By TIM ALEXANDER

Illinois Correspondent

PEORIA, Ill. — The Greater Peoria Farm Show (GPFS) will return to the Peoria Civic Center (PCC) on Nov. 27 for its 37th consecutive year, longer than any trade show or event in the equally-long history of the building.

But with the debut of dozens of new exhibitors and product lines this year, and a new show manager, the three-day event keeps evolving to better reflect the changing agricultural landscape and needs of today’s farmers.

“There are 51 companies that are new to this year’s show,” said Penny Swank, who is taking over for semi-retired FarmShows USA show manager Ron Bormaster, a longtime fixture at the Peoria farm show. Swank, who has managed FarmShows USA events in the Dakotas and Oklahoma City in past years, said a number of new solar energy companies are leading the influx of new vendors at the show.

“I asked some of them why they are coming into the show at this time, and they told me about the tax break (part of the Illinois Jobs Act) in Illinois on solar, and how solar is getting smaller, more efficient and less expensive. Right now, I have five or six solar companies coming in this year,” said Swank, adding there had been only “one or two” solar exhibitors in recent years.

The addition of the new exhibitors means more than 300 companies will again be on hand at the GPFS, exhibiting more than 1,000 product lines over more than 90,000 square feet of displays. Approximately 20,000 farmers usually visit the show, making the event the largest indoor farm show in Illinois and one of the premier agricultural events in the nation.

This is in spite of a severe, prolonged economic downturn in the farming community, led by declining commodity prices and trade issues that have resulted in a years-long downward spiral of farm income.

Iowa State University climatologist Dr. Elwynn Taylor will return to the GPFS to offer his 2019 Crop Weather Outlook.

“Dr. Taylor will offer his insight on near- and long-term weather patterns and their impact on farmers on Tuesday, November 27, at 1:30 p.m., and again on Wednesday, November 28, at 11 a.m.,” said Swank, an Austin, Minn. native who has been with FarmShows USA – Midwest Shows, Inc. for 25 years. She has regularly attended and assisted at the Peoria show for many years.

Many exhibitors, such as Illinois-based Hefty Seed Co., bring in crop or livestock experts to help inform farmers’ product choices and to boost company sales. This year, Hefty Seed is bringing in popular RFD-TV “Corn Warriors” hosts and champion growers Randy Dowdy, Kevin Kalb and Dan Luepkes for special booth appearances during the show’s three-day run.

“They will be doing high-yield presentations at the show and then coming to our booth,” said Rachel Denton, location manager for Hefty Seed Co. in Princeton. “Randy will be in our booth on (Nov.) 27th from 9 to noon, and offering his High Yield Presentation from 10 to 11 a.m. at the farm show’s presentation area.

“Dan Luepkes will be in the booth on November 28 from 1 to 3 p.m. for a question-and-answer session, and Kevin Kalb will be in the booth from 9 to noon on (Nov.) 29th with his High Yield Presentation from 10 to 11. All three are high-yield corn and soybean specialists who will be here to talk with farmers about their yield techniques and answer questions.”

Also returning to the GPFS is the popular farm toy show, hosted by collector Dave Copple of Hanna City. Located near the media room, outside the PCC Convention Hall and around the corner from the Civic Center Theater, the toy show has its own separate room in which to house the thousands of antique farm miniatures on display.

Many of the toys date back to the 1940s when Joe Ertl Sr. crafted his early farm toys from recycled aluminum pistons. Proceeds from some of the items Copple has for sale go directly to the Peoria County Farm Bureau Foundation, for use in its agricultural literacy program in elementary schools and college ag scholarship grants.

“Agriculture in the Classroom volunteers teach a new subject in our county each month,” said Copple, who is the director of the board of Logan Township in Peoria County. “Last month it was soybeans, but it could have been citrus or any number of other (commodities).

“It is the best program we have to teach agriculture to third-through-sixth-graders, many of whom assume milk and groceries originate from the grocery store, and that there is a garden behind the grocery store supplying the produce. Many kids these days truly have no concept where there food comes from, and these programs address that issue.”

The 37th annual GPFS runs from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Nov. 27-29 at the Peoria Civic Center (201 SW Jefferson Street; phone 309-673-8900) in downtown Peoria. Though admission is free, expect to pay a small fee to park in PCC lots or in neighboring parking decks.

For more information and an interactive floor plan of the show, go to www.greaterpeoriafarmshow.com or call FarmShowsUSA at 800-873-1411.