Tuesday December 2, 2014

8:30-9:00am

Alberta Canola Producers Commission: Your Commission – working for you!

Rick Taillieu // Alberta Canola Producers Commission

BIOGRAPHY

Rick is the Grower Relations and Extension Coordinator for the Alberta Canola Producers. In this role Rick is responsible for ensuring growers have access to agronomic, marketing and farm management resources and events to help improve the long term profitability of Alberta’s canola growers.

Rick is also the coordinator of the FarmTech Conference and has been a member of the planning committee since 1999.

Rick is married to Sandra, and together they are raising four young daughters on their acreage near New Norway.

SUMMARY

Rick will provide an update on the activities and budget of the Alberta Canola Producers Commission. ACPC

invests in research, market development and extension on behalf of Alberta’s 15,000 canola growers.

9:00-10:30am

Why people believe weird things

Dr. Michael Shermer // The Skeptic

BIOGRAPHY

Dr. Shermer is the Founding Publisher of Skeptic magazine (www.skeptic.com), the

Executive Director of the Skeptics Society, a monthly columnist for Scientific American, the

host of the Skeptics Distinguished Science Lecture Series at Caltech, and Adjunct Professor

at Claremont Graduate University and Chapman University.

Dr. Shermer’s latest book is The Believing Brain: From Ghosts and Gods to Politics and

Conspiracies—How We Construct Beliefs and Reinforce Them as Truths.. His last book was

The Mind of the Market, on evolutionary economics. He is the author of Why Darwin

Matters: Evolution and the Case Against Intelligent Design. Science Friction: Where the Known Meets the

Unknown, about how the mind works and how thinking goes wrong. His book The Science of Good and Evil: Why

People Cheat, Gossip, Share Care, and Follow the Golden Rule, is on the evolutionary origins of morality and how

to be good without God. He wrote a biography, In Darwin’s Shadow, about the life and science of the co-

discoverer of natural selection, Alfred Russel Wallace. He also wrote The Borderlands of Science, about the fuzzy

land between science and pseudoscience, and Denying History, on Holocaust denial and other forms of

pseudohistory. His book How We Believe: Science, Skepticism, and the Search for God, presents his theory on

the origins of religion and why people believe in God. He is also the author of Why People Believe Weird Things

on pseudoscience, superstitions, and other confusions of our time.

According to the late Stephen Jay Gould (from his Foreword to Why People Believe Weird Things): “Michael

Shermer, as head of one of America’s leading skeptic organizations, and as a powerful activist and essayist in

the service of this operational form of reason, is an important figure in American public life.”

Dr. Shermer received his B.A. in psychology from Pepperdine University, M.A. in experimental psychology from

California State University, Fullerton, and his Ph.D. in the history of science from Claremont Graduate University

(1991). He was a college professor for 20 years (1979-1998), teaching psychology, evolution, and the history of

science at Occidental College (1989-1998), California State University Los Angeles, and Glendale College. Since

his creation of the Skeptics Society, Skeptic magazine, and the Skeptics Distinguished Science Lecture Series at

Caltech, he has appeared on such shows as The Colbert Report, 20/20, Dateline, Charlie Rose, Larry King Live,

Tom Snyder, Donahue, Oprah, Lezza, Unsolved Mysteries (but, proudly, never Jerry Springer!), and other shows

as a skeptic of weird and extraordinary claims, as well as interviews in countless documentaries aired on PBS,

A&E, Discovery, The History Channel, The Science Channel, and The Learning Channel. Shermer was the co-host

and co-producer of the 13-hour Family Channel television series, Exploring the Unknown.

SUMMARY

From Ghosts and Gods to Politics and Conspiracies---How We Construct Beliefs and Reinforce Them as Truths

Synthesizing thirty years of research, Dr. Michael Shermer upends traditional thinking about how humans form

beliefs about the world. Simply put, beliefs come first, and explanations for beliefs follow. The brain, Shermer

argues, is a belief engine. Using sensory data that flow in through the senses, the brain naturally looks for and

finds patterns—and then infuses those patterns with meaning, forming beliefs. Once beliefs are formed, our

brains subconsciously seek out confirmatory evidence in support of those beliefs, accelerating the process of

reinforcing them—and round and round the process goes in a positive feedback loop. Shermer provides

countless real-world examples of how this process operates, from politics, economics, and religion to conspiracy

theories, the supernatural, and the paranormal. And ultimately, he demonstrates why science is the best tool

ever devised to determine whether or not our beliefs match reality. Included in this talk will be a mythbusting

discussion of GMOs and the latest diet fad: gluten free. Shermer will debunk the myth that GMOs are bad, that

gluten free is good, and other diet and food myths.

