Live from Agritechnica

Every second year, the German Agricultural Society, DLG, hosts Agritechnica, the largest farm machinery exhibition on the planet. It's held in Hanover Germany. By any standard, the show is enormous. 2,700 exhibitors from 48 countries are showing their newest and best. But unlike nearly all other venues, many manufacturers are also giving you a glimpse of what they intend to offer in future.

As a result, Agritechnica is unique in its size and scope. And in order to make the event interesting and offer more than an ample helping of eye candy, exhibitors go to unusual lengths to be creative. AGCO's Valtra stand is a prime example. The company is using the show to introduce its new N Series tractors, which offer a pretty wide variety of options. So you can order one with the unique specifications you need on your farm, really put your mark on it—so to speak.

Passers-by are invited to step up and put thier fingerprint on this new N Series Valtra tractor.

To help convey that message, show goers here can put their mark—their name and fingerprint to be exact—on the display tractor. After the doors close on this event, the tractor will get a clear-coat paint job to protect all the prints and then be auctioned off. The proceeds will go toward funding an agricultural development project in Africa.

This week I'll be posting daily updates to this blog to give you a taste of what you're missing, if you didn't make it across the Atlantic. So stay tuned for more.

Oh, and in case you're wondering. Yes, my fingerprint and the Grainews name will be encased forever on that Valtra N Series along with hundres of others.

My thumb print, like hundreds of others, will stay on this tractor. All the surfaces will eventually be protected by a clear top coat, making this a truly one-off machine.

Auf wiedersehen from Germany,

Scott