WESTFIELD, Ind. – Organizers of this year’s Indiana Farm Equipment & Technology Expo have made some changes to the event after receiving feedback from last year’s show.

The Expo is Dec. 13-15 at the Grand Park Events Center in Westfield. The show is a joint venture of the two largest agricultural media organizations in Indiana: Hoosier Ag Today and Farm World Newspaper. There is no charge to attend the Expo or to park.

“We always try to tweak things a little bit,” said Gary Truitt, the Expo’s president. “Agriculture is a dynamic industry with new issues, new trends. We’re both dynamic media organizations so we’re on top of those things.”

Truitt is also chairman of Hoosier Ag Today.

Last year’s Expo was the first at Grand Park after the show spent years at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.

“After last year, we surveyed attendees and exhibitors,” Truitt explained. “We asked what they liked and didn’t like. Several said the food service wasn’t good enough, wasn’t fast enough. This year we’ve added a ‘grab and go’ food area to provide faster service.”

The restaurant will still be open, he added.

The Expo’s educational sessions have been reorganized as well, Truitt said. “We have a few less seminars. In the past, we tried everything to see what worked best. We think this year they’re better seminars. We looked at which ones drew better attendance and those are the ones we focused on. We’re focusing on things the people really like.”

The Dec. 13 seminars focus on new technology such as drones and robots. Sessions on day two feature speakers discussing economic, market and weather outlooks.

“We’ve moved to local speakers who can talk specifically about Indiana,” Truitt said. “We’re also trying to have a little bit of whiz bang on some of the technology. The outlooks flow together. They will all talk about what they see coming in 2023.”

The coffee shop has been moved to the seminar area from the main floor, allowing attendees the opportunity to have a cup of coffee while listening to some of the educational sessions or to visit with others, he said.

For the first time, the Expo will include an Ag Career Fair. Also new this year is a presentation on land ownership issues for women from the Indiana State Department of Agriculture, the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service and Women4theLand. Both events will be on the 15th.

Seminar presenters will also discuss what they see happening in agriculture over the next decade.

“They’re going to look at things that are going to become commonplace over the next 10 years,” Truitt said. “Drones are an example. They were first used just to take photos, but now we’re applying chemicals and seed with them. They can be used to identify diseases in the field. This is cutting edge technology now, but will be commonplace in a few years.”

Robots that can plant a garden or take care of house plants may become more common in the future, he noted. High speed broadband will be almost universal in rural Indiana in the next 10 years, Truitt said.

“The exhibitors report two challenges – the lack of availability of some equipment and staffing,” he explained. “Some exhibitors just don’t have the equipment or don’t have the people to work the booth. But there will be equipment at the Expo. The challenge is seeing the newest big pieces of equipment. Farmers aren’t finding it at the dealerships either.”

Last year’s attendance was about 6,000, which was up from 2019. There was no Expo in 2020 due to COVID-19.

“With the new facility, we did see a big jump in attendance last year,” Truitt said. “People just wanted to get out and see something. We hope this year attendance is at least the same and perhaps better. Hopefully, there’s a little more optimism for 2023. Farmers had a good crop.

“It hasn’t been a great year in ag, but it hasn’t been a disaster. Farmers want to know ways to maximize their yields and minimize their costs, whether it’s a cheaper seed, another kind of fertilizer or different piece of equipment.”

The Expo is a more relaxed atmosphere than some of the larger farm and equipment shows in the region, Truitt said.

“Those shows all have big crowds and you’re getting pushed along as you walk through. At the Expo, it’s easy to park and walk right in. The aisles are wide, it’s easy to walk at a slower pace. You can talk to people. Going to a farm show is very much a social event.”

The Expo’s hours are 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on the 13th and 14th, and 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on the 15th. Free breakfasts will be offered on the 13th and 14th. The events center is at 19000 Grand Park Blvd., Westfield. For more information, including a complete list of seminar speakers and times, visit www.indianafarmexpo.com.