Iowa’s first outdoor agricultural trade show will take place west of Ames this week. The Iowa Farm and Field Fest runs today through Thursday at the Ziel Family Farm at the intersection of Highways 30 and 17.

“Iowa had a void in that there wasn’t an annual outdoor ag event,” said Dena Jensen, marketing manager at Cygnus Expositions, of Burnsville, Minn. The company also produces six other farm shows in Minnesota, South Dakota, Illinois and Texas.

The farm show will include crop and livestock demonstrations, seminars led by ISU faculty, and over 300 exhibitors.

Cygnus Expositions chose to bring the show to the Ames area for several reasons, said John Hendel, show manager at Cygnus Expositions.

“Ames and the Boone area is a centrally located area,” Hendel said. The area is well known to the agriculture community because Iowa State’s land-grant university heritage.

Other advantages for the farm show site are the amenities Ames and Boone have to offer, he said.

Hotels in Boone are booked with exhibitors, and many exhibitors are staying in Ames. The number of exhibitors will grow as the Iowa Farm and Field Fest gets established, Hendel said.

The 200-acre site, which has been under construction all summer, will include 65 acres of exhibit space, Jensen said.

In contrast, Iowa’s largest indoor agriculture trade show, the Iowa Power Farming Show, had five acres of exhibits last February. The indoor show hosted 460 exhibitors this year.

Being outdoors will give exhibitors more area for displays such as seed plots or large machinery. Additions like large demonstration areas will make the Iowa Farm and Field Fest “a little bit more user-friendly” than shows in neighboring states, Jensen said.

Another new addition debuting at the farm show, the Country Life Expo, will highlight products such as lawn and garden equipment.

“It will appeal to people who just enjoy rural life,” Jensen said. “There’s so many people who are interested in having just a couple of acres. We wanted to make sure we hit that niche, too.”

Cygnus Expositions expects more than 40,000 people to attend, based on the number of producers in the state of Iowa, Jensen said.

“A lot of clients that we serve will be attending the Farm and Field Fest,” said Elaine Edwards, communications manager for continuing education and communication services.

Seminars led by ISU faculty will cover a range of timely issues, she said.

Robert Jolly, professor of economics, and Neil Harl, distinguished professor in economics, will speak on Tuesday.

Catherine Woteki, dean of the college of agriculture, and Fred Kirschenmann, director of the Leopold Center, will speak on Wednesday. Elwynn Taylor, professor of agronomy, will speak on Thursday.

Other events will take place in the extension “tent city” throughout the week, Edwards said.

A live webcam will be up at www.extension.iastate.edu, she said.

Jerry Gerlach and Rich Balvanz, featured on Iowa Farmer Today’s www.OurVirtual

Farm.com site, will discuss corn and soybean marketing at 2:30 pm on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Events and exhibits are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday.