As an agricultural equipment manufacturing person that has worked on both sides of the Atlantic for many years I have to say let's just hold on here!

Agriculture in most of Europe, as displayed very well at Agritechnica in Hanover and SIMA in Paris is very different from agriculture in the USA!  Not better nor worse just DIFFERENT!

Same thing for these shows compared to US shows - they are DIFFERENT!

In much of western Europe farms are much smaller and yet profitable because of local subsidies formerly known as the EC CAP (Common Agricultural Policy). In Switzerland for example on one end of the spectrum, it is not uncommon to see a full time farm with 20 cows on a 40 acres hillside (more accurately mountainside) farm with a nice well kept house and a newer Volvo in the driveway. And the Swiss like it this way. My wife and I were hiking with friends in this type of agricultural area just the other day. I'll add a picture below.

This does change as you get farther east from the original EU countries. However, in most of western Europe, prices paid for crops, prices paid for equipment, hours put on equipment and the equipment itself is often VERY different from the agricultural environment in the US where "market" prices are allowed to rise and fall as they will....

Traditionally European equipment has been very national with many smaller companies providing equipment to their own local farmers.

Agritechnica and SIMA are held only once every TWO years and each cover farmers in a much smaller geographic area than the major US shows which are held every year in many different areas of the country.

Distances in the US are FAR greater than in Europe around these shows.

The costs for a manufacturer to exhibit at these two large European shows is STAGGERING! But they have only a couple shows which occur only every two years....

This show system has met the needs of the European agricultural community over the years very well.

HOWEVER - if you look at the products being shown in Europe they are becoming much more like American equipment in the past few years.  European agriculture, especially in eastern Europe is becoming more like American agriculture. This is somewhat inevitable as European farmers in some if not all EU countries must become more efficient and productive as EU tax payers get tired of supporting farmers at the levels they have been in the past.

I could write a book on this but need to stop. My point is that European shows, like European agriculture, is DIFFERENT than agriculture in the US. I am not saying one or the other is better or worse, they are just different. And therefore the shows are also DIFFERENT.

We can learn from each other in both directions. Personally however as a manufacturer, engineer, farmer and enthusiast of shows on both sides of the Atlantic I say vive la difference.

US and European farm shows are different for reasons. Let's enjoy them for what they are.

Here are two pictures I snapped the other day of a Swiss farmer dragging a pasture spreading manure piles and some of my family hiking. We went over for a family wedding so snapped more family than ag pictures (for a change!).

I don't want Agritechnica to look like Louisville, nor do I want Louisville to look like Agritechnica. jmho.

Jim at Dawn

PS - my dream is STILL that one day I will be able to attend Louisville and actually tour the show!

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