Ag Days back with new events

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This article was published 13/01/2024 (711 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The largest indoor farm show in Canada — an event that draws people from across the country and the United States — is back in the Wheat City from Jan. 16-18 at the Keystone Centre.

With 550 indoor and outdoor exhibitors and a theme of “Produced on the Prairies,” this year’s show also boasts some brand-new activities, including a craft beer tasting event. It will be held from 7 to 10 p.m. on Monday, before the show formally gets underway, in the Provincial Exhibition’s historic Dome Building. Beer from a dozen local breweries will be on tap at the event.

Also new this year is a partnership between Manitoba Ag Days and “Great Tastes of Manitoba,” a farm-to-table cooking series showcasing nutritious, affordable food grown by Manitoba farmers. The food — and the farmers — will be celebrated with the screening of a mini-documentary series, “Produced on the Prairies.” Each day of Ag Days will feature a new video, and the entire series will be available as part of the 35th season of “Great Tastes of Manitoba” this fall.

The buzz around the leadup to Ag Days this year has been nothing short of incredible, Kristen Phillips, the event’s general manager, told the Sun.

“It’s so wonderful to have the opportunity to put on the show for the ag industry. Our board is made up of mostly farmers, and it’s wonderful to see the passion and the excitement in this group of people,” Phillips said.

The new craft beer show is one that Phillips has heard a lot of excitement about, from brewers and beer lovers alike. The event fits in perfectly with the “Produced on the Prairies” theme, she added.

“We’re super excited to partner with the breweries to bring this event to the start of our show.”

Ag Days would not be possible without the 550 exhibitors who take part in the event, Phillips said.

“If it has anything to do with agriculture, you will find it at our show,” she added.

The Innovation Showcase will feature the newest and most cutting-edge products that are being launched in the world of agriculture this year, which always makes for a high-energy, inspiring event, Phillips said.

“It’s so exciting to be able to bring that to the forefront at our shows.”

Scott Perkin, sponsorship co-ordinator for Manitoba Ag Days, says having a big show like this in January helps give people something to look forward to during the cold Prairie winter.

“People haven’t been to a show for a while, and we bring everything under one roof, so it’s an exciting time for sure,” Perkin said.

Tuesday, the first day of Ag Days, is sponsored by Border Brokers. The Manitoba Canola Growers Association gets things started from 9:30 to 10:15 a.m. with a presentation called “Manitoba’s Most Wanted,” a look at integrated pest management with Chris Manchur and Courtney Ross, agronomy specialists with the Canola Council of Canada.

From 10:15 to 11:15 a.m., Dr. Amy Delaguis, a research manager with the Manitoba Canola Growers Association, will be joined by Chris Holzapfel, a research manager with the Indian Head Agricultural Research Foundation, to talk about seeding canola and nutrient management.

The “Produced on the Prairies” video will premiere from 11:15 to 11:20 a.m., and from 11:20 a.m. to 12:05 p.m. Dave Carey, vice-president of government and industry relations with the Canadian Canola Growers Association, will present on professional development in a talk called “Your Farm Voice in Ottawa.”

That afternoon, from 1 to 4:20 p.m., several presenters will speak on marketing and professional development: Keith Brownell, the country grain market manager with Viterra’s east region; David Frum, a social and political commentator and staff writer at The Atlantic; Tim Hore, the dean of agriculture and environment at Assinboine Community College (ACC); and Gerhard Greyling, a grain advisory services regional market analyst with Cargill Ltd. Their talks will touch on removing emotions in grain marketing, geopolitics in uncertain times, ACC’s Prairie Innovation Centre and the grain markets of today and tomorrow, respectively.

But that’s not all that’s happening on the first day of Ag Days. A crop talk will take place at the MNP Theatre from 9:15 to 10:45 a.m., featuring speakers Lionel Kaskiw, Dr. John Gavloski, David Kaminski and Kim Brown-Livingston from Manitoba Agriculture and Anastasia Kubinec, an agronomist with Paterson Grain.

