by Claire Benjamin

The University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences has something for everyone during the 2023 Farm Progress Show in Decatur, Ill.

Located south of the main entrance on West Avenue, the College of ACES Tent with its orange and blue flags will feature ways students, producers, alumni and industry experts can get involved with ACES, Illinois Extension and more.

“The ACES Tent will feature hands-on activities that showcase what we do best in our college — connecting people with knowledge and tools to thrive in our industry and in their personal lives,” says Jenny Larson, ACES assistant dean for marketing communications. “New this year, the ACES Online Programs team will be on-site to engage with adult learners looking to gain credentials” to advance their careers.

With online courses that count toward continuing education units to 15 virtual, graduate-level certificates on topics like advanced agronomy and digital agriculture, Larson says that ACES experts are more accessible than ever. Representatives from the college’s traditional undergraduate and graduate programs can chat about options based on every student’s career goals.

Here is some of what the tent will offer:

ACES alumni. The ACES Alumni Association will greet alumni and give away gear. “We’ll have plenty of ACES swag on hand to share and help connect with our College of ACES community,” Larson says.

U of I Extension. The state’s university outreach will offer a pollinator display and plant clinic, beef-cattle best practices, and safety demos. Spanish interpreters will be present.

Special appearances. The crop sciences department will have special demonstrations on Aug. 29. On Aug. 30, chat with ag economist Scott Irwin, who published a book on commodity futures markets.

Drought info. The Farm Business Farm Management Association and Farmdoc will answer questions and share information, including about this season’s drought.

Meet Dean Bollero. ACES’ new dean, Germán Bollero, will attend. “I look forward to engaging with our alumni and friends at this year’s show as we look to the future of our college, and I hope that more people will become a part of our community through ACES’ ever-expanding online educational opportunities,” he says.

College plays big part at FPS

ACES will offer these services during this year’s show week:

FPS-exclusive radio. For even more news you can use, be sure to tune into AM 1610 on your way to and from the show. College of ACES staff will offer show traffic and parking updates. The temporary radio station is exclusively for Farm Progress Show information and can be picked up anywhere within 7 miles of the show site.

International Agronomy Day. Visitors from abroad looking for something to do before the Farm Progress Show can head over to the iconic University of Illinois campus for International Agronomy Day Aug. 28. The College of ACES is showcasing the latest research in sustainable agricultural production and innovations in technology and information management. Register online.

The 2023 Farm Progress Show is Aug. 29-31. Learn more at FarmProgressShow.com.

Benjamin works with the U of I College of ACES.