11:00-11:30am

Advanced agronomic practices to maximize wheat and feed barley yields and harvestability

Dr. Sheri Strydhorst // ARD – Barrhead

BIOGRAPHY

Agronomic Research Scientist with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development, based out of

Barrhead. Sheri joined Alberta Agriculture in January 2013 and is conducting agronomic

research on cereal crops and plant growth regulators. Prior to joining ARD, she was the

executive director of the Alberta Pulse Growers Commission. Sheri completed her PhD in

2008 (Thesis: Rotational benefits of field pea, faba bean and lupin) and MSc in 2003 (Thesis:

Tannin free faba bean production in north central Alberta) at the University of

Alberta. Sheri, her husband – Shane, and daughter Sarina, have a grain farm in the

Neerlandia area.

SUMMARY

Will advanced agronomic practices such as: PGRs, in-crop UAN and foliar fungicides, improve wheat and barley

yields? How do advanced agronomic practices interact in management systems? Are there synergies or

negative interactions between these practices that could cost or contribute to yield?

In 2014, small plot field trials compared: 48 wheat management practices; 64 feed barley management

practices; and 14 barley fungicide management practices. Trials were conducted throughout Alberta at:

Magrath (irrigated), High River (thin black soil), Killam (thin black soil), St Albert (black soil) and Falher (grey

Luvisol).

Agronomic performance was very dependent on the growing environment and different management

recommendations will be needed for different areas of the province. Environments with ideal conditions for

disease development showed the best response to fungicide applications. For example, wheat yields increased

up to 45% with a dual fungicide application at High River. In a drier environment, a dual fungicide application

resulted in a 12% yield increase at Killam. PGR applications coupled with fungicide applications showed small

synergies in some environments.

Smaller, but still significant, yield increases were occasionally observed with in-crop UAN and PGRs. Depending

on the environment and rate, in-crop UAN applications increased wheat yields from 3-4% under irrigation and

from 9-11% at High River. In-crop UAN also increased feed barley yields from 4-7% under irrigation and from 5-

12% at High River, depending on the UAN rate. A PGR application increased barley yields by 6% at one location.

We compared 14 different fungicide modes of actions and fungicide application timing combinations on feed

and malt barley. In responsive environments, the decision to spray was often more important than fine-tuning

the application timing. In comparing fungicide modes of action, group 11 or group 3 + 11 fungicides tended to

have higher yields than group 3 fungicides. This trend may reflect the pathogen and pathogen stage of

development present in the test environments.

These are preliminary findings that must be substantiated with additional years of data. Once the study is

complete, we will have 15 site years of data which will be used to make recommendations on the performance

and interaction of advanced agronomic practices on wheat and feed barley: harvestability, yields, quality and

profitability. Other aspects of this study are looking at cultivar specific agronomy and verifying small plot

research findings with field scale strip trial data.

11:30am-12:10 pm

Amazin’ corn grazin’

Dr. HA (Bart) Lardner // Western Beef Development Centre

BIOGRAPHY

Bart is the Senior Research Scientist with Western Beef Development Centre focusing on

cow-calf and forage production research. His research activities include grazing systems

evaluating annual and perennial forages, grazing ruminant nutrition, calf backgrounding

programs utilizing ethanol co-products, heifer development programs, water quality

research and nutrient management in wintering systems resulting in the publication of over

55 peer-reviewed scientific papers. His research program works closely with producers to

ensure applicability of results back to industry. As an Adjunct Professor, Dr. Lardner teaches

courses in plant, range and animal sciences and has advised over 22 graduate students at the University of

Saskatchewan. In 2013, Dr. Lardner was the recipient of the Canadian Animal Industries Award in Extension and

Public Service sponsored by the Canadian Society of Animal Science.

SUMMARY

Grazing standing whole plant corn is a management system that makes sense to many western Canadian cow-

calf producers. This involves managing low heat unit corn hybrids for winter grazing with mature pregnant beef

cows or weaned beef calves. Strip grazing is highly recommended when grazing the field with allocation of

enough grazing corn for a 3 to 4 day supply. This will ensure extended grazing time for allocated biomass and

manage diet quality uniformity. By limiting the grazing area, animals are forced to consume both high- [cobs]

and low-quality [stalk, husk, leaves] structures of the corn plant. However, there are several concerns when

grazing beef cows on this crop. Excessive cob intake may lead to digestive disturbances such as acidosis and

founder due to potential grain [starch] overload. Adapting cows to grain supplementation for 7 to 10 days before

turning into cornfields can minimize this concern. As well, addition of extra roughage in the form of

supplemented fiber, or limiting the daily cornfield grazing time and ensuring cows are full prior to accessing the

crop.

