Posted
December 7, 2022

JEDI’s 2022 Ag Forum

JEDI hosted an Ag Forum on November 24, 2022, at the Wetaskiwin Ag Society Grounds. This was JEDI’s fourth Ag Forum after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. The first Forum was held in 2016, and then again in 2018 & 2019. It was decided following the 2018 event that it would become an annual event, however the pandemic caused a disruption in those plans.

The full-day event saw almost 65 attendees, most of which were farmers/ag producers from the JEDI and surrounding regions.

It was an honor and privilege to have the day kick-off with greetings from Honorable Rick Wilson, Alberta’s Minister of Indigenous Relations & MLA for Maskwacîs-Wetaskiwin. Minister Wilson touched on several local matters & welcomed questions from the audience. Nate Horner, Alberta’s Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation was invited to the event but was unable to attend, so Minister Wilson read greetings from Honorable Horner. We are very grateful for the time Honorable Wilson & Honorable Horner took to engage with our community.

The agenda included presentations from six expert speakers presenting on a wide range of emerging agriculture topics. The topics were geared towards addressing the operational needs of JEDI region farmers with a focus on both grain and livestock operations.  With farmers looking for new ways to strengthen & diversify their operations, we expanded our program to include specialists in the fields of hemp.

We were fortunate to hear from the Farmer’s Advocate regarding the Alberta Farm Implement and Dealership Act, which provided Farmer’s with information on what to do in the event of an issue with a farm implement dealer as well as an overview the other services the Farmer’s advocate provides.

Steve Kenyon from Greener Pastures Ranching in his presentation “The Grazing Plan”, provided attendees with an overview of rotational grazing practices that can be implemented to improve soil quality as well as make pastures more resistant to the impacts of flooding, weed pressure and forage damage. Thanks to ALUS Wetaskiwin-Leduc for sponsoring Mr. Kenyon’s presentation.

The County’s very own Kim Barkwell, Sustainable Agriculture Coordinator gave a presentation on the funding opportunities available through the ALUS Wetaskiwin-Leduc program & explained how ALUS projects can enhance, restore or create more nature on your farm.

The event boasted a small trade show including tables from, the County of Wetaskiwin Sustainable Agriculture, The Chamber Leduc & Wetaskiwin Regions, Results Driven Agriculture Research (RDAR), Wetaskiwin Aerial Applicators, and the Farmer’s Advocate.  We featured a “spotlight” on the trade show tables where partners had the opportunity to give a brief presentation about their organization. This encouraged conversation & networking at the trade show tables during the breaks.

Brad Andres, Director of Emergency Management Services, with Alberta’s Ministry of Agriculture & Irrigation reviewed emergency planning for livestock owners. His presentation identified risks to Farms in the JEDI Region and provided tips for emergency preparedness.

Fiona Briody, On Farm Climate Action Fund (OFCAF) Program Manager with RDAR, explained the OFCAF program and the various ways to receive funding, up to $75,000.000 in order to implement new beneficial management practices on your farm.

The day wrapped up with Trevor Kloeck, from Hemp Fibre Production Corporation. His presentation regarding hemp & straw biomass, served as an overview to farmers about the opportunities in the rapidly advancing hemp industry.

The JEDI team would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone that made the 2022 Ag Forum possible! We have already started planning for the 2023 Ag Forum… so stay tuned! If you would like to be added to JEDI’s mailing list to receive updates about upcoming events, including the 2023 Ag Forum please e-mail info@jedialberta.com and follow us on Facebook, Twitter & LinkedIn @JEDIAlberta.

Couldn’t make it to the Ag Forum this year? Please tell us why? We welcome any suggestions on how we can improve our Ag Forum and/or other types of workshops & services you would like to see from JEDI in the new year.

Your partner/resource in the Ag Industry,

JEDI Team