Farm Technology Days Announces 2011 Site, First Ever Scholarship Recipient

By Crystal McNett, Assistant Editor
Thursday, April 17, 2008 12:21 PM CDT

The 2011 Farm Technology Days host county will be a “veteran crew,” said Glenn Thompson, Farm Technology Days general manager, last week at the group’s annual luncheon.

Marathon County, who hosted the show in 1996, will be the host of the 2011 Farm Technology Days. Mike Wildeck, UW-Extension agent in Marathon County, will serve as executive secretary for the 2011 show. He is one of three UW-Extension agents in the state to take on the show two times. “It wasn’t in my plan, but the county wanted to do it again,” Wildeck said.

The Partnership For Progressive Agriculture in the county brought forth the idea about a year ago and it went from there, Wildeck said.

Wildeck isn’t the only person in the county who will be on repeat duty for Farm Technology Days. Sandi Cihler, a Mosinee farmer, is excited to welcome the show back to the county. “One major benefit of the show (in 1996) was the bond that was created within the community,” she said. “I just see it as a big positive for the community.”

The dairy industry is prominent in Marathon County and other crops, such as ginseng, potatoes and cash grain, are abundant in the area as well. Additionally, the show hosts hope to attract attention to the Dairyland State Academy that will be completed by the time the show is held.

Wildeck also mentioned that horticulture is growing in the Marathon County area and may be another aspect to the show.

The host farm of the 2011 Farm Technology Days will be announced in December after an application process that begins in September. Currently, Marathon County representatives will work to form the executive committee and to solicit host farms to apply.

Scholarship awarded

The Farm Technology Days Board of Directors awarded its first ever scholarship to a young person graduating from high school and entering a college agricultural program at the luncheon last week. Tom Butts of Browntown was the recipient of a $2,000 scholarship.

Butts is a senior at Black Hawk High School where he maintains a 4.0 grade point average while participating in many sports and other activities. Butts was a volunteer at the 2007 Farm Technology Days in Green County. He will be attending UW-Platteville in the fall to major in agricultural engineering.

Show changes

The Farm Technology Days staff also noted at last week’s luncheon that the first ever exhibitor feedback meeting was held this past winter.

Various suggestions were brought forward and many will be taken into action over the next few upcoming shows. Items such as promotion and advertising, approach to field demos and cooperation between the ride and drive and the field demos are a few items that were mentioned.

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