September 2011
Dear Friends:
After a few days to catch our breath, we have begun wrapping up the paperwork that accompanies the Half Century of Progress V Show. First on our list of “things to do” is to express to you, VOLUNTEERS, EXHIBITORS, SPONSORS, VENDORS AND VISITORS, the sincere appreciation we have for your support and sponsorship of this endeavor.
The Half Century of Progress Show has become the largest working agricultural show in America. As you may have witnessed from your involvement, the show draws spectators from California to New York. Visitors from Europe, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa were also in attendance. Our attendance this year exceeded the 100,000 that we estimated would attend based on previous records.
The special features, Big Blue, Big Flag, and Big Four were joined by the 50th anniversary celebrations of Cub Cadet and the specialization of Manure Spreaders of America. Country roads were traveled as Max’s annual tractor ride surveyed 54 miles of Champaign and Ford County farmland. Field demonstrations from construction equipment to hand corn husking and horse and tractor pulls were conducted daily. Orion Samuelson and Max Armstrong joined together once again with entertainment to engage the crowds of spectators with music, humor and history of farm life.
It has been said by others—“You can never know where you are going if you don’t know where you have been.” In many ways this show continues to educate farmers and the interested public as to “where we’ve been” and a forecast of “where we are going.” The show celebrates visionary achievements of companies and individuals such as Jon Kinzenbaw. It exposed and educated those in attendance to the future of communication and technology in rural America. America’s Farmer Mobile Experience shared with the public the challenges and responsibility farmers will face for feeding, clothing and providing fuel for the increased world population by the year, 2050. The past and the future were present at the Half Century of Progress V Show in Rantoul, Illinois.
The list of sponsorships at all levels continues to grow with each show. It is important for each of you to know that we realize we could not accomplish a task of this magnitude without your support. Please accept our most sincere THANK YOU. As we prepare to make plans for 2013, we hope you will plan to support and sponsor -- The Half Century of Progress VI Show.
Sincerely,

Darius D. Harms
HALF CENTURY OF PROGRESS V