12:55-1:25pm

4-H Energy

M.C. – Anke Hermus, 18. Newell 4-H District.

Analeise & Maegen Vissers – 15 year old twins, Taber 4-H District. Presentation “Tape It!”

Andrea DeGroot – 15 years old, Taber 4-H District. Presentation "Lessons I've Learned as a

Farmer's Daughter"

Chyann Hern – 16 years old, Cactus Country 4-H District. Speech “The Call to Action”

1:25-2:10pm

The unconventional farmer

Dr. Bob Quinn // Kamut International

BIOGRAPHY

Bob was raised on a 2,400 acre family operated wheat and cattle ranch south east of Big

Sandy, Montana and is the son of Mack and Dorothea (nee Stammler) Quinn. He attended

local schools and earned a BS in botany in 1970 and a MS in plant pathology in 1971 from

Montana State University in Bozeman. He received a PhD in plant biochemistry at the

University of California at Davis, California in 1976. After selling his business interests in a

biological research and testing laboratory in Woodland, California which he and a friend

started in 1974, he returned home to run the family farm and ranch in 1978.

In 1983 Bob started Montana Flour & Grains, Inc. originally in an effort to market his own grain directly to whole

grain bakeries. The business soon expanded beyond his farm and became a viable market opportunity for many

other farmers. In 1984 he started selling organic grain and a stone flourmill was added to the operation in 1985

the same year he sold his cattle to focus on a diversified cropping system. In 1992 a cleaning plant was added

and by that time 99% of products were organic. In 1995 the Montana SBA named Bob as the Small Business

Exporter of the Year. In 1986 Montana Flour & Grains introduced to the natural food industry an ancient grain

similar to durum wheat. This grain was grown only organically and marketed under his own brand name, Kamut,

(see kamut.com for a complete description of this project) and now over 2000 different Kamut brand products

are being marketed throughout the world providing a new crop for over 250 organic farmers in Montana,

Alberta and Saskatchewan. Bob sold Montana Flour & Grains to the company’s Chief Financial Officer, André

Giles in 1999. Over the years his farm has increased to 3400 cultivated acres and 600 acres of pasture.

In 2001 he and two partners from Germany formed WindPark Solutions America which is responsible for the

development of Montana’s first large scale wind farm of 90 turbines totaling 130 megawatts This wind farm

was sold to Invenergy in 2005 who built and currently operates it near Judith Gap, Montana.

In 1986 Bob planted his first organic certified crop on his own farm and was farming the entire farm organically

by 1989. He works closely with Montana State University personnel testing cropping systems as well as different

crops, including dry land vegetables for local markets grown without irrigation which is unusual in the semi-arid

portion of the upper Great Plains. He also has a small orchard to study berries and fruit trees best adapted to

his area. He continues to study and improve farming systems on his own farm which may be adapted to the

northern plains and provide a substitute for the use of conventional chemically derived fertilizers, herbicides,

pesticides, summer fallow and diesel fuel.

Bob is active in his church and local community. He served on the local school board, is a member and past

president of the local Rotary club and has served on advisory councils for the local schools, county extension,

and university experiment station. He is 66 and has been married for 43 years. He and his wife, Ann, have four

daughters, one son and 17 grandchildren.

Bob is a member of the Montana Grain Growers and the Montana Farm Bureau (FB). He is a past president of

the Chouteau County FB and has served on the American FB's Wheat Committee and Grain Quality Committee.

He is also an active member of Alternative Energy Resource Organization (AERO) in Montana and received

AERO's Sustainable Ag Award in 1988. In 1993, he was named as one of Montana State University's 100

outstanding alumni from their first hundred years. Bob has been active in promoting organic and sustainable

agriculture throughout the state, the nation and the world. He helped form Montana's first Organic Crop

Improvement Association (OCIA) chapter in 1987 and served as its first president as well as on the OCIA

International board of directors as secretary. He served on the first USDA National Organic Standards Board

and has also served on a USDA agricultural research advisory committee. He served on Montana Department

of Agriculture’s first organic certification advisory board. In 2007 he received a lifetime of service award from

the Montana Organic Association. He has also been a member of the Organic Trade Association (OTA) since

1987 and in 2010, received their National Organic Leadership award. He served on the board of The Organic

Center for one year as the chair of the science committee. In the fall of 2013 he received the national Organic

Pioneer Award from the Rodale Institute in Pennsylvania.

