Power to the people

Power Show Ohio is more than a farm show, more than a construction equipment show, more than a lawn and garden tractor show. It’s a power show.
The 35th annual event will be held Jan. 28-30 at the Ohio Expositions Center in Columbus.
COLUMBUS – Ladders. Tractors. ATVs. Corn furnaces.
Power Show Ohio is more than a farm show, more than a construction equipment show, more than a lawn and garden tractor show. It’s, well, it’s a power show.
The 35th annual event will be held Jan. 28-30 at the Ohio Expositions Center in Columbus.
“I call it a power equipment exhibition,” said Dennis Alford, who manages the show for the Ohio-Michigan Equipment Dealers Association, event sponsor.
“We’re a farm show, but we’re much more than that.”
No more room. Alford said more than 230 exhibitors will pack four buildings: the Coliseum, Bricker Building, and the Celeste and Voinovich centers. The buildings are at maximum capacity, he added, with more than 600 product lines represented.
Golf carts. Warning light kits. Sprayers. No-till drills.
More than farm lines. Power Show Ohio will feature farm lines as well as construction equipment, commercial mowing equipment, grain handling products, haying equipment, computer software and plenty of lawn and garden equipment and accessories for both residential and commercial applications.
Contractors will find trenchers, boring machines, backhoes, skid loaders and laser surveying equipment.
Trailers. Filters. Windmills. Riding mowers.
The lawn and garden segment is also “fairly significant,” Alford said, reflecting the makeup of the equipment dealers association.
And Alford said exhibitors continue to ride the “utility vehicle craze,” and visitors can compare examples from several manufacturers.
But the majority of products remain farm equipment and related products, he added.
Bale wrappers. Trenchers. Lubricants. Hand tools.
Family oriented. The show has always encouraged attendance by the whole family, and the National Kiddie Tractor Pull is a big draw for the youngest visitors.
Power Show Ohio also features daily educational seminars, door prizes and cooking demonstrations.
“We’ve always promoted our show as a family show,” Alford said. “You can bring the kids.”
Tickets. Show hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. all three days.
Tickets are $5 at the door; children under 12 are admitted free. Free tickets are also available from Farm and Dairy and from power equipment dealers in Ohio and Michigan.
Parking at the expo center is $4.
Other events. There’s more going on at the fairgrounds that weekend, unrelated to Power Show Ohio.
A farm toy and NASCAR collectibles show will run in the Ohio Building all three days from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. A separate $2 admission fee is charged for visitors over 6.
The Columbus Winter Championship Tractor Show will also be staged Jan. 28-29, drawing more than 300 tractors. Pulls start at 9 a.m. both days. Look for activity in Cooper Arena and the Gilligan Complex.
Pull admission is $5.
And there’s also a free show, the Fifty Plus Expo, Saturday and Sunday in the Lausche Building, with free seminars, live music and vendors, geared toward consumers over 50.
(Editor Susan Crowell can be reached at 1-800-837-3419 or at editorial@farmanddairy.com.)

Friday, January 28

11 a.m. From Manure to Money, and Happier Neighbors along the way
Tim Butcher, microbiologist; Health and Safety Specialist, OSU Dept. of Food, Ag. and Biological Engineering
Benefits of manure management for methane production, odor control, and nitrogen enhancement will be discussed. Methane production can lower electricity bills, reduce odor emissions, and help limit surface water impacts. The EPA’s AgSTAR program will be explained.

Noon Better nozzles for less spray drift
Erdal Ozkan, Extension Ag. Engineer, OSU
A new nozzle classification system for sprayers will be used in 2005. Do you know which nozzle to pick to match the label requirements? Learn about new nozzle designs which reduce drift even more than your current nozzles.

1 p.m. Rehabilitating and Revitalizing Barns
Steve Gordon, Survey Manager, Ohio Historic Preservation Office
Learn how Ohio’s “Barn Again!” program can help as you consider alternative uses for your old rural structures.

2 p.m. 2005 Grains & Oilseeds Marketing Outlook
Matt Roberts, Assistant Professor OSU Dept. of Food, Ag. and Biological Engineering
Using the tools the market gives you to realize your profit in 2005.

Saturday, January 29

10 a.m. 2005 Grains & Oilseeds Marketing Outlook
Matt Roberts, Assistant Professor OSU Dept. of Food, Ag. and Biological Engineering
Using the tools the market gives you to realize your profit in 2005.

11 a.m. No-till, controlled traffic and carbon
Randall Reeder, Ext. Ag. Engineer, OSU Dept. of Food, Ag. and Biological Engineering
A continuous no-till farming system may provide new opportunities for Ohio grain farmers. Keys are strip-till for corn, controlled traffic (aided by RTK auto-steering), and conservation benefits including carbon sequestration. Bring along your questions and ideas.

Noon Auto-steering Systems and Its Applications
Reza Ehsani, Extension Ag. Engineer, OSU
Auto-steering technology is one of those revolutionary changes in agricultural machinery that comes along and completely changes the way we farm. This technology is currently used for planting, spraying and harvesting. It can lower costs and increase profits of farm operations. This presentation will explore auto-steering guidance technologies and its potential applications for crop production.

1 p.m. Barn Rehabilitation
Ann D. Christy, OSU Dept. of Food, Ag. and Biological Engineering
Information will be provided to help property owners of historic rural barns rehabilitate them and restore them to productive use. Learn how Ohio’s “Barn Again!” program can help as you consider alternative uses.

2 p.m. 2005 Grains & Oilseeds Marketing Outlook
Matt Roberts, OSU Dept. of Food, Ag. and Biological Engineering
Using the tools the market gives you to realize your profit in 2005.

3 p.m. Irrigation and drainage (informal Q & A for farm and home)
Larry Brown, Extension Ag. Engineer, OSU
Homeowners and farmers are invited to bring questions related to home gardens, flower beds and farm fields for this informal discussion. If you have a proposed plan for a project, Larry will be glad to offer suggestions on implementing it.

Sunday, January 30

11 a.m. Winter Ventilation for Livestock
Lingying Zhao, Extension Ag. Engineer, OSU Dept. of Food, Ag. and Biological Engineering
Ventilating livestock barns in cold weather causes conflicts between animal comfort and higher energy bills. Learn how to maintain good animal health with minimum fuel consumption.

Noon Auto-steering Systems and Its Applications
Reza Ehsani, Extension Ag Engineer, OSU
Auto-steering technology is one of those revolutionary changes in agricultural machinery that comes along and completely changes the way we farm. This technology is currently used for planting, spraying and harvesting. It can lower costs and increase profits of farm operations. This presentation will explore auto-steering guidance technologies and its potential applications for crop production in Ohio.

1 p.m. Your Old Barn
Mike Woodford, Woodford Brothers, Inc.
Learn the economics of practical barn rehabilitation. Mike will show and discuss details of barns they have repaired.

2 p.m. Irrigation and drainage (informal Q & A for farm and home)
Larry Brown, Extension Ag. Engineer, OSU
Homeowners and farmers are invited to bring questions related to home gardens, flower beds and farm fields for this informal discussion. If you have a proposed plan for a project, Larry will be glad to offer suggestions on implementing it.