World Ag Expo Celebrates 60 Years of Connecting Agriculture

2027 World Ag Expo Set for February 9-11 in Tulare
The World Ag Expo is preparing for a major milestone in 2027 as the internationally recognized agricultural event celebrates its 60th anniversary February 9-11 in Tulare, California.
During an interview with “The Ag Meter” Nick Papagni, Megan Lausten, Assistant General Manager of the World Ag Expo, shared what attendees, exhibitors, schools and agricultural organizations can expect from the 2027 event. From its international reach and massive volunteer effort to agricultural education and community involvement, Lausten explained why the World Ag Expo is much more than a three-day event.
For anyone involved in agriculture, the full conversation with Papagni and Lausten provides an inside look at what it takes to bring one of the industry’s largest gatherings to life.
Celebrating 60 Years of World Ag Expo
Lausten said organizers are excited to celebrate six decades of World Ag Expo and reflect on how far the event has come since its beginnings in 1968.
At the same time, she said much of what made the original show successful has remained part of its identity.
The 2027 event will continue that tradition while bringing together agricultural businesses, producers, exhibitors, educators, students and visitors from around the world. The official World Ag Expo website identifies the event as the largest annual agricultural show of its kind, with more than 1,200 exhibitors and approximately 100,000 attendees annually.
International Agri-Center Keeps Busy All Year
Although World Ag Expo is the International Agri-Center’s best-known event, Lausten explained that the nonprofit organization operates throughout the year with a mission of connecting people through agriculture.
The facility hosts business meetings, fundraisers, concerts, monster truck shows, equestrian events and livestock activities. Many of those events come through the facility rental department, meaning there is activity at the grounds well beyond the February agricultural exposition.
The International Agri-Center is also home to the AgVentures Learning Center and Antique Museum, which provides hands-on agricultural education for children and adults.
The center hosts school tours and allows visitors to learn more about where their food and fiber come from. Antique farm equipment is also on display, providing an opportunity to see how agricultural technology has changed over generations.
Lausten said the museum is open Monday through Friday, approximately 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., when the office is open.
Hands-On Agriculture for the Next Generation
Agricultural education extends beyond school tours. Lausten described summer programming through the AgVentures team that gave children opportunities to participate in different agricultural activities.
One week, children made butter. Another week, they planted sunflowers. The learning center also includes a small farmers market where children can participate in selecting food.
The organization also hosts fundraising events to support the learning center, including a luau featuring food and traditional dancing from the Polynesian Club of Fresno.
New Development Around the International Agri-Center
Infrastructure improvements are also creating new opportunities for the International Agri-Center and the surrounding South Tulare area.
Lausten highlighted the new International Agri Center Way interchange off Highway 99, which is expected to improve access for visitors and provide additional opportunities for the area.
The organization is also pursuing plans for a hotel on the property. Lausten said an RFP was out for the potential development, adding another potential amenity for future World Ag Expo visitors.
1,000 Volunteers Help Make the Show Possible
Producing an event that attracts approximately 100,000 people requires year-round preparation.
Lausten said the International Agri-Center has approximately 25 full-time employees, with staff members working on World Ag Expo throughout the year.
They are joined by approximately 1,000 volunteers, many of whom attendees recognize by their bright orange jackets.
Local nonprofit organizations are also an important part of the operation, particularly through the show’s food booths.
Lausten said there are approximately 30 food and beverage booths, with each operated by a different local nonprofit. Purchasing a peach cobbler, steak sandwich, ice cream or another item at the show directly supports the organization operating that booth.
Collectively, those nonprofit food operations have raised more than $1 million over the past several years, according to Lausten.
More Than 50 Countries Represented
The “World” in World Ag Expo is more than just a name.
Lausten said the show welcomed visitors from more than 50 countries the previous year and has had participation from more than 80 countries in the past.
The event also features an International Business Center, providing international visitors with hospitality, networking opportunities and resources to learn more about California agriculture and business.
The official World Ag Expo site likewise describes an International Business Center where international attendees can network, conduct meetings and connect with trade and economic-development resources.
FFA and Students Are a Major Part of the Show
Thousands of young people attend World Ag Expo each year, making agricultural education and youth involvement an important part of the event.
Lausten highlighted a new FFA auction introduced the previous year in the WW Livestock Pavilion. FFA students had the opportunity to auction items and participate in a California competition.
For Lausten, seeing students actively involved in agriculture is particularly rewarding because they represent the next generation of the industry.
Schools interested in attending can purchase student tickets through WorldAgExpo.com. Student tickets have a different rate, and Lausten encouraged schools to visit the website’s ticket section or contact the International Agri-Center office for assistance.
General admission for the 2027 show is currently listed at $20 per day, with children ages 6 and under admitted free.
Exhibitors Still Have an Opportunity to Get Involved
Businesses interested in exhibiting at the 2027 World Ag Expo can visit WorldAgExpo.com and use the “Request for Booth Space” option.
The International Agri-Center’s exhibit sales team works year-round to assist exhibitors and prepare for upcoming shows. The official exhibitor information confirms that companies can request or renew booth space through the World Ag Expo website.
For questions about exhibiting, attending or student participation, the International Agri-Center office can be reached at:
World Ag Expo / International Agri-Center
Website: WorldAgExpo.com
Phone: 559-688-1030
Listen to the Full Interview
For “The Ag Meter” Nick Papagni, the conversation with Megan Lausten offers a closer look at everything happening behind the scenes at World Ag Expo.
From the 60th anniversary celebration and international visitors to FFA students, agricultural education, community nonprofits, exhibitors and the thousands of people who make the show possible, there is far more to World Ag Expo than what happens during its three days in February.
Listen to the full “Ag Meter” interview with Megan Lausten to hear more about the 2027 World Ag Expo, how the event comes together and how you can get involved.
For more information, visit WorldAgExpo.com or call 559-688-1030.

