We’re getting to whirlwind time for our two big shows. With Farm Progress Show set to open Aug. 30 through Sept. 1, and then two weeks later, the gates open for Husker Harvest Days, Sept. 13-15. Some days seem to blur.

That four-year gap in returning to Boone, Iowa, for the Farm Progress Show has made things a little interesting as new people come into the picture. We’re all going through some “retraining” to get ready. And I’m excited with what we’ll have on hand — our first-ever concert at the site, an expanded autonomy display, and of course, our wide array of exhibitors showing off their latest and greatest.

I want to give a shoutout to the Iowa Department of Transportation for its excellent work in performing a major upgrade to Highway 17, the main road that leads into the Boone site. The project includes adding a lane to give us three lanes into the show site.

While their work isn’t completely done, the department crew has managed to time their project so the road expansion to the site will be completed for the show. It’s not easy to do that when hit with two major rains early in the project, but they’re getting it done.

Speaking of traffic, that wider road is going to make your trip into the show site even easier than when we first started on this site in 2008. But remember, as you get to the site, watch for any directions given by local law enforcement. There might be contingencies for crowd control as needed.

Some Husker changes

Visitors to Grand Island, Neb., will be seeing some changes at the site. Perhaps, the most visible will be the move by New Holland from its original space to be side by side with sibling brand Case IH. For longtime visitors to the show, the first question might be: Who’s going into that key space at the center of the show?

We’re delighted to have Beck’s Hybrids, a company new to Nebraska, take on that space to show the tools and technology it’s bringing to market. The company will have plenty for farmers to see. In addition, Beck’s has put in a large plot along the south side between the tram road and Husker Highway.

And mark your calendar to visit the livestock area at Husker for demonstrations, as well as our beef program including:

These presentations will take place between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. for all three days of Husker.

You can learn more about both shows. For Farm Progress Show, visit FarmProgressShow.com. For Husker Harvest Days, head over to HuskerHarvestDays.com.

Jungmann is national events director at Farm Progress.