2024 Husker Harvest Days, (Brian Neben, Central Nebraska Today)
GRAND ISLAND – Husker Harvest Days returns to Grand Island Sept. 9-11, with the show open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.
Husker Harvest Days is located 6 miles west of Grand Island on Husker Highway. Admission to the show is free with online registration. Online registration is available at huskerharvestdays.com.
For more than 40 years, Husker Harvest Days has delivered unforgettable events to farming families by providing a world-class space for networking with agriculture’s industry leaders from around the globe. It’s where farmers and ranchers gather to gain priceless insights for their operations and make connections that last. Known as the world’s largest totally irrigated working farm show, Husker Harvest Days offers a pure agricultural experience.
The premier Western Corn Belt agricultural event showcases cutting-edge innovations for both crop and livestock producers, featuring the popular BEEF Showcase and extensive live field demonstrations. The three-day event connects agricultural professionals with hundreds of exhibitors while supporting the community through local partnerships.
Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen and Nebraska Department of Agriculture Director Sherry Vinton will headline the Nebraska Farmer Hour at Husker Harvest Days 2025. The session, moderated by Nebraska State FFA officers, will focus on the future of agriculture and opportunities for young producers.
The event is scheduled for 11 a.m. Sept. 10 in the Hospitality Tent at Husker Harvest Days. Nebraska Farmer editor Curt Arens and staff writer Elizabeth Hodges will interview Pillen, followed by a question-and-answer forum led by the Nebraska State FFA officers.
Last year, in partnership with Green Cover, a family-based cover crop seed company headquartered in Bladen, Husker Harvest Days hosted cover crop demonstration plots for the first time. These popular plots are back this year, offering 32 total plots, with 14 planted to monoculture species and 18 to cover crop seed mixtures.
Husker Harvest Days offers an app to enhance any visit. Putting your smartphone to work can maximize your time at the show.
Here are key features:
My Show Planner. This tool identifies and stores key exhibitors. Log on and register with any phone for free. Using the same login credentials, access the account from any device. From there, plan and save sessions, days, times and booth numbers.
Search exhibitors. The search feature breaks down information by exhibitor, category or brand. Easily find a specific company or track down all exhibitors related to a product.
Offline functionality. Don’t worry about limited bandwidth on-site. The app stores key information locally, ensuring it will continue to work, even in heavy cell traffic.
In the know. Turn on push notifications to receive messages during each show day. These daily reminders highlight special opportunities around the event.
To get the latest version of the app, visit Google Play or the Apple App Store and search for “Husker Harvest Days 2025.”
Corn-combining demonstrations happen only at 12:30 p.m. during the three-day event.
Tillage and manure-handling equipment take to the fields immediately after corn harvesting.
Husker Harvest Days offers visitors a hands-on experience in alfalfa fields. Through hay demonstrations, visitors not only see the latest equipment, but also examine the results from beginning to end.
Head over to the north end of the show site, Field 4, for the demos happening daily at 2 p.m.
Whether actively shopping for a new UTV or simply curious about the latest technology, the Ride and Drive experience provides valuable insights that a showroom visit cannot.
The popular UTV Ride and Drive experience returns to Husker Harvest Days this year, offering attendees a hands-on opportunity to test the capabilities of today’s most advanced off-road utility vehicles in a controlled environment.
For the first time, larger spray applicator drones will fly at Husker Harvest Days. A dedicated “drone zone” in the north fields, not far from the field demonstration area, will showcase the latest advancements in aerial application technology from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.
“We’re calling it the Husker Harvest Days Drone Zone,” says Matt Jungmann, Farm Progress senior director of events. “It’s something folks are going to want to be sure to check out.”
The drones will fly above standing or harvested corn within a dedicated 500-by-500-foot demonstration area, spraying water. Onlookers can watch from a 20-by-40-foot tent equipped with a TV screen streaming a first-person view from the drone’s camera.
