Faron Wahl, Manager.

It was a jammin’ Jamboree!

We entertained guests who have been to virtually every Jamboree along our historic timeline, and others who were taking in their very first. We had neighbors here from a stone’s throw away, and others who trekked across the country or came from Canada just to join us. We were glad for every one of them, and by any measure, it was a good time.

The plethora of details involved with an exposition of such size is not easily expressed, and any time you put on something of this magnitude, inevitable little challenges will certainly pop up. But we work through them, solve as we go, and aim to create the best possible experience for everyone. One of the biggest always-lurking challenges got solved immediately, just before it unfolded: parking.

Among the least understood yet most critical functions relative to a gathering of this size is parking. Add to that some vehicles and trailers that stray out of place just prior to showtime, tack on the unconventional geometry caused by a curved railroad line arcing through a rectangular field, and you’ve got a puzzle of mammoth proportions to organize on the spot as visitors roll in.

DSU’s track and cross country teams joined us this year by taking on the monumental vehicle-sorting task. As incoming volume vs. available real estate got narrow, they never flinched. Thanks to their dedicated and focused work for hours at a time, led by the friendly, organized communication of their coach, Anthony, this vital task was reined in and fully managed. My hat is off to them.

We won’t have final numbers of attendance for a little while yet, as that data needs to be worked through. But considering many shows have seen significant declines and given the sluggish farm economy persisting during an off-the-charts tough weather year, we are very pleased with the continued solid turnout of supporters who once again came our way. The heavy parking lines testified to a healthy weekend census.

We don’t take this for granted, not only for the Jamboree event itself but with consideration for our healthy year-round existence. Both need to be considered carefully as we march forward, with a willingness to consider new ideas and meld them with solid tradition in a manner that continues to bring folks our way all season. I am chiseling away at that plan constantly. Jamboree is a major portion of our centerpiece, but the large picture matters heavily.

We’re grateful that the JI Case Collectors’ Summer Show could be part of this year’s festivities, with Case serving as our feature. Certainly, the plains got settled and subsequently farmed not by equipment bearing the logo of a single equipment manufacturer, but by a patchwork of all of them. However, it’s fun and fitting to put one brand, one color, front and center and shine the spotlight a bit more carefully on them.

Which brings me to the next obvious question: what’s next year? John Deere, it will be, and it might go without saying that the green and yellow will come out of the woodwork in large numbers. We look forward to featuring all things Deere next August, and we’ll follow that in 2021 with International Harvester. Big names to come!