BOONE — From aerial application and artificial intelligence in agriculture to fire safety and emergency assistance, the Farm Progress Show brought together farmers and companies Tuesday through Thursday.
For the exhibitors, the show provided an opportunity to show off new equipment and discuss changes in agriculture.
John Deere showcased their new AI assistant, JD. This AI tool helps farmers analyze machine, field and operational information collected through the company’s operation center.
“Farmers are the expert decision makers,” Jackson Baca, the group product marketing manager with John Deere, said. “They’re not managing data. They’re managing their business.”
Instead of farmers sorting through years worth of information, JD allows farmers to ask questions about their own operation and receive information based on their own data.
Aerial Application showed off new technology as well.
John Clarkin of SCT Aerial Application said the demand for DJI agricultural drones increased. These drones can identify weeds, spot spray and stand counts in corn fields.
“Technology can allow farmers to target specific areas of a field rather than applying chemicals across the entire field,” Clarkin said.
Growth in technology also reflects changes in the size and structure of farms.
“I enjoy attending the Farm Progress Show to see how the equipment has changed throughout the years,” Dean Schwarz, a former dairy farmer from the Davenport area, said.
Schwarz said that technology can be a major benefit for farmers who have the time and the resources to keep up with it. However, he is skeptical about the idea of completely removing the farmers from the equipment.
“I want to be out there operating the equipment so I know what it’s doing,” Schwarz said.
For him, the changes in agriculture also reflect the larger transformation in the size and structure of farms in recent years.
The amount of farmland available is decreasing while the cost of equipment is increasing, making it difficult for younger generations to enter the industry.
“I couldn’t afford to even buy one piece of equipment to farm a small acreage today,” Schwarz said.
These challenges are part of the reason why organizations such as Farm Rescue are working to provide assistance to farmers when they experience unexpected circumstances that prevent them from farming.
“We provide assistance to farmers and ranchers who experience injuries, illnesses or natural disasters,” Kaleigh Reller, the marketing and communications strategist with Farm Rescue, said.
Farm Rescue operates across 11 Midwest states and relies on more than 300 volunteers. The team assists with tasks that the farmers need, including planting, haying, harvesting and commodity hauling.
The donation-funded organization stores equipment in Iowa and North Dakota.
Reller said the need for the organization’s services has grown as traditional networks of neighbors helping one another has become more difficult to rely on.
“Traditionally, the neighbors would come,” Reller said. “But what’s happening more and more is the neighbors also have something going on.”
Farm Rescue’s presence at the Farm Progress Show allows the organization to connect with farmers.
Other exhibitors focused on helping farmers protect the investments they have already made.
Allen Kronebusch, owner of Stop Fyre, said his company produces fire extinguishers designed specifically to provide long-term protection without the maintenance required by traditional extinguishers.
“Farmers are an important customer base because of the number of expensive machines and equipment found on farms,” Kronebush said. “The risk of fires is also greater on farms because of factors such as machinery, electrical wiring and human error.”
After spending much of his career in urban areas, Kronebush came back to his agricultural roots and recognized the need for better fire protection on farms.
While some of the exhibitors focused on technology and safety, others focused on the importance of personal relationships within agriculture.
Katie Dowson, owner of Seed Life, said her company sells corn, soybeans and wheat throughout the Midwest while also operating an agricultural apparel business.
Dowson said Seed Life tries to distinguish itself from larger seed companies by maintaining close relationships with its customers.
“Everything in the seed world has gotten very big and very corporate,” Down said. “We’re a small business that truly values all of our customers.”
Seed Life has attended the Farm Progress Show since 2024, using the event to connect with farmers while also giving consumers an opportunity to show their support for agriculture with their apparel.
Across the show, the different exhibitors represented different sides of the industry: technological advancements, the changing of farms and the challenges farmers face.
For Schwarz, however, the fundamental challenges of farming remain familiar to him.
“You gotta keep your overhead in check,” Schwarz said. “Otherwise, you’re gonna be sunk.”
Farmers must continue to manage their costs and adapt to the ever-changing markets.
As the Farm Progress Show demonstrated last week, the future of agriculture may look different now, but the farmers and the businesses that support the industry are continuing to adapt.