Following that, Dr. Breanne Tidemann, a weed scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, will give a talk on weed science from 10:45 to 11:30 a.m. and Anita Renwick, an agronomist with A1 Agronomy, will talk about reducing fertilizer footprint from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

The Ag Days Gives Back Community Giving Program’s presentations will also be made in the MNP Theatre from 12:30 to 1 p.m., and after that, a quick seven-minute talk will be given by Cade Cruickshanks, an articling accountant from MNP. As well, Hashim Farooq, a crop data analyst intern with Cargill Ltd., will talk about his unlikely journey from 4-H to agritech.

A dignitaries address will feature Ron Kostyshyn, Manitoba’s agriculture minister, Brandon Mayor Jeff Fawcett and David Beaudin, the minister of agriculture and associate minister of education with the National Government of the Red River Métis.

A discussion on Bill C-208 and how it could benefit farm operations with Edith Frisson and Ashley Andrews, business advisers with MNP, is scheduled from 2 to 2:30 p.m. The bill, which was given royal assent in June 2021, according to Farm Credit Canada’s website, was created to amend the Income Tax Act and adopted to facilitate the transfer of small business or family farms or fishing corporations.

Playing into the theme of businesses that have sprung up on the Prairies, Alfred Henry Lea, an entrepreneur with the National Canadian Chip Corporation, will tell the story of Tomahawk Chips.

According to the business’s website, Lea is First Nations from Pine Dock, Man., located 416 kilometres northeast of Brandon. He launched Tomahawk Chips in 2015 with distribution in Canada and the U.S. and plans to expand to international markets in the future. His talk will run from 2:30 to 3 p.m.

From 3 to 4:30 p.m., Graham Sherman, an entrepreneur and owner of the Tool Shed Brewing Company, will give a presentation as well. According to the company’s website, Sherman met his friend and Tool Shed co-founder Jeff Orr whilst working on government and military IT infrastructure and satellite communications projects in Afghanistan. Their love for their hobbies connected them, and Tool Shed Brewing was born.

Additional Tuesday workshops include a Border Brokers session in the WCG Viewing Lounge from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. A Manitoba Ag Days Kick Off Breakfast sponsored by Heritage Co-op will take place in the multi-purpose hall of the Dome Building. And talks on research and advancement in organics, planning improved crop rotations, the benefits of livestock integration in crop rotation are also scheduled, along with presentations from Cargill, Lucent Bioscience, Organics, Efficiency Manitoba, Assiniboine Community College and more.

Wednesday, which is sponsored by Richardson Pioneer, starts off with a global fertilizer market outlook presentation by Noah Bishop, a trader with ADM Fertilizer, in the FCC Theatre from 9:30 to 10:25 a.m. and a session on grain rail transport from 10:25 to 11:15 a.m. by Dr. Derek Brewin, professor and head of the Department of Agribusiness and Agricultural Economics at the University of Manitoba.

Another “Produced on the Prairies” video premiere will be held from 11:15 to 11:20 a.m., followed by a presentation from 11:20 a.m. to noon on tile by David Whetter, a consultant with AgriEarth Consulting Ltd.

Several sessions under the title “Embracing Innovation” will run from 1 to 5 p.m., featuring discussions on precision farming machinery, refining precision agronomy, drones in ag and AI in ag, with speakers Matt Yanick, president of My Precision Ag; Amber Knaggs and Trevor Friesen with SWAT MAPS; Matthew Johnson, vice-president of education and digital ag with Volatus Aerospace; and Jim Carroll, a futurist and innovation expert.

The MNP Theatre will be home to three presentations called “The Social Storm” from 9:30 a.m. to noon. These talks will discuss using the cloud system, weather patterns and social matters, with speakers Darcy Herauf of Farm Credit Canada, Drew Lerner of World Weather Inc. and producers Sarah Leguee, John Kowalchuk, Amy Smith and Andy Pasztor.

