by Jon M. Casey
Despite record cold temperatures the opening day of the 2014 Keystone Farm Show, farmers from across the Mid-Atlantic region headed to the York Fair Grounds in York, PA for this year’s 17th annual event, Jan. 7-9. The Keystone Farm Show, often described as “The farm show for farmers,” is an event designed expressly with farmers and their families in mind.
With temperatures barely making it above single digits on Tuesday, steady streams of people visited the more than 350 exhibitors on hand at this year’s events. There were seven buildings filled with exhibits, and additional outdoor exhibits highlighting exhibitor’s products and services. Farmers from as many as eight states were able to shop for the latest that agribusiness has to offer.
For those who preferred it, a shuttle bus service was in operation to transport attendees from one building to another. Just the same, families often decided to walk between buildings to see everything. There was much to see.
“We think this is the best farm show of its kind anywhere in the U.S.,” said Tom Meehl as he and his wife Sue stopped in to talk with Gary Lake of Stoltzfus Spreaders of Morgantown, PA. The Meehls, who are grape growers from North East, PA said that they travel to the show every year to see the latest in farming technology and services. “This is the best show for farmers that there is.”
Jerry Smith of KUHN Equipment, a regular exhibitor at the Keystone Farm Show, said he was delighted to be exhibiting at the show again this year. He said his company had a banner year in 2013, and 2014 looked equally as promising. With steady traffic visiting the KUHN Equipment exhibit in Building 1, Smith said he enjoyed tending to the customers who come out for a show like this one.
Tom Zartman of Zartman Farms Cow Comfort agreed. Introducing us to Leon Rissler, owner and builder of I.H. Rissler Mfg. LLC mixers and feeding equipment, Zartman said this year’s Keystone Farm Show was the perfect place to introduce the brand new Rissler vertical twin-screw, V995 TMR mixer wagon. As the first V995 production unit manufactured by Rissler, this TMR mixer wagon (one that was already sold), is powered by a 28HP Subaru fuel-injected engine. The V995 offers a 100 cubic foot mixing capacity with a side discharge that makes feeding cattle safe and easy. Rissler said the flighting and tub of the V995 is made from stainless steel and that other key components are made from stainless steel as well, but are painted for extra protection from the acidic materials contained in livestock feeds.
A stop at the BECO Equipment tent of Jonas Stoltzfus, outside Building 6, gave visitors the opportunity to shop for a new VAL 6 series, infrared heating unit, an innovative and extremely fuel-efficient way to heat people and workplaces. The radiant heat design of the VAL 6 heats object surfaces rather than heating the air, which prevents losing heat from windy, cold air. VAL 6 representative Joel C. Petersen said he was working with Stoltzfus during the Keystone Farm Show, but following the show he was headed to New York City with a shipment of heaters that will be used during the Super Bowl™ activities in the coming weeks. “We have 14 heaters that will be used in Times Square and another 10 that will be in use at the Meadowlands during the game,” he said.
“If you watch closely on TV, you will see the players gathered around our heaters in the cold weather.
Jeremy Driver, general manager of P. Bradley & Sons of Harrisonburg, VA, said that the Keystone Farm Show was the ideal place to introduce their new Apache Equipment sales representative, Kyle Kohout, a specialist in Apache Equipment who joined their operation in August 2013 after serving with another dealership in Pennsylvania since 2006. Kohout, who serves customers in Maryland and Pennsylvania, works from his home in Manchester, MD.
Driver said Kohout’s experience and familiarity with the Apache spray equipment and the customer base in his marketing area gives P. Bradley & Sons the quality of sales and service they were seeking when Kohout came on board. Driver said P. Bradley & Sons would also be exhibiting their Apache line of spray equipment at the Virginia Farm Show in Fishersville, VA on Jan. 16-18, 2014.
Keystone Farm Show Manager Ken Maring said he was extremely pleased with this year’s show. He said this event has become one of the most anticipated farming trade shows in the U.S. He noted that in 2015, the Keystone Farm Show would take place on Jan. 6-8. For more information, visit www.leepub.com .
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