Farm and Power Show to showcase the best in agriculture

John Losee doesn’t have to travel far to display his equipment for visitors coming to the North America Farm and Power Show in Owatonna. 
As owner of Northland Farm Systems, Losee has less than a mile to go to bring his exhibit to the Farm and Power Show, which has become an important part of Northland’s marketing efforts.
“We always reach out to new contacts and reaffirm relationships with old customers,” Losee said, adding he likes how the show draws from the entire region.
At this year’s show, Northland plans to feature a Dump Box, which is a newer product aimed at hauling silage. Northland will also have skid loaders and round balers on display.
The farm show gets underway Thursday and runs through Saturday at the Four Seasons Centre on the Steele County Fairgrounds. There will be 181 companies with 310 booths committed to interacting with nearly 22,000 people, mostly farmers. The show is one of the largest in the Midwest. 
Kibble Equipment is another local business that plans to be at the show. Even though Brock Veldman, salesman for Kibble, doesn’t see the show as a revenue generating event, he still finds it important to be there. 
“The idea is getting us in front of the customers by sharing information and building trust,” Veldman said. 
Through Kibble’s display, Veldman plans to focus on new precision equipment and new farming techniques. 
“We’ll be showing how it can impact an individual’s farm organization,” he said. “We’re working hard on customer service where they get the most out of the techniques they have and be as productive as possible.”
With the farm economy continuing to struggle, Veldman said he expects this year to be another challenging year for farmers. 
“Everybody’s tight. It’s a challenge to sell anything,” he said. “There’s not any extra money. Decisions are being made with a lot more scrutiny than in the past.”
Veldman said he hopes things change around for farmers, but “I don’t expect any miracles for 2018.” 
He’s worried it will likely be another tough year for farmers.  
Throughout the years, the show has become known for having the “greatest and latest technology” in the agriculture industry, said Brock Nelson, who is in his first year as the show director for Tradexpos, the Austin-based company that sponsors the show. 
In addition to the Owatonna show, Tradexpos operates three other shows around the country, including Wichita, Topeka and Fort Wayne. 
Besides the machinery and equipment exhibits, farmers will have a chance to take in various workshops and seminars. Some of the hot topics include farm business succession planning, managing nitrogen in crops, cover crops and manure management issues. The University of Minnesota Extension and the Linder Farm Network sponsor the educational sessions.
Nelson said he is keeping things pretty close to last year’s plan for the show. The show, he said, allows farmers to interact with someone in person on how to improve their farm operation. 
“Our overall goal is to create an event that farmers want to be at,” he said, adding it gives farmers a chance to see the latest emerging technology.
Tradexpos took over the North American Farm and Power Show in 1996 after purchasing it from the Minnesota South Dakota Equipment Dealers Association. 
The show was originally held at the Minneapolis Convention Center. It has been held in Owatonna since 2003.