Unwind in the Husker Harvest Days Hospitality Tent while gaining valuable insights on the latest news, markets and industry trends directly from leading experts.
This space features daily educational sessions presented by industry leaders on the Husker Stage, sponsored by Valley, while providing a meeting place to connect with friends and offering opportunities to register for prizes.
Antique tractors will be displayed at Husker Harvest Days. This year, visitors can expect a variety of restored projects, and a special spotlight on student projects. A 1949 Farmall M that was restored by an after-school club in Washington, Mo., will be featured.
Also to be on display will be a 1939 Farmall F 14, which sat disassembled for over 20 years before it was restored.
Farm Rescue is a nonprofit providing help and equipment to farms dealing with injury, illness or other challenges. Farm Rescue will have an exhibit at HHD to recruit volunteers to help farm families in need.
“Our biggest challenge is awareness,” says Tim Sullivan, executive director of donor experiences for Farm Rescue. “This is a great opportunity for Farm Rescue to share our story of what we do to aid the farming community. The generous support of Farm Progress gives us visibility.”
The group was founded in 2005 by Bill Gross, a North Dakota farm boy who grew up to become an airline pilot. Farm Rescue provides planting, harvesting, haying, livestock feeding and other assistance to farmers and ranchers in need. Initially serving North Dakota, the organization now operates in 10 states: North and South Dakota, Montana, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Illinois, Kansas and Kentucky.
While Husker Harvest Days features exhibits and activities for visitors of all ages, one event is sure to bring the whole family together. The Canine Stars will be at the 2025 show to perform their dock-diving act, courtesy of Grinnell Mutual.
This team of dogs entertains spectators by performing various extreme sports, including Frisbee freestyle routines and big air stunts. In addition to performing at state fairs and other events, they have appeared on national television on Season 16 of “America’s Got Talent.”
Husker Harvest Days 2025 will provide free health screenings and wellness resources to rural communities, continuing its decades-long commitment to community health.
Attendees will find health and wellness resources at two convenient locations. Cancer screenings will be conducted at Lot #549 in the Nebraska Cancer Coalition booth, while the Health & Wellness Tent, located directly across the street, will feature engaging exhibits, expanded services and new healthcare partners focused on the needs of agricultural families.
Cattle genetics remain crucial across all industry sectors, whether producers aim to enhance carcass characteristics or improve animal health.
This year’s Husker Harvest Days features 30-minute educational sessions in the BEEF Building exploring various aspects of the cattle industry, from lending perspectives to cutting-edge research.
Ron Knodel has been showcasing his horse-gentling demonstrations at Husker Harvest Days for more than 20 years and is back again this year.
As a ranch owner and operator, Knodel is a revered and trusted source of effective handling. His boots stay dusty as he lives what he teaches. His lessons aren’t developed in theory, but with rope in hand as he spends sunrise to sunset in the saddle.
In past years, Knodel highlighted methods for halter breaking, saddling and riding mustangs. In response to crowd requests, he transitioned to a focus on advanced horsemanship, flying lead changes, turnarounds and other high-level skill sets.
For more than 40 years, Nebraska’s natural resources districts have been a staple at Husker Harvest Days, sharing the mission of conservation and resource stewardship with producers and landowners alike.
Each NRD within the state assists with practices related to natural resources — from soil and water conservation to tree planting and environmental protection.
NRDs partnering with local landowners helped plant more than 500,000 trees across Nebraska. These trees are used for windbreaks, creek runoff prevention, shade and beautification.
Supporting this effort, the NRDs will once again be handing out free blue spruce trees at this year’s Husker Harvest Days. In past years, about 3,500 trees have been given away at the show.
With many different updates happening recently with the BEEF Showcase at Husker Harvest Days, make sure to stop by all the different breed association booths to learn more about what they are doing in the industry.
The beef breed associations that will be represented at Husker Harvest Days this year are: Nebraska Angus Association, Nebraska Red Angus Association, Gelbvieh Association in Nebraska, and Nebraska Hereford Association.
