"The variety and quality of farm equipment on show is just amazing." "Fine organisation for visitors".  "Plenty new ideas to take back home." These were just some of the reactions from two US farming couples attending Agritechnica for the first time. Their flights to Europe and stay in Hanover with attendance at the world’s largest farm equipment show were part of an all-expenses-paid trip that Brenda and Gary Gronewold from Pickrell, Nebraska and Nicole Kay Uken and Cameron Carstensen from Almira, Washington say they’ll never forget.

And for each couple their Agritechnica adventure started with a 100-word essay on why they’d like to take such a trip. Leading US agricultural magazines Farm Journal Implement & Machinery and Top Producer launched a competition with this requirement.
Brenda and Gary grow maize, soybeans, lucerne and fatten cattle on their farm. In their prize-winning essay they wrote that visiting Agritechnica would allow identification of key concepts that might be adaptable for farming back home in Gage Country, Nebraska. Gary also wanted the chance to compare farm equipment from all over the world, especially cost and quality factors.

Nicole and Cameron only moved out from the city of Seattle this spring to take over the 2400 ha (6,000 acres) family farm where main crop is wheat with hay also grown for selling off the farm. Cameron was a sales manager and Nicole in risk assessment. They wrote in their winning essay that they wanted to learn more about cutting edge innovations in farm equipment at Agritechnica. They felt that the successful business they want to build requires respect for agricultural tradition while needing inputs from the latest innovations.

But while gathering ideas for their farming futures at Agritechnica both couples also wanted to take a look into their family pasts and lean more about their connections with the “old country”. Gary Gronewold’s great-grandparents from both sides came from the Hanover area. Before the show the couple visited a house where one of Gary’s great-grandfathers had lived and also met relations in Aurich, East Friesland while  enjoying a trip to the North Sea coast.

Nicole Kay Uken and Cameron Carstensen have roots in Germany too. They’re staying on for a week after Agritechnica and visiting relations in north Germany. A grandfather came from Schleswig.  Also planned is a trip to Berlin.

This was the first time in Europe for the prizewinners, and a must for everyone concerned was at least one auto trip on a freeway with no speed limit!

And last impressions of Agritechnica?  “Incredible,” says Cameron. “The different farming practices from all over the world evident from the stands was an eye-opener”.

“The variety of the products was amazing,” commented Gary. “You think you know agriculture, but not at this level. It was all very exciting in Hanover and we came away with a load of literature to take home……”