News
Pacific Ag Show opens Thursday

Jan. 24, 2017, Abbotsford, B.C. – The 19th annual Pacific Agriculture Show will bring together over 300 exhibitors, leading experts, and seminars addressing the most important issues in agriculture over the three-day event.

From climate change to economic challenges, more than 60 international and local experts will be speaking on current issues facing the agriculture industry at the Tradex Centre in Abbotsford from Thursday, Jan. 26, to Saturday, Jan. 28th.

“The agriculture and agri-food industry employs more than 2.2 million Canadians and contributes over $100 billion annually to our country’s gross domestic product,” said show director Jim Shepard. “The business of farming has changed; we need to provide resources to our producers so that they can adapt.

“That’s why we dedicated this year’s show to helping farmers develop their business into profitable, sustainable companies. Our food supply and economy depend on it.”

PROGRAM PREVIEW

Though there are many new seminars introduced at this year’s show, here are five noteworthy talks to attend this year:

1. Building a Successful Farm with keynote speaker Larry Martin 
Larry Martin, principal in Agri-Food Management Excellence, has spent the last 30 years coaching managers of farms, agribusiness and food companies in North America. His session will bring together the concepts of utilizing tools and risk management to develop habits as a successful farm business manager.

2. From Production to Direct Marketing
Alf and Sandee Krause from Krause Berry Farms in Langley, BC will be sharing how they transformed their business from berry production to a vertically integrated destination. Using ethical and sustainable farming, they now have a line of over 100 farm-made products and an estate winery.

3. Making Do With Nothing. When There is No Land. 
Even if farmers don’t own land, they need to mitigate the risks involved when growing their hard-fought vegetables. Gabriel Frisch of Frisch Farms in Vancouver will discuss what the pitfalls are, and how you can overcome them.

4. Agroforestry
For farmers who are looking to diversify cash-flow and labour through providing supplemental income and enhancing long-term sustainability, Dave Trotter of BCAGR will speak on how on how the growing Agroforestry industry focuses on complementing current on-farm management with a diversity of crops, livestock and production practices.

5. Adapting to Climate Change
Climate change projections for the Fraser Valley and their associated impacts to agriculture have sparked on-farm projects to evaluate production and pest management strategies. Emily MacNair of Climate Action Initiative will speak about initiatives producers can adapt to mitigate these climate challenges.

To view the full speaker schedule, please visit here.

ABOUT PACIFIC AG SHOW

The Pacific Agriculture Show is the largest agriculture exhibition in the province and is the premier event for BC’s agriculture industry. Now in its 19th year, the show represents the scope and importance of the industry, and allows attendees to learn about the latest technology, trends, and techniques. Over the three-day event, seminars will be led by international and local experts covering the most pressing issues in Canadian agriculture.