The 2014 Big Iron Farm Show set for Sept. 9-11 in West Fargo is scheduled to include exhibits, informative sessions, presentations and demonstrations by NDSU Extension Service specialists and researchers.
The NDSU Big Iron field demonstrations will focus on unmanned aircraft systems, known as UAS, agricultural applications.
The field demonstrations are scheduled from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. daily, beginning with a 30-minute educational session by NDSU Extension crop specialists discussing aspects of the UAS research that was conducted this summer at the NDSU Carrington Research Extension Center.
Following the educational session, participating UAS industry representatives will discuss their equipment and do demonstrations. Each company will have five minutes to talk about their equipment and then demonstrate its aircraft. The Big Iron UAS demonstrations will be coordinated by representatives of the Academy of Model Aeronautics.
The NDSU Extension displays will be in the east entry of the Hartl Ag Building and will include displays staffed by NDSU Extension personnel.
Ken Hellevang, NDSU Extension agricultural engineer, will present information on alternative grain storage facilities and use a grain entrapment display to demonstrate safe grain handling practices.
NDSU Extension Agribusiness and Applied Economics specialists Dwight Aakre and Andy Swenson and county Extension agents Willie Huot and John Kringler will be at the NDSU exhibit area to answer questions related to the new farm bill.
Esther McGinnis, NDSU Extension horticulturist, will be available at the Extension exhibit area on Tuesday, Sept. 9, to answer horticultural questions.
David Lehman, NDSU manufacturing engineer, will demonstrate 3-D printing and discuss 3-D printing applications in business and industry on Wednesday and Thursday, Sept. 10 and 11.
David Ripplinger, NDSU bioproducts and bioenergy economist, will present information on bioindustry activities and options.
Several Extension Service staff will be available to answer crop production questions. Kasia Kinzer, NDSU Extension plant diagnostician, will be available Tuesday morning, Sept. 9. Hans Kandel, NDSU Extension agronomist, will be available on Wednesday morning, Sept. 10. Other Extension Service agents also will be available during the entire show.
Big Iron is the largest farm show in the upper Midwest, with more than 900 exhibit booths, training sessions and demonstrations, and more than 70,000 visitors each year. Big Iron is held at the Red River Valley Fairgrounds in West Fargo.
For more information on the show, go to http://bigironfarmshow.com/.
NDSU is recognized as one of the nation’s top 108 public and private universities by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education.
