Eastern Idaho Ag Expo draws in hundreds

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) - A well-attended Eastern Idaho Ag Expo and Idaho Potato Conference wrapped up Thursday. Manufacturers from all over the world came to the Holt Arena to showcase equipment.

The trade show and education workshop featured more than 70 booths and displays of agricultural services and products for local farmers. 

Allan Equipment Manufacturing from Canada builds electric powered potato harvesting equipment.

"[They are] better for the environment, but better for the farmers as well. Electric powered equipment is very efficient,” said David Huestis with Allan Equipment Manufacturing Ltd.

Some products came to east Idaho from as far away as Finland. Findoor makes doors for garages and warehouses that slide horizontally, not vertically. They say this is safer than overhead doors.

“There's no overhead loads, there's no stored energy, no pinch points in the door,” Distribution CEO for Findoor Pacific Northwest Ed Toews said. “All the things that are safety issues with especially sectional overhead doors don't exist with these doors just by design.”

Other displays included a Trimble system, which helps farmers make those perfect lines when harvesting and making corn mazes.

“Our receiver will sit in the machine and take in all the satellite information and data and translate it to this display here where the operator can be in the cab,” said Dallon Ruffing with Vantage Northwest. “It will track and do guidance for that.”

“It also makes it more efficient because he's not going to have any overlaps and skips, which will make him a little bit more profitable in the end,” said Kyle McKamey with Vantage Northwest.

The show is a big draw in the Gem state since about one out of every seven jobs in Idaho are agricultural.