Equipment Dealers Ask Customers to Provide Machines for Farm Shows

The organizers of a large Wisconsin farm show found creative ways to get more new machinery to the show. As Wisconsin's Farm Technology Days got underway, host farm operator Dennis Roehl shared that the team put an emphasis on bringing back more field demonstrations which meant getting equipment that dealers were having trouble finding.

"We sent out a mass email to all of the manufacturers telling them who's coming and what they're bringing, and then other people are like, oh, they're a competitor, can I bring something else? It's amazing how they can find the machinery all of the sudden,” says Roehl.

According to Roehl, dealers even arranged to borrow from their customers for the show. "They've been taking their new machinery from the farmers who have just recently purchased it, and asked them if they could use it, and so they're getting their machinery that way."

Roehl says this year, equipment dealers can also move display models from the show lot to the field demonstrations and back allowing them to get by with one machine.

Editor’s Take:

Just one more way the equipment shortage manifests itself. It is pretty telling when equipment dealers don’t have enough inventory on their lots to fulfill the need for both the booth and field demonstrations at a farm show. Fortunately, most equipment dealers have very good relationships with their customers and it appears they are calling in some favors to get the job done in this shortfall environment.