He continues to farm full time and promote organic and sustainable agriculture, locally produced food and fuel

as well as promoting the idea that food should be our medicine and medicine should be our food. He also

promotes food production systems based on producing high nutrition and quality rather than high yields and

works hard warning of the dangers of GMO based food. He is currently studying a system designed to grow and

press enough straight vegetable oil (SVO) on his farm to run all the machinery on his farm. This will be done

after the oil is first sold to local restaurants for frying and then returned to the farm to be cleaned up to use for

fuel. He is working to transfer this model into a community system of fuel production which would be farmer

owned so each farm participating could supply local restaurants and then operate those farms with the waste

oil collected, cleaned and returned to those farms.

SUMMARY Not available

2:10-2:45pm

Farming Smarter data download

Ken Coles // Farming Smarter

BIOGRAPHY

Ken is the General Manager of Farming Smarter, a producer directed organization focused

on growing new ideas, growing knowledge and growing stewardship in Alberta’s crop

production industry. Ken has 18 years of agriculture research experience with Monsanto

Canada Inc., Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and Farming Smarter. He received a Master

of Science degree from Royal Roads University and is a professional agrologist. Ken enjoys

exploring innovative ideas in production agriculture and is dedicated to the application of

relevant and practical science.

SUMMARY

Ken and crew will touch on some key findings from the 2014 research season which included 73 small plot trials. Highlights include the pre-seed burndown, in crop herbicide and fungicide night spraying project, Hemp variety trial, Ultimate Canola Challenge, Quaker Oats, Brassica Carinata, growth regulators and winter cereal agronomy. Clear some space in your hard drive!

3:15-3:50pm

A tall drink of water: impacts of stubble height

Dr. Herb Cutforth // AAFC – Swift Current

BIOGRAPHY

Herb obtained a Ph.D in Agriculture Meteorology from University of Manitoba. Agriculture

Meteorologist at Swift Current from 1985 to present (29 years). Areas of research: tillage

(stubble height, row spacing) effects on microclimate and crop yield; comparing growth

characteristics of alternative crops (pulses, oilseeds) to wheat; historical changes in

climate/climate trends for the Canadian prairie; crop response to climate warming.

SUMMARY

Standing stubble traps snow over the winter months. The taller the stubble the more snow

trapped. When melted, the trapped snow can contribute up to 30 cm (about 1 inch) to soil water reserves at

seeding. During summer, the standing stubble reduces the movement of the crop by wind. Also, the stubble

changes the microclimate around the seedlings, reducing evaporative losses from the soil surface resulting more

available water to the crop. The taller the stubble the greater the reduction in crop movement and evaporative

losses by wind. Increased water conservation and reduced evaporation from the soil surface results in more

water available to the crop and higher yields. The taller the stubble the greater the yield increase.

3:50-4:25pm

Grazing in a winter wonderland

Steve Kenyon // Greener Pastures Ranching

BIOGRAPHY

Steve runs a custom grazing business in the Westlock area under the name of Greener

Pastures Ranching Ltd. He currently runs just over 1500 head of livestock on 3500 acres of

leased land. Steve has been teaching sustainable grazing management for more than 10

years and has been a keynote speaker at many conferences and seminars throughout Canada

and the U.S. He is a writer for the Stockman Grass Farmer magazine and also for the Canadian

Cattleman Magazine. Steve has a very energetic personality, which compliments a very down

to earth common sense approach to farm business management. Yet he is still just a

producer and presents in a very honest and straightforward style. Steve has also developed and instructs the

“Year Round Grazing Systems” business management school.

SUMMARY

“You might be able to do that in Busby, but you can’t do that here.” I have heard this phrase so many times that

it makes me laugh now. Year Round Grazing Systems is not a defined set of production practices that need to

be followed to the letter. It is a system that can be adapted to suit each farm as each farm has different

advantages and different disadvantages. We look at the economics behind the production practice and see if it

can work for each situation. We plan, and then re-plan, and then re-plan, and we keep re-planning so that we

don’t get stuck in a paradigm. We will be looking at dormant season grazing, swath grazing, silage grazing and

bale grazing. Is it possible, on your farm, to graze 365 days a year?

