LOUISVILLE, Ky. - If attendance at the 44th National Farm Machinery Show is any indication, all those gloom-and-doom economic stories may have been a bit premature.

Not only did more than 300,000 visitors attend the farm show at the Kentucky State Fairgrounds Feb. 11-14, but they came to do more than kick tires and pick up free seed caps and yardsticks.

"Friday and Saturday (Feb. 13-14) was the most people I have ever seen in one place in my life," said Media Marketing Manager Rick Judy, who has seen his share of equipment shows over his 10-year tenure at Dixie Chopper.

The crowd was so thick on Friday that by 9:30 a.m. (a half-hour after the doors opened), farm show parking spaces were scarcer than the proverbial hen's teeth. Overall, the 2009 version produced the second-largest National Farm Machinery Show crowd in history - 306,706 (trailing only the 312,206 who visited in 2006).

Mojack girl Audra Hanson cranks up the Dixie Chopper camo mower during a demonstration of her product in the Dixie booth.

"The quality of the people we saw at the show was good, too," Judy assessed. "We talked to a lot of people about mowers, and we talked to a lot of people who are interested in buying and will be going to our dealers in coming days and weeks."

Dixie Chopper was one of more than 800 exhibitors filling 27 acres of floor space during the annual Louisville show, furthering its reputation as the largest indoor agricultural exposition in the nation. In all, the 2009 show boasted 1.2 million square feet of agricultural-related displays.

"Every day of the show was a good day," Judy added. "But Friday and Saturday were just exceptional."

In addition to the reputation of the Dixie Chopper mowers themselves, also helping drive constant traffic to the booth were: ASA race car driver Nick Neville and his Dixie Chopper-sponsored car; little brother Trevor Neville, age 8, and his midget racer; a Mojack demonstration by model Audra Hanson; a visit by Jake Zaring and the Dixie Chopper pulling truck (in Broadbent Arena); and 19-year-old ATV quad racer Bailey Shea Williams, who had autograph seekers lined up virtually all day, every day.

Trevor Neville (R) lets a little visitor try out the driver's seat of his Dixie Chopper midget racer.

In fact, Bailey came armed with 750 postcards to sign -- more than enough, her father Troy Williams thought, for the four-day show and possibly her entire race season. But by 3 p.m. the first day, the cards were all gone and Dixie Chopper media specialist Faith Lenihan had to print and deliver more. Overall, Bailey signed close to 3,000 autographs.

As further proof of interest in the show, Kentucky officials said booth space had been sold out by Thanksgiving. That, coupled with the near-record attendance, seems to validate the National Farm Machinery Show as a solid litmus test of at least the agriculture-related economy.

For example, the McCormick International booth reported "wall to wall people," according to CEO Rodney Miller.

Echoing Rick Judy's remarks, Miller said Friday's crowd was exceptional. "I don't want to sound too optimistic," he said, "but that was the best day I've ever had at a show."

ATV quad racer Bailey Shea Williams obliges an autograph seeker at the Dixie Chopper farm show booth.

That seems to be the recent norm for Dixie Chopper officials. They have come away optimistic from every show they have attended this winter, including New England Grows and trade shows in Kansas City and North Carolina.

Hopefully that means the public has moved beyond the fears that set in at the end of 2008. All indications are that farmers and commercial cutters alike are beginning to understand that they still must make the purchases they need to make in order for their businesses to function.

"Things are never as bad as the media and the naysayers claim they are," Dixie Chopper President and CEO Gary Morgan said recently.

And then there is this word of encouragement from Dixie Chopper Florida Territory Manager John Chick: "The excitement level about Dixie Chopper is at an all-time high!"

Drive Nick Neville (R) talks with farm show visitors about his Dixie Chopper race car.

Dare we say it: The show(s) must go on ...

Note: Dates have already been announced for the 2010 National Farm Machinery Show and Championship Tractor Pull at Louisville. Next year's dates are Feb. 10-13.