05/27/06 Farm show coming to WPC in August

When the World Potato Congress opens in Boise in August up to one thousand experts, researchers and industry leaders from around the globe are expected to attend. For the first time there will also be a working farm show where the latest in potato technology will be showcased. RANDAL "It's realistic to expect somewhere between ten and 30 thousand people to come to the show here in Wilder. A large portion of those will come within a four to 500 mile radius of the site." That's Mark Randal of Illinois-based R&R Productions, the farm show organizer. We caught up with Randal on Simplot Company land in Wilder earlier this month where he was checking the planting of potatoes and other rotation crops. RANDAL "We're going to be using about 400 acres to literally harvest potatoes. We're going to be wind rowing. We'll be doing tillage work, after the fact there will be demonstrations of irrigation systems. We'll be harvesting corn for silage and for grain. After that harvest we'll be doing on some alfalfa that is fresh for this year, haying. And there will be seed plots to show US and global visitors the latest in the genetics and crop protection systems that have been developed. The potato congress and the trade show all take place August 20th running through the 26th. Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott