150000 projected in Decatur for Farm Progress – Herald & Review

DECATUR The Super Bowl of agriculture is coming back to Central Illinois.

Crews are readying nearly 90 acres and more than 2.9 million square feet north of Richland Community College for the three-day Farm Progress showwhich starts Aug. 29. More than 600 exhibitors are expected, along with as many as 150,000 visitors from around the globe.

The event billed as the Nation's Largest Outdoor Farm Event combines elements of an international trade show, technology conference and demonstration site. In a maze of tents and buildings known as Progress City USA, vendors show every agricultural and livestock product imaginable, from weed control to gleaming $400,000 combines, often with eye-catching 3-D displays.

Beyond primary display grounds, entire fields are dedicated to seeing equipment in action, showing off tillage techniques and the latest in global-positioning systems.

Plumbers Matt Peters, left, and Ben Forgas perform manhole castings adjustment work at Progress City Monday. Crews are getting nearly 90 acres ready for Farm Progress, a showcase of agricultural and livestock wares.

Companies, from giants like Archer Daniels Midland Co. and Monsanto to smaller agribusinesses, exhibit the latest wares and hint at the future of agriculture.

The show, which alternates between locations in Decatur and Boone, Iowa, started in Armstrong, Illinois, in 1953 as a way for farmers to see firsthand the progress being made in farming equipment, seed varieties and agricultural chemicals.

Since 2005, the parcels near Richland have housed the show and the site improved to includes permanent structures and paved roads. The show is produced by London-based Informa Global Events.

With just over 40 days left until opening day, Greg Florian said work is on schedule to have the grounds ready for exhibitors and visitors.

Its gotten easier to prepare as the site has evolved, said Florian, vice president of finance and administration at Richland, which oversees the Progress City site.

The last show had visitors from 50 countries.

Brazilians come to see what they can expect in the near future, said Bruno Correa, an agronomist from Brazil, who attended the 2015 event.

Plumber Ben Forgas marks measurements before a pipe is cut for manhole castings adjustment work at Progress City. Farm Progress isbilled as the Nation's Largest Outdoor Farm Event."

It generates an estimated $10 million for the local economy, according to Florian.

Decatur Area Convention & Visitors Bureau Executive Director Teri Hammel said the show has the largest economic impact in the community in the years Decatur is the host.

A big economic driver is in the hospitality field, with full hotel rooms across Central Illinois. According to a report put together by the bureau for the 2015 show, Decatur/Forsyth-area hotels had 5,468 room nights for Farm Progress, making $1.3 million on the three-day event. Springfield had a total of 5,800 room nights, also bringing in $1.3 million.

That number does not count those that Hammel said come to Decatur more than a month in advance to start setting up their exhibits and weeks after the show to help tear down.

Were talking several extra million there for the local economy, she said.

The bureaus work starts in January, and ranges from setting up hotel rooms for vendors and attendees, which Hammel says can mean sold-out rooms as far as Springfield or Champaign-Urbana. They also work with embassies to help international farmers attend and educate them on the locations of goods and services in the region, such as hardware stores and restaurants.

Its chaos for us, but theres also a lot of excitement, she said. This (show) fills our community.

Nearly $500,000 also was spent this year hiring Decatur-based Dunn Co. to improve roadways, fix drainage and shoulders and patch potholes. It was funded by grant dollars, Informa, money in the county highway fund left over from the sites original construction and Brush College LLC, created by the college to help operate the site.

Theyll have the roads all fixed up by the time exhibitors start to set up, said Macon County Highway Engineer Bruce Bird.

In 2015, crews expanded the site, added three streets and built 100 more exhibit spots on the southwest side of the venue.

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling A group from Chihuahua, Mexico, including from left, John Peters, Peter Peters, Abraham Nelson, Daniel Loewan and Franz Peters record the corn combining field demonstrations during the first day of the Farm Progress Show Tuesday September 1, 2015.

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling A view from the Brock grain bin service platform provides a view of the flurry of activity down Eleventh Progress Street during the first day of the Farm Progress Show Tuesday September 1, 2015.

