Editor’s note: Husker Harvest Days is Sept. 10-12 in Grand Island, Neb. Visit HuskerHarvestDays.com.

Kick the tractor tires. Try out the cattle chute. See equipment in action. Ask questions. As the editor of Nebraska Farmer, I can attest that Husker Harvest Days isn’t just an event — it’s an essential experience for farmers and ranchers looking to engage with the latest technology and innovations shaping our industry.

This year, we’re rolling out the welcome mat for tens of thousands of visitors who aim to make a lasting impact on their farming and ranching operations.

What sets HHD apart is its live demonstrations, hands-on events, interactive displays and vendor demos that invite attendees to experience every aspect of modern agriculture.

From daily corn harvests and hay demonstrations to live cattle handling showcasing state-of-the-art livestock chutes, HHD offers a comprehensive look at the tools and techniques driving efficiency in our fields.

What’s on tap

Nebraska is irrigation country, so all the major irrigation equipment manufacturers are here with huge, interactive and working displays. But that is just the beginning.

New additions to the show include grain-bagging demos and a large cover crop demonstration area featuring different types of mixtures and two planting times.

Husker Harvest Days is dedicated to bringing cutting-edge practices to farmers with the latest in grain handling and drying, tillage, spraying, drone demos, and autonomy.

Perhaps one of the most fun hands-on activities for farmers and future farmers is the TAPS Crop Skills Challenge, sponsored by the University of Nebraska TAPS team. But don’t forget to sit for a while and learn as you watch horse gentling, stock dog demonstrations and the Canine Stars.

Often, I’m asked, “What makes HHD so special?” My answer is simple: the people.

If you visit the classic tractor display, which this year features the battle of the brands, you will talk with folks who have attended every single show since the beginning. Many helping with that display also took part in the original tillage of the show site in the fall of 1977.

Why do they keep coming back? For farm families, Husker Harvest Days is a generational rite of passage.

As I’ve walked the streets of HHD for many years — first as a farmer with my wife and more recently in my role with Nebraska Farmer — I’ve noticed a heartwarming sight: grandparents, parents and children exploring the technology, demonstrations and equipment together, as a family.

Follow the theme

Cattle. Crops. Community. This year’s theme underscores our region’s ag backbone — celebrating beef production while acknowledging the diversity of our crops and the crucial role of community in rural America.

It’s a theme that resonates through the dedication of local volunteers such as the Agriculture Institute of Nebraska and other ag enthusiasts who make HHD a success year after year.

On behalf of Farm Progress and our dedicated team, I invite you to flip switches on machines, listen to seminars or enjoy lunch with family and neighbors. Then, take what you learn and put it into practice to enhance your farm’s bottom line.

I look forward to seeing you in Grand Island.