It’s been more than 30 years since its inception, and for three days this week Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show, touted as the largest agriculture exhibition in Eastern Canada, will run at Discovery Farm Woodstock. Here are some things to know about the farming mega-expo.
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IT REALLY IS BIG
Hosted on more than 40 hectares (100 acres) of farmland on Woodstock’s northwest outskirts, the massive three-day agriculture show draws upwards of 40,000 people each year. More than 700 companies will be featured at the event. For those seeking an up-close look at new farm machinery and technology, there are plenty of demonstrations of how the latest gear performs in the field. Advanced technology, like drones that can monitor and spray crops and detect diseases, will be on show, along with autonomous equipment like electric robots that seed and weed delicate crops, organizers say. Attendees can even ride on and drive crop sprayers on a more than 450-meter field. And the cost of some of these machines? Machinefinder.com lists a used 2023 John Deere combine at nearly $1 million.
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MEET, LEARN AND NETWORK
There’s room for 250 pre-registered guests at the AgTech Breakfast, bringing together producers and key stakeholders to discuss the newest farm innovations and tech on Wednesday from 8:30 to 10:30 am The daily Career Crawl offers summer students, those nearing graduation and young professionals a chance to meet employers and learn about the agricultural sector. And there’s the Off the Beaten Path Tour offering participants updates on cross-industry projects in a real farm environment.
CATCH UP ON THE LATEST
What farm show would be complete without a look at the latest crop-management trends and practices? Onsite plots of corn, soybean and wheat offer farmers and agronomists a first-hand look at how different crops perform. And for those in or interested in the livestock business, the expo’s Livestock Central has up-to-date industry trends. And there will be opportunities to meet and network with industry experts, organizers say.
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LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION
Woodstock is a natural home for the show. Southwestern Ontario is one of the nation’s richest farm belts, with land and climate well suited to almost anything that will grow in Canada. Woodstock and surrounding Oxford County have seen farmland values rise in recent years: The Southwest Zone, including Oxford, Huron and Perth counties, had the highest per-acre price at nearly $33,000, up 13.1 per hundred last year, Farm Credit Canada says.
IF YOU GO
What: Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show
When: Sept. 10 to 12, from 8:30 am to 5 pm
Where: Discovery Farm Woodstock, 744906 Oxford Rd. 17
Admission: $25 for adults, $10 for youths 13 to 17, free for kids under 13.
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@BrianWatLFPress
The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada
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