For the 22nd consecutive year, the farming community came together for the Quad Cities Farm Equipment Show, which ran from January 20th to 22nd and featured more than 200 exhibitors from around the farming industry. The show hosted exhibitors offering a wide range of farming equipment, from equipment to seeds, chemicals, soil treatments, and fertilizers, according to event manager Richard Sherman.
Prior to the show’s opening, organizers had high hopes for a large turnout and enthusiasm, resulting in overall success. “The emphasis this year will clearly be on the upcoming planting season. We believe that area farmers will turn out strongly to see and order what they’ll need for planting,” said Sherman. A Quad City Times article covering the event claimed much of the large turnout would be due to farmers interested in updating their processes to increase productivity.
The QC Times article includes another quote from Sherman on the evolution of farm equipment. He says,farm equipment is getting bigger. Some of the stuff is just making it through the doors. And the equipment is getting faster. It’s more and more important to get the crop out of the ground faster.”
The show featured hundreds of exhibitors, including large brands like John Deere and AGCO. It will be interesting to see if the expected large turnout holds true, as it could be an indicator of planting trends for this season. A slow year in crop production could result in a need to make up for lost profits and increased planting in 2013.