Last month I attended the Canadian Farm Writers Federation conference in Winnipeg.
It was my first time at this annual event, and because it was pretty much in my backyard this year, it was an ideal opportunity to check it out.
As farm writers, there’s always plenty of things happening in our industry to keep us on our toes and engaged. This three-day conference was no different.
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Our first day saw a group depart on an afternoon hike to see landmarks in Winnipeg’s Exchange District, which has been deemed a National Historic Site of Canada.
If you were a grain broker in the late 1800s and early 1900s, here was the heart of the Canadian grain trade, and a number of remnants — from entire buildings to facades — still stand tall as a nod to Canada’s grain industry history.
Day two took us to a seed facility south of Winnipeg.
Here, we were treated to a behind-the-scenes look at an automated production line that cleans and processes seed for the commercial market. We were also shown plant breeding methods that turn a canola embryo into a full-grown plant after five months, at which time they are tested for disease susceptibility to see how they fared.
At the University of Manitoba’s Glenlea Research Station we visited its free run chicken aviary and swine barns where piglets ran freely about and we watched dairy cows queue in line to get to the robotic milker.
Later that day we visited a family owned sheep farm that mills wool fibre from its own herd and that of local farmers to make breed-specific yarn, turning less desirable fibres into wool pellets to enrich soil and deter garden pests.
Day three focused on professional development with a range of speakers who spoke of early Indigenous agriculture on the Prairies, how Canada keeps its reputation for high-quality wheat, the role of farm media in getting stories out into the farm community and a live update from the head of Manitoba’s new trade office in Washington, D.C.
These are mere snippets of what our gaggle of farm writers took in during the three-day conference. It reminded me once again of the many facets of agriculture.
Our profession is one of curiosity and reporting back with stories on the wide array of unique things that Canadian producers are doing.
From what I’ve seen from the work of my colleagues and the many producers who I’ve met over the years, both appear to be in capable hands.
