Wisconsin Ag Connection - Sugar Creek & Heideman Farms to Host 2012 Farm Tech Days

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Sugar Creek & Heideman Farms to Host 2012 Farm Tech Days
Wisconsin Ag Connection - 11/16/2009

The location for the 2012 Wisconsin Farm Technology Days has been announced in Outagamie County. Last week, organizers of the state's largest farm show introduced members of the Handschke and Bruette families of Sugar Creek Farms, and the Heideman families from Heideman Farms, who will co-host the event in July of that year. The two farms are located just north of New London.

Sugar Creek Farms just expected their dairy operation last year, and now milk about 1,200 cows on a 1,700 acre farm. They also runs a custom-heifer raising operation in Taylor County. The Heidemans milk 85 cows on their 700 acre operation. The families are all joining forces to allow the show to have enough land for equipment demonstrations, adequate parking and tent city.

Kevin Jarek, an agriculture and horticulture agent for the Outagamie County Extension office, said the two farms will not only offer a unique setting for the show, but their location near the Fox Cities will also add convenience for those staying in the area during the three-day event. He also noted there were three other farms under consideration before the final site was chosen.

As hosts for the show, the farms' owners will go to work immediately with the Executive Committee and state Farm Technology Days coordinators to plan crop rotations to fit with the field demonstrations.

This is the second time that Outagamie County is hosting the event. The county held Farm Progress Days in 1981.

Next year, FTD will be held in Pierce County at the Roger and Beverly Peterson Farm near River Falls on July 20-22. Marathon County will be the host in July 2011 at Seehafer Acres, owned by the Ken and Karen Seehafer family just north of Marshfield. Barron County has already been selected for 2013, but a host has not yet been named.

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.