Editor’s note: The Farm Progress Show is Aug. 27-29 in Boone, Iowa. Visit FarmProgressShow.com.

The stars are aligning for this year’s corn harvesting, auger cart and tillage demonstrations at the Farm Progress Show.

The corn went in the ground on time this spring in 30-inch rows, and it’s looking good. Show organizers say it will be ready for harvest when the doors open Aug. 27.

“This year will be a really good year. Hopefully, Mother Nature is nice to us,” says Rick Wild, operations manager. For the field demonstrations, “everything will start at 11 a.m. each day, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Between harvest and tillage, the field demonstrations will run between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.”

The harvesting and tillage categories are:

Plenty of equipment

Wild estimates there will be 15 combines, 30 tillage tools (including a few just-released products) and a selection of auger carts from machinery brands such as John Deere, Fendt, Case IH and New Holland.

Machinery will include factory-built products from original equipment manufacturers, as well as retrofittable attachments and implements. Some machines will showcase their own corn heads and equipment. Others will demonstrate with third-party products.

Every tool and machine will “for sure get a single pass — probably two passes. Time will determine whether they get a third pass,” Wild says.

He adds that each brand will have a chance to fine-tune its machines before the show’s start.

Audio descriptions, recorded by broadcaster Max Armstrong, will be aired before each piece of equipment makes its pass. Brand reps will be on hand to talk about each product individually after it runs.

Safety is paramount, Wild says. A team of show staff will walk a rope line forward as each row is harvested. Showgoers are asked to stay behind the rope and listen to staff members. Water stations will be available throughout the show.

How to get there

The demonstrations will take place in a field located through Gate 3 on the east side of the show site.

It’s a short walk from the loading area, where four trams — two that can carry 25 passengers and two with a 50-person capacity — will shuttle attendees back and forth to the site.

Each will be pulled behind a John Deere, Case IH or Claas tractor, and will be operated by volunteers from the Central Iowa Tractor Club.

The exact location for the demonstrations, which is also where autonomous vehicle and UAV demonstrations will happen, can be found on the 2024 Farm Progress Show app.

If weather conditions change and demonstrations must be delayed, showgoers can receive alerts by turning on the Farm Progress Show app notifications.

The show’s social media pages — including Facebook and X (@FPShow) — will likewise post regular updates.

Featured equipment online

New this year will be information about featured equipment that will be published in an online listing that can be viewed at FarmProgressShow.com.

Information will include the exhibiting company, equipment and machine model, specifications, a brief description, and a link to the product’s webpage. The information will be linked to a QR code accessible on-site.

Shelled corn combining and auger wagon demonstrations will begin daily at 11 a.m. About 240 acres of corn will be harvested over the show’s three days.

Those who want to see a specific product should anticipate large crowds and plan accordingly. Wild estimates between 2,000 and 3,000 people attend daily during perfect weather.

Wednesday is typically the busiest day, and Thursday is often a bit less crowded.

Tillage demos

Tillage demonstrations will take place on cornstalks from 2 to 3 p.m. The 6-mph group will run first, with the crowd separated by a reasonable distance. The crowd will be moved farther back for the higher-speed demonstrations. Vertical tillage tool demonstrations are usually the most popular, so arrive early to snag a good spot.