Trevor Scherman and his father created their drop pan to quickly and easily determine how much grain was being lost out of the back of the combine.

Father-son farmers win Ag Innovation awards

One pair found a better way to unplug the combine, the other a quick way to measure harvest losses

Reading Time: 4 minutes The newest agriculture equipment, services, and technologies — not just in North America, but in the world — are set to hit Red Deer in November. One of the highlights of Agri-Trade is the Ag Innovation awards. “It is always difficult to get it down to three winners,” said Rod Bradshaw, an Innisfail-area crop and […] Read more

Social media, texts, and emails are great but can’t take the place of talking with people face to face, 
says pedigreed seed producer Sarah Hoffmann.

All the iron is still there, but Agri-Trade has a new dimension

There’s still acres of farm equipment to be seen, but also an opportunity to upgrade your personal skill set

Reading Time: 4 minutes When you think of a farm equipment show, a motivational speaker talking about personal development might not spring to mind. But it’s exactly what women who attend Agri-Trade said they wanted to see at the popular Red Deer event. “Attendee surveys brought a strong message that there were a lot of women in agriculture who […] Read more


Where’s the beef? New food guide puts focus on ‘proteins’

Where’s the beef? New food guide puts focus on ‘proteins’

Meat is being ‘merged’ with plant-based sources of protein in the revamp of Canada’s Food Guide

Reading Time: 3 minutes Canada’s Food Guide is getting revamped for the first time in 10 years — and there’s lots of speculation, especially on social media, about whether meat is being given a thumbs down. “It’s not as harsh as that, really,” said Joyce Parslow, director of consumer relations with Canada Beef. One of the guiding principles of […] Read more

The four factors that are changing agriculture

The four factors that are changing agriculture

Don’t look back, the world is changing far too fast, says an American author and farmer

Reading Time: 3 minutes If you’re not ready to adapt and communicate with the public, you could lose your place in agriculture. “In agriculture, we tend to hang on to the best of the past,” said Jolene Brown, farmer, author and well-known speaker. “You’ve all heard the phrase, ‘If you always do what you’ve always done, you will get […] Read more


Tweeting about your local produce and sustainable practices ticks a lot of boxes for millennials.

Millennials — how to cater to the new majority

The age cohort now in their late teens to early 30s will be the majority by 2050

Reading Time: 2 minutes When it comes to targeting millennials, emphasize sustainability and ethical business practices, as well as convenience and flavour variety. In 2015, there were 9.5 million Canadians between the ages of 15 and 34 years old. “As a group, they’re more ethnically diverse and well educated than any previous generation,” said Ava Duering, a competitiveness analyst […] Read more

Ag students can win $1,500 award

Application deadline is May 5

Reading Time: < 1 minute Applications are being accepted for the 2016-17 Excellence Award for Agricultural Students. There are three awards (first place is worth $1,500) for the best responses to this question: Certain segments of the general public question the way food is produced, and have misgivings about the use of new technology. What concrete steps would you, as […] Read more


A device for remote positioning of the swing auger was one of the innovations that John Kowalchuk learned about at Agri-Trade.

Farm shows can boost your bottom line, says Agri-Trade attendee

John Kowalchuk can point to a host of innovations on his farm that 
began with something he saw or heard about at the Red Deer event

Reading Time: 3 minutes Twitter is the new coffee shop for farmers, but there’s nothing like talking face to face. Which is why John Kowalchuk is a faithful Agri-Trade attendee. “The fact you can network and talk to other people about their experiences, I think that’s a big part that makes Agri-Trade what it is,” said the Rumsey-area farmer. […] Read more

Bringing the entire beef sector together was the top goal for conference co-chairs Virgil Lowe (left) and Rob Smith. The conference did just that — something young producer Rob Dixon called “incredibly valuable.”

Come together: Beef industry gathers under one roof at national conference

Inaugural conference shows there is an appetite for all parts 
of the beef industry to work together for the common good

Reading Time: 3 minutes They came from across Western Canada and as far away as New Brunswick. And all of them were passionate about beef. The inaugural Canadian Beef Industry Conference, held at the beginning of August, was more of a success than anyone anticipated. More than 650 people from all sectors of the beef industry came from across […] Read more


Emily Ritchie’s prizes included a $1,000 cheque, presented by Eric Dalke and 
Deb Hart of the Alberta Young Speakers for Agriculture competition.

Passion and drive allow farmers to overcome any hurdle

Reading Time: 3 minutes Emily Ritchie of Turner Valley was the senior winner in the first annual Alberta Young Speakers for Agriculture competition at the Calgary Stampede for her speech on the challenges facing the next generation of farmers. How many of you have a cellphone in your pocket? This is a new phenomenon but as times change, technology […] Read more

Aleri Swalwell received a buckle, ribbon, and $500 prize from Eric Dalke, 
founder of the  Alberta Young Speakers for Agriculture competition.

Discover the power of social media – and use it

Reading Time: 3 minutes Aleri Swalwell of Strathmore was the junior winner in the first annual Alberta Young Speakers for Agriculture competition at the Calgary Stampede for her speech on how farmers can use social media. Tweet — post — blog — viral — hashtag — inbox — bookmark — surf — hack — thread. Fifteen years ago these […] Read more