The final episode of the Western Producer’s documentary series, Welcome to the Farm Show, wrapped up with the premiere of episode three, Six Inches of Topsoil.
The final episode of the Ag in Motion series highlights the crops themselves, something that every farmer, old or young, likes to take a look at. Episode three focuses on the changes in varieties, difficulties in the growing season and markets.
There are typically 30 company crop plots on the 640 acres of land that’s home to Western Canada’s largest outdoor farm show near Langham, Sask. They’re seeded each spring by the exhibiting companies, so that come July the different varieties are displayed and available for attendees to walk through, touch the leaves and examine roots.
“With these test plots, you can see the varieties that you’re thinking about bringing into your farm because it is a big decision of the varieties that you’re choosing,” Western Producer editor Robin Booker said in the documentary.
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“So here, you can walk around, you can see multiple companies, multiple varieties side by side and you can see, ‘well, you know this works here in Langham, this may be something that I want to bring home to my farm.’ ”
These crop plots have been a differentiator since the show’s inception. It offers farmers a chance to see different genetics year to year and variations in fertilization and pesticide programs. They have become a draw for companies and farmers alike because it’s the only show with living plants side by side, comparing competitors and older varieties to the new.
Rob O’Connor, Ag in Motion show director, is more aware of the ever changing atmosphere than some. He’s seen many changes come through Saskatchewan agriculture with crops, equipment and technology. Some of those changes have been exhibited in AIM’s crop plots.
“On the genetic side, 30 years ago to have corn grown in Saskatchewan, I mean, it was unheard of,” he said.
“Now we have short day corn that’s able to grow and be profitable in in this environment, which never happened 30 years ago. So we’re seeing improvements in genetics there.”
NorthStar Genetics is one of the companies that have focused on these changes with corn. Tyler Russell, the company’s western Canadian manager, spoke in the episode about these changes and the growing interest in corn.
However, he said the more interesting part of the show to him is the variety of people who he meets.
“There’s so many different types of customers we get to see,” he said.
“Some of them have grown our products, so they come and say, ‘hey, what else do you got coming, what’s your new ones?’… Others are ranchers or farmers that are intrigued, (saying), ‘hey, corn is really growing in the marketplace. Take me through it.’ ”
That’s part of what makes Ag in Motion the show it is — opportunites to see what’s available, visit and ask questions and find what’ll fit best.
“It’s a great interaction, too, because they’re not a used car salesman or vacuum salesman, right?” said O’Connor.
“Like, it’s not the hard sell at Ag in Motion. It’s really a softer sell, more casual. Come and see what we have. You know, we’ll sit down and we’ll have a drink. We’ll sit in the sun or in the shade — just look at the plants.”
With the airing of the final episode of the documentary series, O’Connor is excited for this year’s show, which is four months away.
AIM has become a notable place to feature innovations, launch new products, showcase Canadian-made and create new relationships. The many distinct features of the show have grown it to national and international recognition. O’Connor expects many delegations to be arriving again this year, especially with looming tariff threats and the precariousness of global relations.
“I think we’ll start seeing more of countries coming to Western Canada because they want what we have. Whether it’s the grains, the pulse crops, the beef cattle, the equipment or the seed genetics or any of that technology that we’re developing for dryland farming, I expect all these other countries will start knocking at our door.”
Episode three, and the previous two episodes of Welcome to the Farm Show, are available on the Western Producer’s YouTube page.
