PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — Local farmers are learning about the newest industry trends and technologies at the state’s largest indoor farm show at the Peoria Civic Center.

From solar panels and seed to tractors and drones, more than 200 vendors showcased the latest in agricultural technology at the Greater Peoria Farm Show.

“You get to come on neutral turf, look at things that you might not look at a dealership. So it makes a big difference you can come and see things without having to drive all over to find them, and it’s a good gathering place. You’d be surprised how many farmers know each other,” said Ron Bormaster, show manager at Greater Peoria Farm Show.

Kevin Brooks, farm management educator at University of Illinois Extension, said farming has changed a lot over the years. It’s not exactly a simple way of life anymore and farmers have to keep up to stay competitive.

“It’s quite sophisticated, and with the amount of dollars that are involved in farming, it’s a pretty high stakes industry. This gives farmers and landowners a chance to see what’s going on the industry,” he said.

Bormaster said drones are a major buzz at the show.

“You’ve got a lot of drones in here. They’re all commercial-type drones that you can do spraying on the farm…One of the biggest things is they can spray lower on the crop, they can get close to the crop and there’s not a lot of leftover spray going elsewhere, and they’ll teach you how to do it,” he said.

“These are basically flying cameras, and you can monitor your crop progress throughout the year and find out what’s going on in quite a bit of detail,” added Brooks.

Bormaster estimated between 12,000 to 14,000 people will attend the show throughout three days.