For two decades, the Brix household has stood as a cornerstone of the Farm Progress Show (FPS) in Decatur, Illinois, embodying the spirit of agricultural dedication and community engagement. Their farm, strategically located near the event grounds, serves as the operational heart of the show, providing vast acreage for crucial field demonstrations and extensive parking facilities. This enduring partnership, spanning twenty years, underscores the vital contribution of host families to the success and authenticity of this prominent farming exposition. The family's deep involvement, from the meticulous preparation of demonstration fields to the welcoming of countless attendees, showcases a remarkable commitment that has shaped the FPS experience for generations.
David Brix, a central figure in this enduring legacy, is instrumental in orchestrating the intricate logistics of the Farm Progress Show. His farm contributes 210 acres for corn demonstration plots and an additional 120 acres of alfalfa for parking, highlighting the significant land commitment required. David's meticulous planning ensures that early-maturing corn varieties, typically ripening within 89 to 91 days, are planted to facilitate timely harvest demonstrations. Before the show commences, a portion of the corn is harvested to create staging areas for equipment, optimizing the flow of the daily combine and tillage demonstrations.
During the three-day event, approximately 40 acres of corn are harvested daily for demonstrations, totaling 120 acres over the show's duration. This process allows 12 to 15 companies to showcase combine operations and 20 to 40 companies to conduct tillage demonstrations, depending on the specific year. David and his family are actively involved in directing these companies, ensuring smooth transitions and efficient operation of the machinery. Beyond the crop fields, the family manages the 120-acre alfalfa lot for parking, necessitating its final cutting and baling prior to the show to accommodate visitors.
The Brix family's journey with the Farm Progress Show began in 2005, marking Decatur as a permanent alternating site with Boone, Iowa. At that time, David and Dawn's daughters, Briana and GaBrielle, were young children. The intervening years have seen the girls grow, marry, and start their own families, transforming David and Dawn into proud grandparents of three. Briana, an X-ray technologist, and her husband, Travis Mayfield, have a daughter, Olivia, and a son, Boyd. GaBrielle, an accounting manager at ADM, and her husband, Brandon Cargill, welcomed their son, Ezekiel. Both daughters reside close to the showgrounds, further cementing the family's geographical and emotional ties to the event. This multi-generational involvement now includes David's mother, who owns 58 acres of the demonstration fields, establishing a remarkable four-generation connection to the show. The family has recently extended their hosting commitment for another decade, solidifying their profound connection until the 2035 event.
The enduring dedication of host families like the Brixes is fundamental to the success of the Farm Progress Show. Their provision of land for demonstrations, equipment showcases, and parking is indispensable for the seamless execution of the event. Furthermore, their role extends to cultivating the specific crops required for field demonstrations, meticulously planting and nurturing short-season hybrids throughout the growing season. As Rick Wild, the show manager, aptly emphasizes, these host farmers are the very bedrock of the Farm Progress Show, enabling the field demonstrations and enriching the attendees' experience by sharing insights into authentic agricultural practices. This deep-rooted collaboration fosters a vital connection between the show, its participants, and the land, creating a unique and impactful event that resonates with the farming community.