For livestock producers, Wednesday will be a busy day with a “Livestock Roundup” event happening from 1 to 5:30 p.m., featuring topics such as “Is There Money in Beef,” “What’s Your Succession Plan?,” “Bucking the Trend,” “A Vet’s Perspective: Calving Season Tips and Tricks” and the “‘Chase the Good’ Tour.”

Additional meetings and workshops on Wednesday will be held by Corteva, Richardson Pioneer, Fusion Credit Union, Volatus Aerospace, the University of Manitoba (U of M), Covers and Co. and Meridian.

The final day of Ag Days, sponsored by the Farmers Business Market, begins at the FCC Theatre will three talks on soil fertility by Western Ag Professional Agronomy, U of M and FCC. Those events run from 9:30 a.m. to noon.

From 1 to 3:30 p.m., “On Farm Influencers” Jay Whetter, Chantal Bauche, Jason Claeys, Kenton Johnston and Scott Fairburn will discuss variable rate technology and a customer-driven approach to equipment.

The Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers Association also offers a jam-packed schedule on Thursday in the MNP Hall, including talks on pulses in Manitoba, another “Produced on the Prairies” video showing and discussions on crop rotation, root rot in pulses, and soil. A “Produced on the Prairies” video will also premiere from 12:10 to 12:15 p.m., and then “Let’s Get Salty!,” a session about soil salinity, will take place from 1 to 4 p.m.

Other meetings and workshops happening on the final day of Ag Days include “Drone at the Dome” from Volatus Aerospace, presentations from Manitoba Agriculture and U of M, a Farmers Business Network at the WCG Viewing Lounge, a session by Overton Environmental and one by the Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers Association.

The calibre of speakers taking part in Manitoba Ag Days this year is phenomenal, Phillips said.

“We get new speakers every single year. We have 63 this year, on everything from agronomy to marketing, geopolitics, weather and so many topics.”

Perkin agrees, saying the Manitoba Ag Days program committee always “knocks it out of the park” with the amazing speakers they secure for the event every year.

“It’s always unique, and they get it right on the mark on what the farmers want to see in here. They’ve done a great job,” he said.

Phillips hopes people who attend this year’s Manitoba Ag Days will walk away from it with a new perspective — and appreciation for — all the things agriculture on the Prairies produces, beyond the food that feeds the world. She also hopes it will inspire new generations to seek careers in the agriculture industry. More than 1,500 children will attend the event over three days, learning all about the different facets of agriculture.

“One in seven jobs will be connected to agriculture [on the Prairies] and so agriculture is more than just being a farmer. There are so many jobs in our industry, from seed salesmen to market development, engineering accountants — the list goes on. It’s such a diverse industry,” she said.

Bringing students to Manitoba Ag Days will also help lessen the divide and barriers that exist between rural and urban Manitoba, Perkin believes.

“It’s important for families and the people that aren’t directly involved with agriculture to be grounded in what makes up the landscape around here. So even if you’re from the city of Brandon or any town, and you’re not directly involved in agriculture, coming to the show and participating … just brings everybody closer together,” he said.

Another exciting feature this year will be the Ag Days 50/50 draw. Last year’s draw got to just below $70,000, and all the money that was raised in the sale of the tickets went toward the Ag Days Gives Back Fund, which supports a number of community organizations.

The event doesn’t just affect those who are part of the agriculture industry, Phillips said, but brings plenty of money into Brandon as people flock to the Wheat City to take part in the event.

“The whole province benefits. There isn’t a hotel room available from the U.S. border all the way up to Riding Mountain National Park, and from Moosomin all the way to Portage. Every single hotel is [booked],” she said. “Restaurants and the hospitality industry benefit greatly from our show. It’s just wonderful to be able to put something like this on, not only for our industry but for our city and our province.”

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