The upcoming AgSmart 2024 conference is designed with the modern farmer in mind as the event aims to provide producers with the tools and knowledge needed to thrive in today’s increasingly competitive agricultural landscape.
Taking place on July 30 and July 31 at Olds College of Agriculture & Technology, this year’s 5th anniversary edition of the expo is poised to be “bigger and better than ever,” according to organizers, offering an “unparalleled opportunity to delve into the latest advancements in agricultural technology and data-driven farming practices.”
AgSmart focuses on innovation, demonstration, and education—including more than 100 interactive exhibits, live demos, and expert sessions—wrapped in an outdoors format, says Stacy Felkar, a co-manager of the event.
“We are looking forward to welcoming producers and the industry to the 5thanniversary edition of AgSmart,” Felkar stated. “The industry continues to evolve and AgSmart is the ideal opportunity to showcase the ag tech sector of the industry.”
Sessions cover many topics, ranging from adoption of genomic tools to controlled environment agriculture and integrating technology and data into traditional farming practices.
A major sponsor of AgSmart is Alberta Innovates, which believes that ag-tech is opening new markets for producers, increasing yields, lowering costs, reducing emissions, and creating jobs.
“Advancements in data and digital technologies are enabling the evolution of agriculture and food systems, making them more resilient, more productive, and more sustainable,” posits Alberta Innovates.
In terms of data, by 2050, the average farm is expected to generate four million data points every day. Toward this end, Alberta Innovates has been “investing in technologies that will help use this data and turn it into intelligence.”
Better decision making as a result of this detailed data “is the promise of the digital revolution,” which could result in reduced transaction costs and inefficiencies for farmers.
And with regard to physical technology, advancements in key fields such as robotics and artificial intelligence are enabling new levels of scale and autonomy for agricultural operations.
Since 2019, Alberta Innovates has provided $18 million in funding for agriculture and food research to nearly 70 recipients to support science and technology development.
Tickets for AgSmart 2024 are available starting at $45.
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