Almost 30,000 people had the opportunity to watch demonstrations from more than 500 exhibitors at the Saskatchewan show
The first Ag In Motion outdoor farm show to feature live crowds since the COVID-19 pandemic attracted 29,954 people for the event held July 19-21.
Visitors to the Discovery Farm near Langham, Sask., saw product demonstrations from 543 different exhibitors, covering more than 100 acres.
“I really think it was a good show,” said show manager Rob O’Connor. “A lot of people enjoyed it, lots of enthusiasm from exhibitors.
“I guess it just feels like we got right back to where we were in 2019.”
People from across Canada and the world visited the expo, including Kazakhstan ambassador H.E.Akylbek Kamaldinov and many Australians, according to O’Connor.
Agriculture ministers also made an appearance this year, including federal minister Marie-Claude Bibeau.
“She was very thankful and the other ministers were very thankful they could come and be a part of this because they don’t always get an opportunity to get out and see things in this perspective,” said O’Connor.
Opening night closed with The Field of STARS presented by Nutrien, which raised more than $300,000 for STARS Air Ambulance.
On the morning of July 20, Ag In Motion (AIM) presented the first ever ag-tech breakfast in which ag-tech companies presented their innovations while farmers ate.
“That’s really one of the gems this year. It was oversold to be honest. We were standing room only,” said O’Connor. “I think that a definite area of the show that will grow.”
The Cultivating Connections Happy Hour and VIP Dairy Producers Brunch also returned to the show this year.
O’Connor said exhibitors took an even more hands-on approach this year, anxious to demonstrate the strides they’ve made in technology in the past few years.
“Everyone really felt, I think, more than the word relief. It was a real excitement about coming back to Ag in Motion,” said O’Connor.
ATP Nutrition president Jarrett Chambers has been an exhibitor at AIM since the beginning. He said the pandemic proved that farmers and exhibitors need the show.
“Ag in Motion is fantastic. This is a great show,” said Chambers. “The show has been exceptional. It’s a great chance to show our new products off.”
ATP was the winner of the Agronomics Innovations Program Award, and had a booth in place along with the winners, finalists, and participants from each of the five categories: agronomics, business solutions, environmental sustainability, equipment and livestock.
An AIM news release said the awards were given to companies’ newly created products that have “potential to positively impact and advance the agriculture industry.”
“We haven’t seen traffic like this since about six years ago when it was really busy,” said Chambers.
In-field and in-booth demonstrations were fan favourites again this year. Drones and autonomous farming solutions saw consistently large crowds, while sprayers steadily unfolded and drove out as farmers got to test drive the new machines.
As well, numerous crop plots were available for growers to see first-hand the differences between various potential solutions at work in fields of canola, wheat, peas and other crops.
The livestock area featured bulls and sheep run through chutes. Demonstrations on stress-free cattle handling and stock dog herding drew large crowds.
For O’Connor, this year’s show was another step in the right direction.
“I think it really made staff and volunteers feel really good about what they’ve done here,” said O’Connor. “I’m really looking forward to how 2023 will look.”
