ALLEMAN — At the 51st annual Farm Progress Show, you can tell you’re in Iowa by the color of the dirt: a sun-baked black.

The midday sun is hot, and the smell of red, white and blue wood chips rises in the air. Around 400 exhibitors are at the Farm Progress Show this year to display their farm machinery, crops, livestock and farming supplies.

There is also an ISU exhibit where visitors can learn more about the university, health, farming and livestock.

“It’s the best exhibit building in the show, and it’s the best farm show in the nation,” says Dave Pavlik, ISU graphic designer.

Pavlik designed posters for Iowa State’s exhibits, a process that began in January, he says.

Popular areas inside the ISU tent are organic foods and Iowa grapes and wine.

“The university asked us to be here because they thought our areas — grapes and organics — were popular, or hot items,” says Kathleen Delate, associate professor of horticulture. “We got a lot of business throughout the day.”

People linger at the wine exhibit to learn more about grape farming and ask for free samples that never come.

Iowa grape farming has increased dramatically in the past five years, says Mike White, extension crop specialist. In 1999, there were only five vineyards in Iowa — today there are 234.

“I think the economy had a lot to do with it, when the crops started decreasing in price,” Delate says. “People were looking for alternative crops. There’s actually a glut of wine on a world level.”

About 95 percent of the Iowa-made wine is sold in Iowa, White says.

“Organic grapes are one of the hardest crops to grow,” Delate says. “But the fact that there’s no pesticides, people see that as a health benefit.”

The well-known farm machinery company John Deere also makes an appearance at the show, debuting a new engine and informing customers of their products.

“Just like we’re being exposed to several farmers, we’re also being exposed to several customers, or other equipment manufacturers here,” says Greg Clampitt, regional sales manager. “John Deere is more than John Deere equipment. There are also engines and powertrains.”

Agrigold, a seed corn company, displays cases filled with different types of corn.

“Any kind of corn that you can think of, we’ve got,” says Reid Duhaime, district sales manager. “We’ll sell corn here today. We have sold corn here today.”

Iowa is also a base for their research, he says.

“We have a research station in Ames where our company does breeding of corn,” marketing manager Jim Shertzer says.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources set up a tent at the event to inform visitors of the importance of Iowa’s fauna and flora.

“I think in Iowa, since we have quite a bit of agriculture, it’s important to conserve wildlife habitat and other resources,” says Mark Vitosh, district forester for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. “Iowa does a good job of trying to balance both.”

Vitosh says agricultural workers are an important part of the DNR’s conservation efforts.

“We work with a lot of folks in agriculture,” he says. “They’re good stewards of the land.”