Watching agriculture grow: 46 years of the Big Iron Farm Show

WEST FARGO, N.D. — The Big Iron Farm and Construction Show, held annually at the Red River Valley Fairgrounds, will soon be bustling with eager agriculturalists who are hoping to see the latest and greatest in the agriculture industry. The show has quite a reputation — one that has kept thousands of people returning to it for more than four decades. The 2026 Big Iron Farm and Construction Show is scheduled for Sept. 15-17, with a full slate of vendors, seminars, field demonstrations and more. ADVERTISEMENT Like all things, the Big Iron Farm Show has changed over the years. But the three day event has always kept one thing in mind: What do farmers want to see? “If you don't need it, it's not at Big Iron,” said longtime Big Iron attendee and former committee member Dave Gehrtz. “The show has just grown dramatically over the years.” Evolution While change is inevitable, one thing hasn’t changed: Gehrtz’s love for the Big Iron Farm show. This will be the farm show's 46th year in operation and the 43rd year Gehrtz will be in attendance. When looking back at the growth of the show, Gehrtz marveled at the advancement of technology that has been showcased there. He knows it will keep progressing as the years roll on. Gehrtz held a critical role in the farm show for a number of years, serving on the planning committee and acting as the Big Iron chairman during the farm show’s 40th anniversary. Numbers for the Big Iron farm show have continued to grow over the years, with the 2025 Big Iron farm show clocking in at around 75,000 people visiting. This year, those involved in the farm show look for that number to remain strong. People travel far and wide to attend the three-day event. “Cass County is an agriculture-rich community. ... Agriculture is very important to those around here. We have a very unique soil, the weather, everything kind of lines up,” Emily Grunewald, Red River Valley Fair chief agricultural officer, said. “Our show is educating people throughout the entire world, and our local farmers and business people that come to the show, and those who travel to the show are a huge part of that education.” Perhaps the biggest change seen to Big Iron is it is no longer only focused on agriculture, but construction as well. The farm show’s official name changed to the Big Iron Farm and Construction Show in 2024. This change was made to help farmers who already have construction equipment on their farm. The addition is also a fan favorite to many of the younger visitors. ADVERTISEMENT “If you drive around and put the boots on the farm, there's many farms that have construction equipment also, whether it be track hoe or whatever. It's just called a management tool. I mean, there's been a lot of changes over the years, from when I first started to where it is today, and it's pretty exciting,” Gehrtz said. Besides the construction aspect of the show, organizers also first added a concert to the schedule of events in 2023. The event is free to the public and takes place on the Wednesday evening of the show. This year, the Eli Young Band and LANCO will be performing. “We also wanted to bring something to our community to celebrate the Big Iron Farm show, so we started the concerts. It's been a huge hit. It's free to the public, so anybody is welcome to come. And then we added a little touch to it where you can purchase a VIP table for $1,500,” Grunewald said. The VIP tables sit eight and come with a steak supper. Grunewald said many companies have reserved tables and are able to network and chat with one another, all while enjoying music. The show must go on Big Iron has taken place during some monumental moments in history. Gehrtz remembers one Big Iron that stood out more than the rest, due to the quiet and sad nature of the show that year. The date? Sept. 11, 2001. “Oh, that was a terrible day,” he said. “I went out to Big Iron, and it was absolutely quiet out there. There was very, very low attendance that year. I mean, people were sitting in front of the TV in the booths and watching what happened that day. It was such a memorable experience, and of course, not a positive experience, but it happened. ... It just kind of hits me a little hard, you know.” More recently, the COVID-19 pandemic made the 2020 show more difficult to plan and execute. The pandemic made many people skip out on Big Iron that year, as they were avoiding crowds. But the Big Iron team was determined that the show must go on. ADVERTISEMENT Big Iron was one of the only farm shows held that year. Many other large shows were either canceled or held virtually. “We made national news that year because we did go forward, and we had a show," Grunewald said. “We wanted to make sure we provided for our community and our agriculture in general. It's taken everybody kind of a while to come back from that, but I don't think that it's affected us very much. We are continuously trying to grow the show and find ways that help our people in the agriculture community.” Looking ahead Both Grunewald and Gehrtz look for the farm show to keep growing. Organizers have already begun planning for next year’s show. Grunewald said anyone with an idea of something they would like to see at the show should please let her know, as she welcomes ideas. The Big Iron Farm Show has held a special place in Gehrtz’s heart for four decades, and he doesn’t plan for the love affair to end anytime soon. “It's always been very exciting,” he said. "It's a great show for North Dakota. It's a great show. The growth that we have seen happen at the Big Iron is phenomenal.”