Farm Progress Show starts next week

The Farm Progress Show is the venue where all the agricultural manufacturers roll out their new products. Despite the heat and drought conditions this year, you can bet many central Iowa farmers will make the trek to Boone for the 59th annual edition of the show, which begins Tuesday, Aug. 28, and runs through Thursday, Aug. 30.

Massey-Ferguson plans to show off three new combine models, Fendt will have specialty tractors for row crop and transport, and New Holland will feature new baler models. Farmers will be able to get an up-close look at new planters, augers, combines and a myriad of other farm tools and machines.

Other vendors will display a wide variety of equipment, including all-terrain vehicles, trucks, backhoes, feeding equipment, fencing, lawn equipment, chain saws, waterers and more.

Demonstrations will be held throughout the show’s run, with experts on economics, field agronomy, plant pathology, marketing, weed science and farm management. State climatologist Elwynn Taylor will be on hand as well.

Iowa State University will conduct tours of the grounds, as well as the ISU Dairy Farm, Reiman Gardens in Ames and the ISU BioCentury Research Farm near Boone, an integrated research and demonstration facility dedicated to biomass production and processing.

Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday. Tickets are $12 for adults, $8 for students and children younger than 12 are free. The show location is 1827 217th St. in Boone.

John Jennings can be contacted at (641) 792-3121 ext. 425 or via email at jjennings@newtondailynews.com.