The Farm News Ag Show will be in a new home when it begins Friday.

The CJ Bio America presents the 20th annual Farm News Ag Show will be at the Webster County Fairgrounds on Old Highway 169 south of Fort Dodge.

The show hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

“It’s our 20th anniversary and we are very excited to make it a great show for all of the visitors and exhibitors,” said Dana Lantz, advertising manager for Farm News.

When it started out 20 years ago, the show was in the Career Education Building at Iowa Central Community College. When Iowa Central purchased the East Campus, it was moved there to give the show more space.

The move to the Webster County Fairgrounds provides easy access from U.S. highways 169 and 20, plentiful parking and a building layout that will put speakers right in the middle of the action.

“We can have the speakers right in the center of the show,” Lantz said.

The center stage location will make it easy for exhibitors to interact with visitors before and after each presentation.

In addition to the new location, there is a new schedule. While the show has traditionally been held in the middle of the week, this year it is on Friday and Saturday.

“We wanted to try something new, something different,” Lantz said. “Hopefully, this will enable more younger farmers who may have full-time jobs off the farm to be able to attend.”

Farm News is also welcoming CJ Bio America as the premier sponsor for the show. The partnership is one that Lantz said has been heart-warming.

“CJ Bio America is a great company and very community minded,” he said. “They like to sponsor events that are good for the community. We are very pleased to have them on board.”

This year is actually the first year of a three-year partnership with CJ Bio America to serve as major sponsor, according to Lantz.

While there’s plenty new this year, what hasn’t changed is the dedication of bringing regional ag business together with area farmers to see new product lines and learn about new ideas in agriculture.

Lantz is particularly proud of the regional aspect of the show.

“There are a lot of really big farm shows, but I don’t know anyone who does a regional show like this,” he said.

The smaller show gives farmers and exhibitors more time to talk one-on-one, rather than the hustle and bustle of the big shows. The local connection is important, particularly as farmers often make key buying decisions in December preparing for the coming tax season.

Of course, there can’t be a farm show without some good food to serve up for visitors. Friday’s lunch will be cooked up by the Webster County Pork Producers, with the Webster County Beef Producers stepping up on Saturday to prepare the meal. Ambassadors from the Greater Fort Dodge Growth Alliance will be helping to serve the meals each day.

A free pancake breakfast, courtesy of the Webster County Farm Bureau, will be from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Saturday.

Each day will feature speakers. Kicking it off at 1 p.m. Friday will be Chad Hart, professor of economics at Iowa State University in Ames. He will give his outlook on crops, fertilizer and energy.

Dennis Todey, director of the United States Department of Agriculture Midwest Climate HUB, follows at 3 p.m. Friday. He will be focusing on climate information for ag decision-making.

The final speaker of the day at 5 p.m. will be Kelvin Leibold, farm and ag business management specialist for Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.

Saturday’s first speaker at 8:30 a.m. will be Mark Licht, associate professor of agronomy and cropping systems specialist for Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. He will talk about soybean management for higher yields.

David Kruse, chairman of Commstock Investments and author of The Commstock Report will speak at both 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday. His talks will focus on “Sharpened Horns for 2023/Enjoy Being a Farmer,” and “CO2 Pipelines, Why I Signed an Easement.”

Visitors to the show can also sign up for a drawing sponsored by the Iowa Outdoor Store and Hardware Hank. The two local businesses are sponsoring a a drawing for a Kimber rifle valued at $1,600.

In addition, the shed raffle is back again this year in cooperation with the Noon Sertoma Club. Tickets are $25 to win a shed and at the same time benefit the Backpack Buddies program, which sends qualifying school kids home with food each weekend.

“We’re really looking forward to a really great show for our 20th year,” Lantz said. “We want everyone to come out and just have a great time, learn something and connect with regional exhibitors.”