Local Spotlight
The realities of drone spraying in Canada

The realities of drone spraying in Canada

Sponsored by Keep it Clean

Your reading list

Farm show makes big splash

Robin Booker
By 
Robin Booker
Reading Time: 4 minutes

Published: July 28, 2016

Farm show makes big splash

Attendance was up 44 percent compared to a year ago for the Ag In Motion farm show, which wrapped up near Saskatoon July 21.

This year’s event recorded 16,566 people entering the gates.

In total, 288 vendors participated in AIM, up 112 vendors from the inaugural year in 2015.

With new exhibitors signing on, some of which displayed large farm equipment or grew demonstration plots, the show needed to double its footprint on the 320-acre show site located west of Saskatoon.

Even with the show’s growth, the AIM show ground is much more established compared to last year’s show.

Read Also

Scott Moe, left, talks to Western Producer reporter Sean Pratt at the Ag in Motion farm show near Langham, Saskatchewan.

Moe’s outlook on Carney, trade challenges

SASKATOON — Scott Moe is in a conciliatory mood. Moe had plenty of kind things to say recently about Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, which wasn’t the case with Carney’s predecessor Justin Trudeau.

“There is more gravel, more grass, another permanent building, more bins on site, bigger booths, bigger equipment. I think everyone fully understands that we are here for the long haul,” said AIM show director Rob O’Connor.

Here area some innovative products that were showcased at Ag In Motion this year:

Video: Newcomer shows off innovative auger at show
Video: Clean Seed designs easy adjusted metering
Video: Agrifac sprayer delivers consistent droplets, easy cleanout

Video: Storing tough grain less risky with Drylo
Video: Hoseless, fuel powered staple gun allows freedom to move in pasture
Video: Peas prolific with plenty of nutrients
Video: BioMulcher mixes, heats and grindsto compost carcass
Video: Self-loading feed mixer saves time, fuel costs
Video: Low dollar prompts silage manure trailer

Farmers from across the Prairies attended, with bus tours from as far away as southern Manitoba and northern Alberta bringing producers to the show.

Dave Gerega, who farms north of Roblin, Man., attended all three days of the show because he said there is far too much to see on one day.

“You have to go a long way to see that many companies displaying and having field crops in demonstration plots. This is the place to go,” Gerega said.

With the many crop varieties grown shoulder to shoulder by major seed companies, producers can get a sense of the genetics each company is offering.

Gerega said the show helped him choose what varieties he is going to grow next year.

“I’m already looking at some different varieties of wheat that I’ve seen here, and I’m also looking at some rotational crops I’ve been given some ideas how to use,” he said

In the video below, Sherrilyn Phelps walks The Western Producer through the Sask. Pulse demonstration plots at Ag in Motion:

Calven Johnson, who farms near Estevan, Sask., said the demonstration plots will help him make varietal decisions.

“They planted the crops a little earlier this spring, and they have put different fertilizer and chemicals on them, so now you can see what the growth is like and you can compare one variety to the next. I think it’s’ very important,” Johnson said. “Every year is different, but you will be able to see what worked this year, what worked and what didn’t work.”

The AIM beer gardens, which was housed in a 120 by 60 permanent structure, was standing room only during the hottest parts of the day.

Live demonstrations were also a popular attraction with producers getting down in the dirt to see how the 13 tillage implements worked the soil, and how product was placed in the seeding demonstrations.

There were also barley silage demonstrations with mower conditioning and baling, fertilizer spreading, grain bagging and extracting, drone demonstrations, and cattle handling demonstrations.

O’Connor said the demonstrations help equipment manufacturers show how their products perform.

“Everybody, when they make a purchasing decision, wants to feel and touch and examine that thing. They don’t just want to look at a piece of paper, they don’t just want to look on the web,” he said.

O’Connor said the show would like to one day use the property to help farmers and the agriculture industry year round.

“If it’s a company that is an exhibitor at the show, they are free to come back and show their leads from Ag In Motion how this piece of equipment will work,” he said.

“In fact, there are companies right after the show holding some training sessions and using our property to get their products in the dirt so they can show how their machine will actually work.”

AIM, the only outdoor farm show in Western Canada, is owned by Glacier FarmMedia, which also owns The Western Producer.

robin.booker@producer.com

About the author

Robin Booker

Robin Booker

Mail Icon X Icon Facebook Icon

Robin Booker is the Editor for The Western Producer. He has an honours degree in sociology from the University of Alberta, a journalism degree from the University of Regina, and a farming background that helps him relate to the issues farmers face.

explore

Stories from our other publications