Farm Progress Show combines past and future
Each of three days will focus on a single theme with special events and speakers
A lot has changed since the first Canada’s Farm Progress Show 40 years ago, but this year’s show promises to mix the history with the future.
“I think right now agriculture’s changing. I think we’re seeing some of the baby boomers stepping down and the younger generation taking over,” said Shirley Janeczko, show manager of CFPS.
To honour these changes in the industry the organizers of the CFPS decided to add theme days to the schedule: Wednesday is Women in Ag Day, Thursday is Young Farmer’s Day and Friday is Heritage Day.
Each day will see programming dedicated to the group being honoured. On Women in Ag Day there will be an empowering women’s conference featuring women who have been involved in the agriculture industry most of their lives. Young Farmers’ Day will feature the Saskatchewan Outstanding Young Farmers luncheon, and Heritage Day will include a pancake breakfast and tours of the new Mosaic Stadium.
“I think (Heritage Day is) going to be the funnest day. We are honouring the past and we’re launching into the future,” Janeczko said.
New to this year’s show as well is Lumberjax Axe Throwing. There will be daily demonstrations by the axe throwers at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. outside the Canada Centre building. Attendees will also have the chance to throw an axe.
“We’re having some celebrity axe-throwing competitions. Hopefully the mayor as well as my CEO will be participating in one of those,” Janeczko said.
“We’re just trying to line up it up right now to have some celebrities out there, as well as our Farm Forum speakers, (who) will be invited to go out and chuck an axe.”
As in years past, there is a full slate of speakers lined up to give presentations as part of the FCC Farm Progress Forum.
On Wednesday, farm succession expert Leona Dargis and Three Farmers, who appeared on Dragon’s Den, will be speaking.
“Thursday we are going to be having Alison Anderson, and she has a succession matching company. It’s much like a dating service but she’s actually matching potential farm buyers with farmers,” Janeczko said.
Agricultural weather expert Drew Lerner will also be speaking Thursday.
Friday speakers wrapping up the forum are CBC comedian Rick Mercer and FCC employee Marty Seymour.
“(Seymour’s) going to present on why consumer confidence matters to agriculture and it’s a very interesting topic. There’s just so much controversy going on right now about GMOs and what we eat,” Janeczko said.
Another new aspect to this year’s show is the Farmyard Inventions competition.
“We’re really excited about it. We wanted to offer a platform for our farmers to come and bring to us their latest and greatest inventions that they’ve created at home,” Janeczko said.
Throughout the week. attendees will vote for their favourite invention and the winner will be crowned on Friday and will be awarded a $5,000 Peavey Mart gift card.
CFPS runs from Wednesday to Friday this week at Evraz Place.