6:00-7:00pm

To the top of Everest

Laurie Skreslet On October 5th, 1982, Laurie Skreslet became the first Canadian to summit Mount Everest.

Since then, Laurie has recognized the parallel between climbing the mountain and the

challenges people face daily in the business community. By sharing these similarities with

2000 organizations, Laurie has become an expert motivational speaker and touched the lives

of more than 500,000 people.

But Laurie hasn't retired from climbing. Over the years he has participated in more than 30

world-class expeditions into the Canadian Rockies, Nepal, South America and India. And

Laurie continues to operate his Business Leadership and Challenge Courses in the Canadian

Rockies.

Laurie has written a bestselling book "To the Top of Everest". It was nominated in two categories, the Children's

Choice Award and the Canadian Book of the Year for Children Award in 2004.

Wednesday December 3, 2014

8:30-8:45am

Wheat’s Up

Kevin Auch // Region 2 Alberta Wheat Commission Director

BIOGRAPHY

Kevin lives near Carmangay where they operate a no-till dryland and irrigated farm that

grows wheat, canola, barley, peas and some cattle.

SUMMARY

Review of the activities undertaken by the Alberta Wheat Commission in 2014.

8:45-9:30am

Grain marketing logistics: challenges and opportunities

Dr. William Wilson // North Dakota State University

BIOGRAPHY

William received his PhD in Agricultural Economics from the University of Manitoba in 1980.

Since then he has been a Professor at North Dakota State University in Agribusiness and

Applied Economics with periodic sabbaticals at Stanford University. Recently, he was named

as a University Distinguished Professor at NDSU which is an honorary position, and a great

achievement.

His focus is risk and strategy as applied to agriculture and agribusiness with a particular focus

on marketing, procurement, transportation and logistics, international marketing and

competition. He teaches classes in Commodity Trading, Risk and AgriBusiness Strategy and has taught his Risk

Class at Purdue University; and is a visiting scholar at Melbourne University where he visits 2 times/year and

advises PhD students in risk and agbiotechnology.

He routinely has projects and/or overseas clients and travels internationally 1 week per month. He led a project

for the United States on privatization of the grain marketing system in Russia in the early 1990’s. He currently

has projects and/or clients in US, Canada, Mexico, Venezuela, China, Australia, and France. He regularly advises

a number of large Agribusiness firms, several major railroads, and several major food and beverage companies

and/or governments in other countries. He served as a Board member of the Minneapolis Grain Exchange for

12 years, on the FGIS Advisory Board, and currently serves as a Board member of several regional firms.

He regularly consults with major agribusiness firms on topics related to above and has worked extensively in

the following industries: procurement strategy, railroads, barges, ocean shipping, elevators (shuttle

development), and processed products (malting and beer, durum and pasta, wheat and bread), and

agbiotechnology.

He was recognized as one of the top 10 Agricultural Economists in 1995 and more recently as one of the top 1%

of agricultural economists by RePEc (Research Papers in Economics). Finally, he has students who are in senior

positions in a number of the large agribusinesses including commodity companies, railroads and food and

beverage companies.

He is married, has 2 boys both in college, and spends nearly all his free time snowboarding as many days as

possible, and sailboat racing.

SUMMARY Not available

9:30-10:00am

Making use of on-farm data in VRT management

Dr. Alan Moulin // AAFC – Brandon

BIOGRAPHY

Alan is a soil scientist working on variable N management and variability of soil properties at

the Brandon Research Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. He started is a

collaborative project between AAFC and the Canola Council of Canada in 2014 on variable

management of N fertilizer for canola at sites in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

Collaborating producer associations include Farming Smarter, the Northeast Agriculture

Research Foundation, and the South Tobacco Creek Soil and Water Management

Association.

Al is a native of Saskatchewan, born in Regina and raised in Saskatoon. He received his Ph.D. in Soil Science from the University of Saskatchewan in 1989, following his B.Sc. and M.Sc. He joined Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada as a soil scientist in July 1988 at the Melfort Research Farm in Saskatchewan. In 1996 he joined the research team at Brandon to study soil conservation and management. He served for 6 years as Associate Editor of the Canadian Journal of Plant Science, was president of the Manitoba Soil Science Society in 2003-2004 and is an adjunct professor in the Department of Soil Science at the University of Manitoba. He also received an AAFC Gold Harvest Award in 2008 as part of a team conducting research on Alternative Cropping Systems.

