Matt Oliver
and Katie Stines
Staff Writers

Wednesday morning brought rain to the Farm Progress Show site, but it did not keep away the visitors.
The grounds held up well with preventative maintenance. The walkways were muddy, but many people wore their boots or just regular shoes.

Glenn Danuser, an exhibitor from Missouri, was on hand to answer questions from show goers about Danuser, his agricultural and industrial attachments company. Danuser has been family-owned since 1910 and Glenn said the fourth generation is now running the company.

He said the Farm Progress Show was like a ghost town when he first started Wednesday morning.
"This morning it was rough -- it was slow. But once it cleared up, it picked up. Sometimes the rain can be beneficial during things like this because people come out of working in the fields and come to the Farm Progress Show," Danuser said.

The weather did not stop visitors from visiting the exhibitor tents or displays. Judy Isaacson, of Iowa State Extension, was at the Iowa State tent this morning and she said they had as many visitors Wednesday as they had during the opening day of the event.

"With the weather the way it is, more people have come inside the tent today," Isaacson said. "We have had just as many visitors as yesterday."

At the International Visitors Center, registrations weren't nearly as high as the first day of the show. According to International Marketing Manager for the Iowa Department of Economic Development Peggy Kerr, 300 international visitors pre-registered for the Farm Progress Show Wednesday while 200 registered on opening day.

"Today, with the weather, it's definitely slower," Kerr said.

In years past, rain presented many challenges for the Farm Progress Show. The 1986 show held in Alleman was rained out, as well as the 2004 show in Henning, Ill.

To address these weather-related issues, this year's Farm Progress Show featured upgrades, including hard surfaced roads as well as a storm sewer and drainage system which helped diminish potential issues.
As the weather brightened up in the afternoon, things appeared to be in full swing.

Representing Monsanto Company, U.S. Soybean Traits Marketing Lead Dion McBay explained that the wet weather conditions were nothing new for Boone.

"We've been challenged with weather events here in Boone throughout the entire growing season," McBay said. "A little rain this morning wouldn't deter our efforts at this point."

Though the rain may have driven farmers away from their fields, it afforded them the opportunity to shift their focus toward the future of agricultural technology.

"We'd certainly rather have a sunny day with blue skies," McBay said. "But this morning's rain may help local crops finish the year stronger."