Powerful machinery was on display at the 2015 Farwest Show Equipment Innovation Day, sponsored by GK Machine.

About 100 Farwest attendees trekked to GK Machine Inc. in Donald, Oregon today (August 25), to get an up-close look at some massive labor-saving machinery.

The second annual Equipment Innovation Day, held the Tuesday before the 2015 Farwest Show kicks off on Thursday, gave growers the opportunity to experience cutting-edge equipment in action and talk with some of the top equipment manufacturers who are enhancing production efficiency for the nursery and greenhouse industry.

“Seeing in-person what these machines can do is what everyone is here for,” Ryan Basile, 2015 Farwest chairman, said. “This was a great start to this year’s Farwest.”

In action were an in-line potting machine, bare root tree digger, a trio of spaders, OSU’s innovative Smart Sprayer, and two mini — but mighty — skidders. Demonstrations took place in the adjacent field of A & R Spada Farms LLC.

Dutchman Industries showed off two of their tree spaders, one with an undercutting blade and one without.

Jim Simnitt (left) of Simnitt Nursery inspects the engine of the Multione GT 950, one of two pint-sized but powerful skidders demonstrated at the event.

Onlookers watched in awe as GK Machine‘s H7 Bare Root Tree Digger made easy work of the dry, compacted soil.

Gary Hockersmith of Eshraghi Nursery takes a turn on the A.R.M. (Articulated Repositioning Mechanism), manufactured by Wurdinger Manufacturing.

The EZ Potter (manufactured by Ellis Products) impressed with its patented, in-line potting — no pot holders needed!