National Farm Machinery Show 2013

Feb 14, 2013

From February 13–16, farm enthusiasts from all parts of the country will congregate in Louisville, Kentucky to explore the 2013 National Farm Machinery Show, the largest indoor farm show in America. The John Deere Company will be just one of more than 800 companies exhibiting machines, products, and knowledge at this year’s show.

Products and services from the leading brands will be on display throughout the 27 acres of floor space, which includes industry seminars and a gift shop for families to take a timeout. The event is expected to draw more than 300,000 attendees and will be held at the Kentucky Exposition Center.

The National Farming Show will also be putting on its annual Championship Tractor Pull, which has been a staple of the event since its origination in 1969 at the fourth National Farming Show, making this event the oldest large-scale indoor pull in North America. Lora Berg states in a Farm Industry News article, “Whether it’s John Deere green, International red, or another color that sparks your enthusiasm, the Championship Tractor Pull is the place to show your machinery pride.” Tractor enthusiasts will be given the opportunity to walk besides the competing tractors, meet the drivers, get autographs, and take photos with the competing machines.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.