first ag expo starts friday klamath 100710

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First-ever ag expo starts Friday

Information and products aimed at local producers

By Sara Hottman, Herald and News 10/7/10

H&N photo by Andrew Mariman Farm equipment will be among the displays

at the Klamath Falls Ag Expo this weekend at the Klamath County Fairgrounds

Farmers and ranchers will have access to “cutting-edge” information and products during the first-ever Klamath Falls Ag Expo, said Rob Siems, general manager of the country music radio station KLADFM, which is organizing the event.

The two-day expo starts Friday in the event center at the Klamath County Fairgrounds, and will feature vendors, information seminars, and information and services booths aimed at farmers and ranchers in Oregon and Northern California. It will be open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. Admission is free.

“We did a similar project in another market, and felt it fit this market so we decided to go for it,” Siems said. “We provide it as a service to farmers.”

While the expo is aimed at professional growers, it’s open to anyone. It will feature more than 60 exhibits from agriculture organizations, farm equipment and services businesses, and financial organizations.

The event pays for itself through sponsorships and selling booth space to businesses throughout Oregon and California — from Portland, the Willamette Valley, and Central California. About half the businesses there will be from outside the Basin, Siems said.

Basin-oriented topics

Staff from the Oregon State University Klamath Basin Research and Extension Center and University of California at Davis Intermountain Research and Extension Center in Tulelake will present educational seminars about Basin-oriented topics, like pest and weed management, new and alternative crops, wheat and potato programs, farm support computer programs, and nutrition and youth programs.

Youth organizations FFA and 4-H will have concession stands, and a beer tent will be located in the center of the booth area.

The event will end with the Aggie Awards that recognize farmers’ contributions to the community.

The awards will be handed out during the Saturday Night Aggies Awards Dinner, which will feature a concert by Steve Azar.

Reservations are required for the dinner, with seats available for 250 people. Tickets are $40 for dinner, drinks and the concert.

“Azar is a country singer with several top-10 hits. We wanted to make it more than just a dinner, add a little talent to it,” Siems said.

Siems said organizers hope to make the expo an annual event, and are planning to hold another one next November.