Market News & Headlines >> Brock Consultant Katie Hancock's Blog: 4 Farm Show Observations Worth Sharing
Insights from Brock Associates Consultant Katie Hancock
I like the idea of farming on paper, but in reality it just doesn’t work that way. I attended the National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville, KY last week to keep a broad perspective. I preach the importance of being in touch with the business side of farming, but it’s important to keep up to date with production as well.
These are my observations:
Smaller crowd. You won’t hear salesmen admit it, but the attendance was down. It’s not the nature of farmers to sit back and stay home, but it appeared to be such. One might assume there’s less demand. The quality of the crowd was still great.
More saleswomen. I have noticed a rise in women working for ag companies. Either there are more opportunities or a growing demand for ag jobs. When I was at Murray State several years ago, I was amazed at the number of women who found excellent job opportunities after college. Not amazed because they weren’t capable—it just wasn’t what I expected.
Large marketing attendance. This show is more production than business, but it was obvious the crowd wanted economic feedback from the speakers. It’s not unusual to see large crowds when prices are low, because when they’re high it’s easy for everyone. The average age was 50 years old. I still argue the younger generation is in tune with marketing, they just don’t have marketing responsibilities as often.
Better technology. The most valuable technology I noticed involved planting, grain-quality management, tiling, and precision fertilizer tools. For the individual farmer, the obvious solution to low prices is to make better yields and reduce inputs. I applaud the new ways to do such.
Overall, Louisville was an excellent show. Farmers are great at what they do- especially on the production aspect. Thanks to all the vendors that shared their great ideas with us.
FYI upcoming events:
Farm and Gin Show Visit us at booth 922!
Commodity Classic Visit us at booth 3414!
Email Katie at [email protected]
