Kentucky FSA at the National Farm Machinery Show

By: Winnie Breeding

The Farm Service Agency participated in the 44th National Farm Machinery (NFMS) show in Louisville, Ky., February 11-14, 2009. This massive event featured thousands of widely recognized agricultural products and services showcased by more than 800 exhibitors and covered 1.2 million square feet of exhibit space.

During the four day show, FSA promoted the 2008 Farm Bill and focused on the new Disaster Assistance Programs and Farm Loan Programs. FSA staff from Kentucky state and county offices answered questions from farmers on various programs. The topic that piqued the most interest was the Average Crop Revenue Election (ACRE) Program.

In addition to gaining hands-on access to the newest and most innovative products on the market, attendees also benefited from free seminars featuring some of the industry’s top experts. Seminars ranged from marketing practices for farmers to fine-tuning crop production skills, as well as risk assessment and management strategies.

A championship tractor pull was held in conjunction with the National Farm Machinery Show. The competition, sponsored by Syngenta, is America's oldest indoor tractor pull and dates back to 1969. The National Farm Machinery Show is the largest indoor farm show in the nation and was attended by over 300,000 people from across the United States, Australia and Canada. The next annual NFMS will take place February 10-13, 2010.

New farm equipment sparkles under the exhibition lights at the National Farm Machinery Show, which showcased equipment over an expansive 1.2 million square feet of space.