16 CapitalPress.com January 23, 2015 Dedicated volunteers keep Ag Expo running smoothly Annual event keeps change constant to attract farmers By MATTHEW WEAVER Capital Press Matthew Weaver/Capital Press Sybil Tresch and Bill Nelson stand outside the Spokane Convention Center. They are longtime volun- teers at the Spokane Ag Expo and Pacific Northwest Farm Forum. Tresch started volun- teering in about 1991, serv- ing as board president for two years and on various committees. “I loved it, I liked the people I met, too,” she said. Many of the longtime Building Healthy Soils thing new every year, to keep farmers coming back again and again. Volunteers work to make sure the Expo runs as smoothly as possible, drawing high quality atten- dance to interact with the show’s exhibitors, Nelson and Tresch said. “Everyone who comes to the show is basically a qualified buyer,” Nelson said. “When I was exhib- itor, I always had people that came to the show to see me and ask questions. It’s those kinds of relationships that you build by being an exhibitor.” “We’re getting more young people, I think, that are interested,” Tresch said. For aspiring new volun- teers, Tresch recommends becoming acquainted with Greater Spokane Inc., and determining which com- mittees may be the best fit. Both Tresch and Nelson plan to continue working at the Expo. !! xpo See Us At Ag E COMPOST: • Adds valuable organic matter • Improves soil structure • Increases water penetration and holding capacity • Stabilizes pH and helps store nutrients 509-590-0437 SPAE15-2/#14 SPOKANE — The Spo- kane Ag Expo wouldn’t come together without the hard work of its many vol- unteers. Two longtime volunteers are Bill Nelson and Sybil Tresch. Nelson has been in- volved since the first Expo, when he was an exhibitor. “They hooked me many years ago,” he said, noting he gets a chance to catch up with long- time farmer friends at the Expo. “Sometimes you don’t see them until you come to the show,” Tresch agreed. “There’s a lot of standing in the aisles and visiting. That’s fun to see. You rec- ognize the long-term at- tendees.” volunteers have demon- strated a rare loyalty not seen in other organizations, Tresch said. She estimated there are 10 or 12 volun- teers who have been with the show since the begin- ning. Nelson grew up on a farm in Davenport, Wash., and worked for a manufac- turing company as sales manager. Tresch lived on small acreage farms growing up, but her background is in fi- nance. Nelson and Tresch have been friends for a long time. They helped put on a horseshoe event in dif- ferent communities around Spokane. The winners from each town used to compete at the Expo. Tresch believes the Expo remains an import- ant function for farmers around the region, to see technology updates and re- ceive continuing education credits. Nelson said the show works to provide some- www.Barr-Tech.net Sprague, WA AUTHORIZED DEALER OF PIK RITE MANURE AND COMPOST SPREADERS. SPAE15-2/#14