Wisconsin Ag Connection - Huntsinger Farms to Host Farm Tech Days in 2020

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Huntsinger Farms to Host Farm Tech Days in 2020
Wisconsin Ag Connection - 11/15/2017

The location for the 2020 Wisconsin Farm Technology Days has been announced in Eau Claire County. On Tuesday, organizers of the state's largest farm show introduced the owners of Huntsinger Farms Inc. of Eau Claire, which is known to many as the largest grower and processor of horseradish in the world.

Huntsinger Farms was founded by Ellis Huntsinger in 1929. The enterprise remains family-owned, which is now operated by Huntsinger's granddaughter Nancy Bartusch and two great-grandsons, Eric and Ryan Rygg, Huntsinger.

The company is vertically integrated with Silver Spring Foods, Inc. and grows and harvests over 7.5 million pounds of horseradish per year. In addition, the farm also grows 1,400 acres of corn, 2,100 acres of soybeans, and 310 acres of snap beans.

"Hosting the 2020 Eau Claire County Farm Technology Days is a once in a lifetime honor for Huntsinger Farms and the Huntsinger Family," said Eric Rygg. "Farm Technology Days will give us a unique opportunity to share our knowledge and experience farming this specialty crop."

The event will commence July 21-23, 2020. As hosts, the family will go to work immediately with the local Executive Committee and state Farm Technology Days coordinators to plan crop rotations to fit with the field demonstrations.

County Extension Agent Mark Hagedorn says the Huntsinger operation is an example of the diverse agricultural industry Eau Claire County has to offer. He says the area also consists of a lot of dairy and beef farms, orchards, vineyards and organic crop production.

Eau Claire County last held the show in 1992 when Farm Progress Days was co-hosted by the Dick & Donna Cleasby Farm and the Dennis & Tami Schacht Farm near Augusta in September of that year. Unfortunately, many remember the event as a one-day show after heavy rains forced organizers to cancel days 2 and 3 after a nearly perfect first day.

Meanwhile, Wood County will host FTD next July 10-12 at D&B Sternweis Farms and Weber's Farm Store/Heiman Holsteins near Marshfield. Jefferson County will bring the event back to southern Wisconsin in July 2019 at Walters Farm by Grellton. That family also hosted the show in 1984.

Farm Technology Days is run by 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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