A group of Clark County business leaders wants Farm Technology Days to permanently locate there by 2013.
As part of their ambitious plan to develop a couple hundred acres along STH 29 near Owen into a first-of-its-kind agribusiness campus, the group hopes to woo the state's largest farm expo to put down roots there.
Since it started in 1954, Farm Technology Days has moved from county to county. General Manager Glenn Thompson is quick to point out the benefits of such an arrangement, including the free volunteer labor. He says once they settle down in a central location, the costs increase because paid employees will likely be needed.
It takes upwards of 800 volunteers to run FTD every year. But, it's sometimes difficult to find host counties given the large sacrifices of time and capital. Thompson admits they don't get a lot of applications, but are still able to find a few good counties each year to host the show.
The "not-for-profit" recently spent "big bucks" to study the issue and determined it would be best to keep the show on the road, for now. But, Thompson says he'd "never say never".
