Jami Applegate, Western Farm Show Manager with senior student Gannon Roth, who shadowed her prior to and during the show, for the opportunity to earn credit for a senior capstone project at his school, Piper High School, located in Kansas City, Kansas.
Heavy machinery, small line manufacturers, puppies, clothes and more lined the halls of the American Royal Complex February 23-25 for the 62nd Annual Western Farm Show, owned and operated by the North American Equipment Dealers Association [NAEDA].
In late February, the Western Farm Show hosted 400+ vendors making it the largest indoor farm show in the Midwest. In addition to the big-ticket vendors and items to browse, the show provides educational opportunities for students and farmers alike.
Furthering Education
The opening day of the show is Future Farmers of America (FFA) Day sponsored by Case IH. That week was also National FFA week, so students from surrounding areas came to participate in leadership and career preparation sessions to celebrate the end of a week-long celebration.
One student in particular, senior Gannon Roth, shadowed Applegate for the opportunity to earn credit for a senior capstone project at his school, Piper High School, located in Kansas City, Kansas.
Roth is interested in becoming a service technician; however, his school does not have an ag program to help him navigate his career choice.
Although the district does not have ag classes, they do have a real-world learning initiative that helps students gain experience outside of the classroom before they graduate. As part of this initiative, every senior must complete a capstone where students shadow and intern with people in the industry of their potential future profession.
As a community-member of Piper, Jami got paired with Gannon because he was the only senior who did not have a sponsor, and she has worked to find him a NAEDA member dealership willing to let him intern with them.
“One of our goals was to network with organizations throughout the week to gain knowledge and a better understanding of how we can incorporate Gannon into their internship programs,” Applegate said. “I’m excited to share Gannon has successfully accepted an internship with Heritage Tractor working with Derrick McGhee. His work ethic and gogetter attitude will fit well into the organization’s goals and mission. I’m proud of Gannon
and wish him well on his future endeavors.”
In the meantime, he had service hours to fill, and Applegate provided plenty of learning opportunities at the Western Farm Show.
Roth shadowed Applegate the Tuesday and Thursday leading up to the show, which provided him the opportunity to work behind the scenes and get an understanding of how a show is put together.
Additionally, he shadowed during the FFA Day, Friday, February 23. “It was very interesting, and he was so engaged that anyone that would land him as a service technician will have the right person,” Applegate said.
His day started off with the unique learning opportunity of attending the invitation only kick-off breakfast where Missouri Director of Agriculture Chris Chinn explained the important work her office is doing on behalf of agriculture in the state of Missouri.
After breakfast, he watched the nearly 100 FFA student competitors test their knowledge and skills on identification, electrical and precision components at the Farm Equipment Career Development Event.
He then moved on to listen to American Royal Director of Education Nathan Lauden’s presentations. Finally, he ended his day networking and getting to know exhibitors and attendees with Applegate.
“Shadowing Jami Applegate at the Western Farm Show was a great experience to make connections and build relationships with some of the top companies in the agricultural community,” Roth said. “It was fun to see it all come together throughout the week and see the future of agriculture.”
MFA Livestock Demonstration and Seminars
Additionally, the Western Farm Show provides opportunities for 4-H and FFA kids to gain the upper hand ahead of summer fair season with their pig and cattle livestock demonstrations. “These demonstrations give kids the chance to get ahead of the game by explaining tips and tricks to improve their showmanship skills in the arena to ensure they are receiving those grand champion ribbons,” Applegate said.
Another opportunity learning geared towards ranchers and livestock producers is the Low-Stress Stockmanship sessions, which provide technical expertise in beef cattle nutrition, management, and livestock handling techniques. This opportunity to learn is a fan favorite that is almost always stand-room only.
Looking to the Future
If all goes well, the 2026 Western Farm Show will have a new home. The American Royal is not far from it’s home in Kansas City, Missouri to Kansas City, Kansas near the Legends Outlets and across the street from the Kansas Speedway.
“It’s a great exposure piece for the American Royal to move over to the Piper area,” Applegate said. “Linking ag back to the local community will be a great way for us to correlate both real-world learning in our schools as well as bringing the show to the Kansas side. The future for Agriculture is bound to grow and flourish in the Heart of our Nation.”
After 125 plus years in the West Bottoms area, the complex will span 100 acres of space for livestock shows, barbecue competitions, and of course, the Western Farm Show.
The new building will provide economic growth for the area as well as a larger capacity to host even bigger and better events. Even with the new complex under construction, the 63rd Farm Show is set for February 21-23, 2025, at the original American Royal Complex, 1701 American Royal Ct, Kansas City, Missouri.
Article Written By NAEDA Staff
