Wisconsin Farm Technology Days is not a state fair. There are no carnival rides, demolition derbies, or grandstand shows. Yet Wisconsin Farm Technology Days drew us in, even though we do not farm and do not keep backyard chickens. In July, we made a 160-mile round trip to see what it offered.
Experiencing Wisconsin Farm Technology Days
The water test. A social media post from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources flagged a practical reason to go. Private well owners could bring one cup of well water in a clean container to the agency’s tent for a free nitrate screening, with results in minutes. Similar bacteria and nitrate test kits from our county health department run $25 each, so a free option had clear appeal. Looking over the show schedule, several events stood out. It took only one to secure my husband Bill’s interest. He has volunteered with our rural fire department for nearly 40 years and wanted to watch a confined space rescue demonstration.
The volunteers. Pulling off a farm show takes years of planning and a deep bench of volunteers. It is more than a host farm. It is the surrounding community as well. Many volunteers are members of civic and charitable groups that receive donations based on the hours they contribute. They handle setup, grounds, and visitor logistics, from parking and tractor-drawn shuttles to admissions, golf cart transports, and information kiosks. For longtime rural residents, volunteers in another county can feel as familiar as neighbors. They give the event a homecoming feel.
About that vibe. The atmosphere is family friendly. We saw young families with strollers and wagons, and polite teens in plaid pearl-snap shirts and straw hats who offered a courteous “Excuse me, ma’am” in crowded aisles. Amish and Mennonite families in plain dress were present too. The tone was notably civil, without the rough language and behavior that can crop up away from the livestock barns at traditional fairs.
Plenty to see and do. Before reaching the gate, we nearly stopped to watch a team of horses mowing hay. With high temperatures and heavy smoke from Boundary Waters wildfires in the forecast, we kept a modest plan for our single day at the show. To make the manure pit rescue demo, we went straight to the shuttle and rode the wagon from parking to admissions, then navigated by map to the FRESH tent.
FRESH, short for Farm Rescue Education, Safety, and Health, is a collaboration among the National Farm Medicine Center, the National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety, the Pittsville Fire Department, and Marshfield Clinic. Inside, we found practical resources for rural residents regardless of whether they farm.
Giveaways have evolved. Instead of pencils and rulers, we picked up a tick collection kit to support a citizen science project tracking species and disease risks. We also grabbed a poster outlining what to tell a 911 dispatcher in an emergency. Visitors could have blood pressure checks, skin cancer screenings, information on adaptive devices for farmers with disabilities, and access to a quiet space for nursing.
Safety, technology, and farm life
The demos. Outside the FRESH tent, the rescue area featured a manure pit rescue simulator, an enclosed trailer with plexiglass sides. A narrator explained methane gas hazards in confined spaces while volunteer firefighters demonstrated safe entry and extraction of adult and child mannequins. Short as it was, the demo helps raise safety awareness among rural volunteer departments, many with members who lack farm experience, and who could be called to a confined space incident. The crews wore full PPE with air tanks and breathing apparatus in stifling heat to educate the public.
Another scenario showed how firefighters stabilize and lift a tractor to free someone pinned beneath it. The tractor matched a size and era popular with rural property owners who do not farm and may not have had safety training on rollover risks. We missed the grain bin rescue segment but did take part in a brief Stop the Bleed session. Uncontrolled bleeding is a leading cause of preventable death, a particular concern in rural areas where a patient can bleed out in three to five minutes, often before EMS arrival. With about an hour of instruction, bystanders can learn to recognize life-threatening hemorrhage and control it until help arrives.
The drones. After reading about agricultural drone growth last fall, I was eager to see a demonstration. The aircraft on display, roughly the size of a riding mower and reminiscent of a sci-fi X-wing, performed with a water payload to illustrate spray patterns and variable droplet sizes. The audience, including families in plain dress, asked detailed questions about payload capacity, FAA rules and licensing, training time, and cost-benefit calculations.
The operator emphasized advantages for smaller farms. Conventional contract applicators tend to prioritize the largest fields first. Smaller operations can miss the optimal spray window by the time those crews arrive. Investment in drone technology, along with the necessary training, can help smaller producers respond more quickly to weather and field conditions.
From serious buyers to curious onlookers, interest was strong. Watching the mix of young people in plain and plaid shirts and straw hats, I wondered how the demo might shape their memories and choices. Some will embrace new tools. Some will cut hay with horse teams. Some may volunteer as firefighters. With luck, none will face a manure pit rescue.
Because of heat and smoke, we skipped the DNR tent and the free water test and saw only a portion of Wisconsin Farm Technology Days. Even so, it gave us plenty to discuss on the drive home, much to reflect on since, and a longer list for our next farm show date.
Maybe we will see you there. For readers following developments in farm innovation and risk management, NFU presses Congress to bolster farm safety net offers additional context on how policy intersects with on-the-ground practices.