Facts Only

* The World Ag Expo is scheduled for February 9-11 in Tulare, California, in 2027.
* The event is celebrating the 60th anniversary of the World Ag Expo, which began in 1968.
* The World Ag Expo annually features more than 1,200 exhibitors and approximately 100,000 attendees.
* The International Agri-Center operates year-round to connect people through agriculture.
* The International Agri-Center hosts business meetings, fundraisers, concerts, and livestock activities.
* The center houses the AgVentures Learning Center and an Antique Museum for hands-on education.
* Museum hours are Monday through Friday, approximately 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., when the office is open.
* Summer programming offered by the AgVentures team included activities like making butter and planting sunflowers.
* Food and beverage booths are operated by local nonprofit organizations, which raised over $1 million in recent years through these operations.
* The event has welcomed visitors from more than 50 countries previously and has had participation from more than 80 countries in the past.
* FFA students participated in an auction and competition at the WW Livestock Pavilion.
* General admission for the 2027 show is listed at $20 per day, with children ages 6 and under admitted free.

Executive Summary

The 2027 World Ag Expo will take place from February 9-11 in Tulare, California, marking the event's 60th anniversary. Assistant General Manager Megan Lausten and Nick Papagni discussed the event’s scope, which extends beyond the three-day exposition to encompass the operations of the International Agri-Center throughout the year. The World Ag Expo is the largest annual agricultural show, featuring over 1,200 exhibitors and approximately 100,000 annual attendees. The International Agri-Center operates as a nonprofit organization, hosting various activities including business meetings, events, and hands-on education through the AgVentures Learning Center. The facility also showcases antique farm equipment and provides educational opportunities for visitors regarding food and fiber origins. The event involves significant community support from approximately 1,000 volunteers and local nonprofit organizations that operate food booths. International participation is broad, with previous years seeing visitors from over 50 countries. Furthermore, the event incorporates resources like an International Business Center and provides educational programming for youth through FFA involvement and school tours.

Full Take

The narrative positions the World Ag Expo not merely as a commercial exhibition but as a multifaceted community hub sustained by extensive, layered infrastructure. The juxtaposition of the large-scale, high-attendance event (100,000 people) with the year-round mission of the International Agri-Center reveals a strategic attempt to frame agricultural engagement as an ongoing educational and social responsibility rather than a singular annual spectacle. The emphasis on the nonprofit structure and the role of community nonprofits in revenue generation suggests a reliance on public goodwill and decentralized involvement to sustain operations, which introduces a pattern where institutional longevity depends heavily on external participatory energy.
The focus on youth involvement, particularly FFA, connects the historical celebration of industry growth with the immediate need for future sustainability through education. This creates a compelling bridge between legacy preservation (60 years) and forward-looking development (next generation). However, the structure also invites inquiry into the dynamics of volunteerism versus paid exhibition spaces and how this balance is maintained across decades of operation. The mention of infrastructure improvements and potential hotel development alongside community support suggests an emerging tension: how does the event manage the pressure to expand physical assets while maintaining the core educational and community-focused identity that attracted international interest in the first place? The narrative successfully establishes a broad scope, but deeper analysis requires examining who benefits most from this established public-facing framework versus the operational realities faced by the entities supporting it.
Bridge Questions: What are the long-term financial sustainability models for the International Agri-Center beyond event revenue and nonprofit fundraising? How do the interests of the international exhibitors align with the educational goals of the youth programs and the local community partnerships? If physical expansion is pursued, how will the balance between large-scale commercial appeal and intimate educational access be maintained?

Sentinel — Human

Confidence

The text reads like a human-generated summary of an interview, focused on synthesizing organizational details surrounding the World Ag Expo.

Signals Detected

Sentence length variance shows natural variation; text flows like an interview summary rather than a purely optimized block.

The flow is logical, transitioning smoothly between the main event details and the organizational infrastructure, consistent with an informational interview structure.

The text relies heavily on direct attribution (quotes from Lausten) and factual listing of facts, which is characteristic of reporting an interview.

No immediate markers for fabricated statistics or anomalous voice; information seems derived directly from organizing body statements.

Human Indicators

The use of named sources and direct quotations strongly suggests journalistic sourcing.

The specific, layered details about the International Agri-Center's activities (museum hours, volunteer numbers, nonprofit fundraising) point toward on-the-ground reporting.