It doesn’t look like I’ll be able to make it up to the Wisconsin Farm Technology Days this year, unfortunately. It’s too bad because Farm Technology Days is an excellent place to see the newest farm technology on display from equipment manufacturers, and is also a heck of a good time for anyone with an interest in the farm business. This year’s event is in Brown County (they hold it in a different county each year), at Country Aire Farms in Holland, from July 15 to July 17.

Unlike some farm shows, the Farm Technology Days focuses on pure practicality – this year’s show will have in-field demonstrations of tillage, mowing, raking, harvesting, and baling techniques. The University of Wisconsin Extension program will be at the show doing free on-the-spot water quality tests to check for high levels of nitrates. (At last year’s show, one in six samples brought in for testing showed problems.)

Organizers this year expect about 70,000 visitors, and about 900 commercial and educational demonstrators. One of the more interesting demonstrators at this year’s show is Elimanure, an outfit that has developed a technology for using evaporation and oxygen enrichment to convert manure into a dry fuel. Manure management is always on the agenda for farmers who maintain livestock; the Elimanure system reduces the manpower needed for handling manure drastically without losing the revenue potential that manure represents, since you can sell the fuel or use it to cut your own energy costs on-site.

There are almost 400 acres dedicated to on-site field demonstrations this year, and strip tillage is going to be demonstrated – so if you’d like to see this done by farmers who have already climbed the learning curve, this is a great chance. It’s not all seriousness, of course – locals can bring in their largest field-grown weed for the annual Biggest Wisconsin Weed contest. The usual farm life exhibits, art displays, youth exhibits, and an interesting historical presentation of farm equipment from days gone by are also on the agenda.

As state fairs become more carnival-like, shows like the Wisconsin Farm Technology Days are playing an increasingly important role in giving farmers a chance to see and share new techniques and technology. If you’re local to Wisconsin, or can make the drive, consider dropping in this year – you won’t regret it.