The 1960s can be regarded as a refocusing of the Cattle Congress. By this time it was known as the National Dairy Cattle Congress, but its focus on dairy cattle was beginning to shift.
Farm Machinery and dairy equipment continue to share the spotlight with the dairy cattle at the National Dairy Cattle Congress. Once again a few more exhibit spaces were squeezed out to accommodate the increasing demand for "show" space at the Cattle Congress.37
This change of focus was in response to public demand. Farming was becoming more and more mechanical. As farmers began to farm larger and larger areas, they relied more and more heavily on new farm implements and innovations. Many farmers stated that the first time they were made aware of these innovations was at the Cattle Congress.
The Cattle Congress was changing in order to try and increase its popularity in Northeast Iowa and the Middle West. "The changes point toward an increasing emphasis on making the Cattle Congress a more diversified show in future years." The fair extended itself by one day so it would run for a total of nine days. It also drastically increased the amount of time and space devoted to horse shows. While all these changes were designed to increase the Cattle Congress’s popularity, it upset dairy associations. The show that they had backed for decades as its primary display event was rapidly forgetting its roots. The National Dairy Association’s displeasure came to a head in 1965 and it withdrew its support of the Dairy Cattle Congress and moved its shows to Madison, Wisconsin. With the loss of support from the National Dairy Association, the National Dairy Cattle Congress became the National Cattle Congress. It seems a t this time the Dairy Cattle Congress had forgotten its roots and began to suffer because of it.
The 1970s were just a continuation of the 1960s and its policies of diversification. The focus was still on farm implements, horse shows, and other livestock judging, but there was also a push of live "big-name" entertainment acts. The National Cattle Congress was beginning to look more and more like a small-time carnival with some sideshow attractions. People were now coming to Cattle Congress to ride the rides on the midway and eat all the good food. The livestock was beginning to take a backseat. As the 1970s blended into the 1980s, the Cattle Congress was in financial trouble. Too many years of running a financial deficit were finally starting to take their toll.
