U.S. Ag Secretary visiting WAE
Annual expo begins Tuesday and concludes Thursday
When U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Purdue visits the 51st edition of World Ag Expo in Tulare on Tuesday, he will not only see the latest in farm equipment and technology, he will see a vibrant farm economy and thousands of farmers. Purdue, former governor of Georgia and appointed Ag secretary by President Donald Trump, hopes to take part in the opening ceremony at 9:15 a.m. Tuesday and then hold a short meeting with some ag leaders before touring the massive WAE grounds.
Jerry Sinift, International Agri-center chief executive officer, said Purdue will be the first ag secretary to attend the show since Dan Glickman, who served as President Bill Clinton’s ag secretary. He said Purdue is most anxious to just tour the 2.6 million square feet of exhibit space and talk with farmers.
The ag secretary is expected to land in Fresno about 8 a.m. and then be escorted to the farm show grounds in Tulare, but getting into the showgrounds by 9 a.m. will be a challenge, said Sinift. If he does get there in time, he will speak during opening ceremonies.
The World Ag Expo runs Tuesday through Thursday and Sinift said he expects in excess of 105,000 people to attend. That number does not include approximately 30,000 exhibitors and more than 1,200 volunteers.
Purdue will be one of many highlights during the 51st annual show. Sinift is excited about hosting him.
“He just wants to see the show – that’s cool,” said Sinift. He has indicated he wants to visit the ag career and education center, as well as some of the exhibitors from Georgia.
Sinift said everything is in place for a great show. All 2,900 exhibit spaces will be filled with more than 1,500 different exhibitors from all over the United States and the world. New this year will be a large tent hosting several exhibitors from Italy.
“We’ll see more than 1,000 international visitors,” he said.
In addition to Purdue, expected to speak during opening ceremonies will be 2018 Chairman Tom Finn. Also expected to attend with the ag secretary are former U.S. Sen. Michele Bachmann and Rep. Jeff Denhan (R-turlock), as well as local Congressmen Devin Nunes and David Valadao.
WAE is held at the International Agri-center, 4500 S. Laspina St. in Tulare. The show runs 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Feb. 13 and 14, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Feb. 15. Admission is $15 at the gate and $12 online with a discount code.
Besides attending the show, Purdue will speak at the Capitol Ministries fundraising dinner late afternoon. Tickets are $125 per person.
World Ag Expo will once again offer daily equipment showcases, seminars on a wide variety of categories, including dairy, irrigation, international trade, business and farm management, marketing and media, and general agriculture.
My Job Depends on Ag, a grassroots ag advocacy organization, will be making its third appearance at the show.
Steve Malanca, a cofounder of the organization which now has nearly 80,000 followers on Facebook, is pleased to be a part of the show.
“This show is a good place to meet us faceto-face,” Malanca said. He said they get such positive feedback every year.
My Job Depends on Ag tells the story of agriculture and the people who grow the food and fiber for the world. Their booth, in the southeast corner of the massive showgrounds, will be open where people can purchase the very popular My Job Depends on Ag decals. Money from those sales goes to scholarships for ag students.
Malanca said they have just received word a local film crew will begin filming segments of those in farming to be shown on the local PBS television station later this year.
The Expo will host daily events, including a free concert by Craig Campbell during Wednesday evening’s after-hours party in the arena.
Twenty more acres of parking has been added this year. Sinift said parking has been tight the past few years, especially on Wednesdays, the busiest day of the show. The Agri-center purchased 40 acres of land this past year — 20 of those which they had leased the past few years for parking. That new parking area is located behind the Tulare Golf Course.of course, the Park and Ride buses will be running from several locations, giving attendees a chance to avoid having to find a parking space.
There are of course the very popular food booths, including the Porterville Exchange Club’s booth on North Greenbelt Drive.
For a full schedule of events, more information about the show or to purchase tickets for 2018 World Ag Expo, visit www.worldagexpo.