because it’s Valentine’s Day week. Growers and ag business reps are heading to two giant farm shows – National Farm Machinery Show and World Ag Expo.

The largest indoor show in America, National Farm Machinery Show is celebrating its 50th anniversary in Louisville, Ky., Feb. 11-14. It features more than 850 exhibitors, including Valley_® Irrigation, and attracts 300,000 attendees from around the world. 

If you’re attending NFMS, download the mobile app to help you navigate the exhibit hall and show activities. 

And, be sure to stop by the Valley booth, No. 82-83, to learn more about BaseStation3™ and the launch of Valley Irrigation Exchange™, our exclusive data-sharing technology. Irrigation Exchange shares irrigation data over the Internet and integrates it with other precision ag data, so growers can make informed, data-driven decisions on water application, nutrient management and other critical farm operations. 

Irrigation Exchange does much, much more. Check back Thursday to read a blog post introducing this innovative technology.

Heading west instead? World Ag Expo in Tulare, Calif., Feb. 10-12, is the world’s largest annual agricultural exposition. More than 1,400 exhibitors are on hand sharing the latest farm equipment and technology. 

Valley will be at WAE too in booth No. NS 20-24. Stop by to learn more about our products, including center pivots and linears, Variable Rate Irrigation (VRI), pumping solutions and innovative technology.

There’s a mobile app for this show too, or take a look around with the live feed cameras. 

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Shannon Peterson Marketing Content Editor Shannon joined Valley Irrigation in 2013. She writes and edits materials about irrigation equipment. Shannon enjoys traveling with her family, particularly to national parks, and she occasionally writes about her travels for tourism magazines. She also likes trying new restaurants, seeing movies, and watching Husker football and Creighton basketball.

Weather Stole the Spotlight at Fall Farm Shows | by Shannon Peterson

The fall farm shows are a big deal for manufacturers and growers alike. Shows like Farm Progress and Husker Harvest Days give the Valley team a chance to connect with growers, see what other ag companies are developing and reconnect with peers from other companies.

Growers who attend can talk to Valley representatives and dealers about new and existing products, and peruse other booths to gather information and ideas.

Plus, the shows include great food, such as homemade ice cream, steak sandwiches and turkey legs, free stuff from bags to hats; livestock; concerts; and drawings for iPads, end guns and cars. Whew!

But this year, all that was overshadowed by the weather. Everyone was glued to their smartphones, watching the radar as storms swirled around and over Boone, Iowa, and Wood River, Neb. There was rain and wind. Lightning shut down Farm Progress on its final day.

And then there was mud. Lots and lots of mud. Muddy parking lots, muddy booths, muddy roads, muddy khakis. Cars and trucks got stuck in the mud; four-wheelers and bigger trucks pushed them out of the mud.

Rain and mud shut down Husker Harvest on Wednesday. Thursday brought more rain and cold temperatures, but many visitors. A Valley Product Manager said he was so busy he didn't leave the booth all day. Meanwhile, one show attendee said his visit was the worst three hours of his life – that’s pretty telling, coming from a farmer!

In the end, we all muddled through, made some connections and generated ideas for next year’s show.

But we’re all hoping for a little sun at the upcoming Sunbelt Ag Expo, Oct. 14-15 in Moultrie, Ga. See you there!

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Shannon Peterson Marketing Content Editor Shannon joined Valley Irrigation in 2013. She writes and edits materials about irrigation equipment. Shannon enjoys traveling with her family, particularly to national parks, and she occasionally writes about her travels for tourism magazines. She also likes trying new restaurants, seeing movies, and watching Husker football and Creighton basketball.