How do you really know spring has arrived? Beyond the obvious signs like wheat greening up, daffodils blooming and springing forward, the Great Bend area has its own particular way. Next week from April 10-12 at the Expo Center the second annual Great Bend Farm and Ranch Expo takes place and promises to put an exclamation point on the start of the spring farming season. Farmers and ranchers love looking at new technology, state of the art equipment, maybe snagging a bargain and catching up with people they may only see once a year. That’s why the agricultural community comes. Why should you come if your contact with crops and livestock is at the county and state fairs or at 65 mph driving down the highway?
· While only several million people are directly involved in the production of food, fiber, and fuel; when you add up all the people involved in the industry agriculture it is the largest job sector in the country. The Expo helps give you an idea of what all is involved in the industry.
· In our rapidly changing technological society, agriculture has and continues to be on the cutting edge. From GPS and autosteer technology to variable rate technologies and genetic engineering the agriculture industry rapidly adopts and embraces these cutting edge technologies. Coming to an event like the Expo allows you examine these up close.
· If you pay any attention to agriculture news and the controversies ranging from pesticides to GMO crops an event like the Expo allows you to see what’s going on, obtain information, and speak with the people at agriculture’s ground zero.
· If you are looking for a possible career change or a potential career for a young person, the Expo is a great place to network with people in the industry and learn about possible careers. You will find most in the business are passionate about what they do and eager to share.  Ag is currently in need of motivated, skilled, intelligent people for all aspects of the industry. Barton Community College will have a booth at the Expo and feature the college’s agriculture and natural gas transmission certificate and degree programs.
· There’s always lots of cool and quirky stuff to see and buy. Stuff you didn’t know you needed but can’t live without once you see it.
If nothing else, the Expo should at least guarantee one good, heavy thunderstorm.