Farm Industry News

Manager's Notebook: The Farm Progress Show has a significant community impact every year.

Matt Jungmann, Farm Progress Show Manager

February 26, 2020

2 Min Read
Farm Progress events manager Matt Jungmann
BROADER IMPACT: When the Farm Progress Show comes to town, local communities see a range of benefits, says Matt Jungmann, Farm Progress events manager.Holly Spangler

When we think of the Farm Progress Show, it’s pretty easy to focus on our exhibit and demonstration fields, but we’ve found we’re having an impact beyond the showgrounds. Over the years, we’ve turned to a variety of groups that help make this event a success, and it gives community groups the chance to raise funds for their work, too.

From parking cars to flipping burgers or working information booths, the show is run by the local community. We get visitors from around the country and more than 50 international locations; and when they’re on-site, they’re interacting with local residents.

While this can change every other year when the show returns, the good thing about our permanent sites is that the groups involved know their role, where to go and what to do — and they already know the answers to a lot of questions that hit them. For Farm Progress, this relationship with local groups is a win-win.

Hemp, anyone?

Last year in Decatur, we launched a Hemp Pavilion, giving farmers the opportunity to learn more about the opportunities related to this new crop. There are still quite a few questions to answer, and we’re bringing hemp displays back for 2020 in Boone, Iowa.

In the last two years, there have been some significant mergers and acquisitions that are changing the show site. In fact, visitors who’ve made the trip to Boone more than once will find that the exhibit field layout is changed more than at any other event on that site. You'll benefit by a trip to the website — FarmProgressShow.com — as the show nears, to get a sense of what’s changed and to make the most of your visit.

And for you campers, we have space on the site. The camping area opens at noon Aug.31 (Monday) before the show at no charge. We have no hookups; this is space for you to park the RV, and it’s best for those self-contained units.

Labor Day falls later in September this year, which means the Farm Progress Show runs Sept. 1-Sept. 3. So be sure to mark your calendar.

And for advance ticket sales, look for those to be live on the website, FarmProgressShow.com, by June 1. That’s plenty of time to get your tickets and make plans to join us. In addition, the show website will feature updated places to stay overnight and other helpful tools as you plan your trip to Iowa.

Jungmann is events manager for Informa/Farm Progress, owner of the Farm Progress Show.

 

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