Farm Progress Show expands ‘drone zone’

The Farm Progress Show will be returning to its Decatur, Illinois, site Aug 26-28. This year’s event will celebrate the 20th anniversary since Decatur became the show’s established home, alternating with Boone, Iowa, as the show’s permanent locations.

Matt Jungmann, senior events director, said for the first time this year larger spray applicator drones will fly at the show.

There will be a dedicated “drone zone” that will showcase advancements in aerial application technology from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. The drones will fly above standing or harvested corn spraying water within a 500-by-500-foot demonstration area.

Onlookers can watch from a tent equipped with a TV screen streaming a first-person view from the drone camera. Visitors will also get to see advanced robotics, autonomous tractors and automated sprayers.

Records show that the first Farm Progress Show in 1953 featured a soil judging contest for FFA members. That contest was revisited in 2003 at the 50th anniversary show near Henning, Illinois, and has continued ever since whenever the show returns to Decatur. This year’s contest occurs on Aug. 26.

Illinois and Indiana FFA teams will compete against FFA members from their own state with $1,000 up for grabs to competitors in each state.

There will be a career fair for college students Aug. 28.

Jungmann noted the Farm Progress Show will have a lot of new products, including the world’s largest grain cart, which can handle 1,000 bushels per minute.

There will also be a full-scale air tractor agricultural applicator plane on display across two exhibitor lots.

This year, there are also dedicated cover crop demonstration plots which expand the event’s focus on sustainable farming practices, he said.

The demo will have a variety of cover crop species and mixtures to give farmers a real world look at their management.

The plots were designed by Green Cover, a family-owned seed company from Nebraska. Visitors will learn about cover crop identification, the effectiveness of various cover crops and more.

Jungmann also said the nonprofit group Farm Rescue that assists farm families facing crisis will have an exhibit to recruit volunteers. This will be the second year in a row the group has been at the show.

Programming at the show will include “Women in the Field,” “This Week in Agribusiness with Max Armstrong and Mike Pearson” and Brian and Darren Hefty of Ag PhD.

As with any outdoor event there are often concerns about the weather.

“We are going to try and do everything, every day,” Jungmann said. “With our permanent facilities we can have a show as long as there is no lightning.”

The Farm Progress Show will be Aug. 26-28 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $25 for adults and $10 for ages 13-17; 12 and under are free.

Discounted advanced tickets for $15 (plus fees) are available at farmprogressshow.com.