Farm Progress Show 2018
The Farm Progress Show is hailed as “The Nation’s Largest Outdoor Farm Event” and where major manufacturers choose to unveil their latest offerings. The show attracts over 100,000 people from almost every state and 40 countries as well as over 600 vendors. The show is held on permanent sites every other year with odd number years in Decatur, Illinois, and even number years in Boone, Iowa. This year’s show will be held August 28, 29, 30th at the Boone, Iowa location.
Where does the F/FCA fit in with all of this new and advanced farming technology? Every year the show has what is called “Antique Row” which has over 100 antique tractors. Each tractor brand is displayed together with Oliver, Allis Chalmers, Minneapolis Moline, John Deere, Farmall, and Massey Harris all being represented by a collectors group. At the 2017 Farm Progress Show in Decatur, Illinois, as I was walking through the “Antique Row” displays, I overheard a high school FFA student say to another student “I wonder why there are no Fords here?” This made me also wonder why there were no Fords being represented by the F/FCA to showcase our club and potentially grow membership.
At the 2018 Farm Progress Show, the Ford/Fordson Collectors Association will have a 40 foot by 70 foot display area. This area should provide enough room for about 15 tractors as well as a small tent with chairs and a couple of tables to sign up new members and sell limited merchandise. So, what do we need to do to make this event successful for the F/FCA? We need about 15 good quality Ford or Fordson tractors to sit in our area and be admired by the over 100,000 people attending. We also need F/FCA members to be there to talk about our tractors and our club to anyone who comes to our area.
Please e-mail me at kddoty@gmail.com or call at 618-694-0744 to RSVP with the tractor you would like to bring to the show. I only ask this because our space is limited, and we need to keep the display size manageable. Please feel free to contact me as well with any questions about this event.
-Kyle Doty