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Troy Tracey eats ice cream while helping with the transport of ice back to the Dow AgroSciences tent during the first day of the Farm Progress Show Tuesday September 1, 2015.

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Ticket holders wait along the Avenue of Flags for the gates to open during the first day of the Farm Progress Show Tuesday September 1, 2015.

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Visitors look at a map of Progress City at the John Deere exhibit area during the first day of the Farm Progress Show Tuesday August 1, 2015.

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Hunter Rademaker,4, helps demonstrate a grain bin lifeline at the Grain Handling Safety Coalition site next to the Health and Safety Tent during the first day of the Farm Progress Show Tuesday.

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Tuscola F.F.A. advisor Brittany Eubank, left, and member Jordan Ochs help set up the organizations booth during the first morning of the Farm Progress Show Tuesday. The group is selling raffle tickets at the show for a 1955 John Deere tractor that they helped restore. Proceeds from the raffle will benefit Tuscola F.F.A.

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Dr. Joe Jeffrey emcees a cattle chute demonstration at the Livestock Industries Tent during the first day of the Farm Progress Show Tuesday. Jeffrey says he wanted to focus on how safe the shoots on display are for cows.

Rodney Crim of Golconda watches a corn combining demonstration with his grandson, Josaiah Crim, 4, on Tuesday at theFarm Progress Show in Decatur. Josaiah is attempting to block the dustwith his hat while his grandpa takes a picture of the combine with his cellphone.

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Farm Progress host farmer Jeff Zinn has his blood pressure checked by E.M.T. Kristy Gorden at the Liberty Village table in the Health and Safety tent during the first day of the Farm Progress Show Tuesday.

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Eric Burgett performs country music on the Opening Ceremonies Bayer CropScience stage for ticket holders walking in the main entrance during the first morning of the Farm Progress Show Tuesday.

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Visitors peruse the Case IH Agriculture exhibit during the first day of the Farm Progress Show Tuesday.

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Several hundred people observe a corn combining demonstration during the first day of the Farm Progress Show Tuesday.

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Rodney Crim of Golconda, Ill., watches a corn combining demonstration with his grandson Josaiah Crim,4, as Josaiah attempts to block dust with his hat during the first day of the Farm Progress Show Tuesday.

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Several new models of farm equipment are parked in between field demonstrations during the first day of the Farm Progress Show Tuesday.

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Day 1 of the Farm Progress Show at Progress City in Decatur, Ill., Tuesday September 1, 2015

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Ticket holders wait along the Avenue of Flags for the gates to open during the first day of the Farm Progress Show Tuesday September 1, 2015.

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Visitors look at a map of Progress City at the John Deere exhibit area during the first day of the Farm Progress Show Tuesday August 1, 2015.

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Visitors peruse the Case IH Agriculture exhibit during the first day of the Farm Progress Show Tuesday.

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Several hundred people observe a corn combining demonstration during the first day of the Farm Progress Show Tuesday.

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Several new models of farm equipment are parked in between field demonstrations during the first day of the Farm Progress Show Tuesday.

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Day 1 of the Farm Progress Show at Progress City in Decatur, Ill., Tuesday September 1, 2015

Florian said roadwork has not gotten a lot of attention since the first show on the grounds, in 2005.

After 12 years of being out there, the vehicles are getting bigger and the exhibits are getting bigger, he said. The roads were really starting to show their age.

Some exhibitors have started preparations on plots. As of Thursday afternoon, 554 exhibitors were expected to attend. With more than a month before the show, that is par the course, said Jeff Smith, regional sales manager for Informa.

One change this year is that there will be no headliner country act performing and evening concert. Where past shows have seen national country singers like Craig Morgan and Chris Cagle take the stage to thousands of fans, the only musical acts at this years show will be ones brought by exhibitors.

I think with the farm economy the way it is right now, none of the sponsors stepped up, Florian said. It just wasnt in the cards.

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150000 projected in Decatur for Farm Progress – Herald & Review

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