Wisconsin Ag Connection - Wood County Farm Tech Brings in Over 42,000

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Wood County Farm Tech Brings in Over 42,000
Wisconsin Ag Connection - 07/13/2018

Despite an early morning shower on Thursday morning, visitors to Wisconsin Farm Technology Days in Wood County could not have had better weather for its three day run near Marshfield. Local committee members and exhibitors told Wisconsin Ag Connection that attendance was strong all week long as 42,200 showgoers enjoyed touring the rotary milking parlor at D&B Sternweis Farms, watching virtual tours of Weber's Farm Store, Heiman Holsteins and Nasonville Dairy, and walking into a miniature cranberry marsh in the Innovation Square area of Tent City. The Youth Generations display and field demonstrations near the grounds were also well attended.

"A great location in the state and very nice weather made for an ideal situation to bring people out," said Tent City Coordinator Anna Maenner.

Local Committee Chairman Dennis Bangart added that the positive synergies between local committee leaders and volunteers helped make the event a huge success.

"We attempted to bring the community together and we ended up creating a family in the process," he said. "Our group could not be happier with the size of the crowd and the quality of the show."

The show's host families were also pleased with how the event came together. Since being named co-hosts in 2015, the Daryl & Brenda Sternweis Family and Ken & Joellen Heiman and Kelvin and Marilyn Families have grown even closer--especially since Heather Sternweis and Josh Heiman were united in marriage a year later and are now expecting their first child.

Meanwhile, the task of hosting WFTD will be passed on to Walters Farm near Grellton. Their event will be held July 23-25 in Jefferson County. Eau Claire County will be the host in July 2020 at Huntsinger Farms by Eau Claire. And the Iola Car Show is in discussions with the state Farm Tech board about putting on the 2021 show.

The annual expo is run by Wisconsin Farm Technology Days, Inc.--a group comprised of representatives of state and federal agencies involved in agriculture and natural resources, the University of Wisconsin, and the agribusiness-industry and farming sectors.

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