Ag Expo brings agriculture industry together in Lethbridge

Dave Fiddler, senior advisor to the show operations, said there is a lot of excitement in the air.

He stated, “We sold the show out months ago [and] we’ve got a waiting list wanting to get in.”

“We’re really excited about the support from the industry.”

@lethbridgenewsnow Ag Expo 2024 runs from February 27 to 29 at the Agri-Food Hub and Trade Centre. #YQL #LNN #agriculture #agexpo ♬ original sound – Lethbridge News Now

Fiddler said the event is focused on “the business of agriculture” and provides an excellent opportunity for farmers and producers to network and buy new products and services to become more profitable.

He noted there are plenty of products on display that are manufactured in Canada and the United States, with exhibitors coming from “all the Prairie provinces, and some further into Manitoba and Ontario.”

A HIGH-TECH BUSINESS

Fiddler emphasized the ongoing growth of technology in the industry, which is on display at Ag Expo.

He remarked, “You know, we all think of the red barns and the milk cows, grazing and green pastures [but] that’s not quite the image that agriculture truly is today. It’s very high-tech. There’s computers and auto-steer and autonomous equipment, so it’s changing.”

Fiddler continued, “People are using drones to check their crops; they’re not walking their crops so much anymore. Agriculture is evolving [and] this is where the latest and newest technology is put on display.”

He added that all the technological tools at the disposal of producers today allow them to capture data.

“All that data now is put into use about how to make different decisions, whether it be fertilizing the fields and putting the proper fertilizer equations into the soil, or if it’s about capturing their yields and soil make-up, all that sort of stuff.”

A DJI AGRAS T40 drone from Sky Drones Inc. on display in the Tech Zone at the Ag Expo, February 27, 2024. (Photo: LNN)

Attendees to Ag Expo can check out various pieces of equipment, presentations, seminars and entertainment throughout the course of the event.

Fiddler said, “The farmers come together, and it becomes a social event of the season. They meet the farmer from down the road or their cousin from Saskatchewan and they visit, have a beer, we’ve got a great band that’s playing in the lobby every afternoon, so lots of fun and lots of business to get done.”

BIG EVENT FOR LDE

Paul Kingsmith, Director of Community Engagement for LDE, said Ag Expo is the first event to make full use of the Agri-food Hub and Trade Centre since its opening.

Kingsmith remarked, “It’s amazing to see this venue host an event like this.”

“Before everyone got here this morning, we were walking around and you see the magnitude of all the equipment in here, all in one place and the way we’re able to bring this show together and centralize it in a way that we’ve never been able to because of the Agri-food Hub and Trade Centre.”

The 2024 Ag Expo is the first event to make full use of the Agri-food Hub and Trade Centre since its opening in summer 2023. (Photo: LNN)

Kingsmith continued, “It’s a great showcase for the agriculture industry and of course, for Lethbridge and District Exhibition, agriculture is at the heart of what we do and what we’ve done for 127 years, so to have this show here is really one of the best days of the year.”

Attendees can check out the North American Seed Fair as part of Ag Expo. (Photo: LNN)

Prior to the opening of the Agri-food Hub and Trade Centre, many larger pieces of farming equipment were on display outdoors, but the new facility has allowed for all activities to be held inside.

Kingsmith said, “To see that these machines are able to come right into this venue is really a testament to what it’s able to do and how we can use this space to benefit the community.”

He added that the expo helps deliver a boost to the community.

Kingsmith stated, “This show is for the community and what we do at LDE is bring the community together, so events like this, we’re bringing in people from across western Canada, from Montana into Alberta and they’re eating at restaurants and filling up hotel rooms.”

“There’s really a community element to what we do here, so this show, which is really one of our signature events, is just a testament to what we’re able to do.”

The size of the Agri-food Hub and Trade Centre allows for larger machines to be showcased inside the facility, as opposed to outdoors, which was the case at past expos. (Photo: LNN)

Farm Credit Canada (FCC) is once again serving as the presenting partner for Ag Expo.

Jordan Mulholland is a business development manager with FCC.

He said, “We’re the only financial institution that’s 100 per cent involved in Canadian agriculture and so, this is a big opportunity for us to come and connect with partners and industry connections to collaborate and to learn what’s new in the ag industry and what’s coming in the future for us.”

Attendees enjoy some of the booths at Ag Expo on opening day, February 27, 2024. (Photo: LNN)

Mulholland echoed Fiddler’s sentiments regarding the growing use of technology in the industry.

He said there’s “lots of technology in the ag space in variable seeding, technology in regenerative ag, as well as drones, just lots of changes in the industry as we look for more efficient ways to produce more food for the world.”

The 2024 Ag Expo is ongoing until February 29. More details are available at the event website.

READ MORE: Lethbridge News Now.

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by Justin Goulet

Ag Expo brings agriculture industry together in Lethbridge

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