World Ag Expo 2007 Over the hill: More than 100,000 to celebrate World Ag Expo’s 40th anniversary

World Ag Expo began in 1968 and was held at the Tulare County Fairgrounds in Tulare, California. The first show attracted 157 exhibitors with 28,000 attendees. This year more than 100,000 people are expected to attend.

The first show was called the “Tulare Field and Row Crop Equipment Show.” In 1972, when the first foreign manufacturers began displaying their products, the show became known as the “California Farm Equipment Show.” The event’s current name, “World Ag Expo,” was adopted in 2001.

In the late 1970s, the show outgrew the fairgrounds. In 1976, a nonprofit corporation was created – the International Agri-Center Inc., and a section of the Faria family farm became the new site for the showgrounds.

The first farm show was held at its current location February 9, 1982. In 1991, a new 80,000-square-foot building, called the Dairy Center, was built. This year the building will house more than 350 dairy exhibitors.

Happy Birthday, World Ag Expo! PD