Attending farm shows is part of my job here at Penton Agriculture, along with a few other chores, but it's one I enjoy a lot. It's my chance to catch up with what's happening on a lot of topics in agriculture in an efficient manner. Our company owns two very large farm shows – Husker Harvest Days and the Farm Progress Show. As I write this I'm sitting at Sunbelt Ag Expo in Moultrie, Ga., the last big fall farm show.

FUTURE INVESTORS? This was the day-three crowd at the Farm Progress Show, yet they wanted to see equipment at work in the field demos. Investing in your farm with equipment or tools that boost efficiency is money well spent.

This is undoubtedly one of the softer equipment markets in 30 years. Sales of the big iron are off and farmers are looking for ways to make what they own last. Yet at this year's Farm Progress Show they came in big numbers (thanks to great weather too) to see equipment at work; and to learn more about what they can invest in for their farms for the future.

That's the key. Thinking there will be a future, then planning for it. A farm show – you can pick your favorite in the West – is an opportunity to check on what's new, not only in iron but in crop protection and other tools you use on the farm. And even when ag prices are low, you have to think ahead. Perhaps there's a new tool that will make you more efficient.

During the show robot tractors got plenty of attention (see Farmer Iron on page 31) and that's great tech for the future. Lost in the shuffle, perhaps, was news that New Holland has advanced its ISOBUS 3 tech to include round balers. Imagine a baler that will stop your tractor, wrap the baler and kick it out when the bale is perfectly ready. Then you, as the operator, go forward and start again. No more watching the monitor and starting the bale making final process yourself.

That's immediate tech you can use.

We have to think about the future and robot tractors are a great idea – especially with the current labor situation. But farmers go to shows to see what can make their operations more efficient, and profitable, in the here-and-now too. And farm shows have that as well.

As we look at this soft ag market, we know that sometimes there appears to be no end in site. But this is agriculture, and people do have to eat. The demand picture isn't changing, we're making more people every day and all want to be fed. Longer term changing weather patterns and growing demand will bring prices back and judging from what I saw at the Farm Progress Show, farmers are ready to invest in their businesses again.

Today, you hunker down and make do. But a trip to a farm show to learn about new tools is a wise investment for your farm business, if you plan on being around in the future. Makes sense.