The first Livestock AgTech Happy Hour happens each day from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Ag In Motion.
The new program aims to give companies the chance to connect with farmers about the technology they are developing and farmers the opportunity to learn about the latest in livestock agriculture technology.
“Really the idea came from that there’s lot of new innovation in the livestock area and space,” says Melonee Ochitwa, with Ag In Motion. “We have a lot of companies participating in our AgTech Alley and we really wanted to focus a little bit more in the areas that are livestock specific.”
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The companies participating will present at the Livestock AgTech Happy Hour each of the three days of the show and include:
• FarmSimple Solutions, which has developed a sensor and system that monitors water troughs.
• Highline Manufacturing, a Saskatchewan manufacturer of feed handling equipment.
• Opend Range, which makes unique cattle handling equipment.
• Claas will also make comments as the supplier of branded drinks for the Watering Hole.
Participants at the Livestock AgTech Happy Hour will get a ticket for a drink at the Watering Hole.
Along with companies, the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture will have speakers each day as part of the event.
They include:
Chelsey Siemens and Natasha Wilkie, livestock and feed extension specialists, will talk about advancements in water and alternative feed management technology on Tuesday, July 16. They’ll cover some of the tech available and how it might fit into different management practices.
On Wednesday, July 17, livestock and feed extension specialists Alexis DeCorby and Tessa Thomas will cover using technology in herd management. DeCorby says they’re planning to cover a lot of ground in a short time, including:
• Record keeping, and common things that producers track.
• Weigh scales and body condition scoring.
• Cowbytes (ration balancing software to manage winter feeding).
• Results from a recent Agriculture Demonstration of Practices and Technologies project, in which producers tried a few record-keeping software systems.
• A brief discussion of putting record-keeping into practice when selecting replacement heifers.
Andre Bonneau, range management extension specialist, takes the stage on Thursday, July 18. He plans to cover virtual fencing, as well as some of the other tracking and monitoring programs. He’s also looking into some of the other technology available to manage livestock on pasture, such as systems that read temperatures to indicate heat and track movement (which could be helpful when adding cross-fencing).
The Livestock AgTech Happy Hour will take place at the livestock events centre on First Street.
With files from Lisa Guenther