Since 1988 he has published scientific papers and conference proceedings on spatial variability of soil properties

and crop yield in peer reviewed journals and international conference proceedings, including the Manitoba

Society of Soil Science, Canadian Society of Soil Science and International Society of Precision Agriculture. These

publications describe the relationship of crop yield to landform and spatial variability of soil properties, site

specific management of nitrogen fertilizer, remote sensing, greenhouse gases and soil erosion. Dr. Moulin has

conducted research on the relationship of landform, soil erosion, spatial variability of soil properties and

fertilizer management to crop yield at locations near Saskatoon, Melfort, Brandon, South Tobacco Creek and

Carberry since 1988.

SUMMARY

Field scale variability is a key issue in terms of soil fertility and management. Technology that is important in

determining where inputs are variably applied include: yield monitors, GPS, GIS computer software, variable

rate fertilizer on seeders, and ground based sensors.

Background

The goal of variable management is to apply inputs in zones where the potential for return is greatest

and environmentally sustainable.

Fertilizer N is the most important target for variable rate management

Soil sampling in Manitoba has doubled to 45%.

A 2006 study showed 57% of farms used tacking and guidance systems, 10% used equipment for yield

maps.

Consultant services are also available.

Methods for variable management

Grid soil sampling – too expensive for N management

Landform analysis – applicable in some areas

Satellite imagery

Unpiloted aerial vehicles or drones

Soil conductivity sensors – high salinity zones

Optical sensors (green seeker) – can be hooked up to variable rate fertilizer. Information should be

collected at the right growth stage.

Variable rate technology is available and producers have a keen interest in advanced methods of variable

management. A new project with Farming Smarter, the Northeast Agricultural Research Foundation, Deerwood

Soil and Water Management Association, the Canola Council of Canada, and AAFC will look at advanced

statistical methods for identifying management zones based on yield analysis, and access the influence of

landform and correlation with soil properties and other forms of remote sensing.

10:30-11:00am

Head Aches: Ergot and Fusarium

Dr. Michael Harding // ARD – Brooks

BIOGRAPHY

Dr. Harding is a research scientist in Plant Pathology at Alberta Agriculture and Rural

Development, Crop Diversification Centre South, Brooks, AB

He grew up in rural southern Alberta. He completed a BSc in Biology at the University of

Lethbridge in 1994 and PhD in Plant Pathology at the Univ. of Arizona in 2004. Dr. Harding

was hired by Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development as a Research Scientist in 2012. His

current work involves monitoring crop disease situations, supporting government policies and regulations, and

research activities aimed at improving disease management in field crops, horticultural crops and post-harvest

storages.

SUMMARY

Cereal head diseases have been problematic in Alberta for a number of years and will likely continue to cause

trouble for cereal producers. These disease issues are unique because they can cause financial losses due to

both yield reductions and downgrading. Furthermore, both causal agents of fusarium head blight and ergot

produce poisonous mycotoxins that must be regulated to control their levels in food and feed. Dr. Michael

Harding (Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development) will discuss historical and current information regarding

fusarium head blight and ergot in the province, and suggest some management recommendations for reducing

the impacts of these ‘head aches’ for Alberta producers.

11:00-11:30am

More than one way to kill wild oats

Dr. K Neil Harker // AAFC – Lacombe

BIOGRAPHY

Neil received B.Sc., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees at the University of Alberta, the University of

Minnesota, and the University of Guelph. Since 1985 he has been employed as a Weed

Scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada at Lacombe, Alberta. His research interests

include direct-seeded (no-till) cropping systems, integrated weed management, weed

interactions with insects, and canola production and sustainability. Neil has published over

170 scientific journal papers and 13 book chapters. He is Adjunct Professor at the University

of Alberta and fellow of the Canadian Weed Science Society and the Weed Science Society

of America. In 2000 he received the Excellence in Weed Science Award from the Canadian Weed Science

Society. From 2007 to 2012 he was as editor-in-chief for the scientific journal Weed Technology. In 2014, he

received the Outstanding Research Award from the Weed Science Society of America.

SUMMARY

Weed resistance to herbicides has not driven major changes in crop production in western Canada. However,

crops infested with herbicide-resistant weeds are increasing at a rapid rate. Almost all growers have some

experience with resistance to Group 1 and 2 herbicides. Fortunately, we do not as yet have much experience

with glyphosate resistance (GR). GR kochia is found in all three Prairie Provinces; wild oat, cleavers and green

foxtail may be next. In Australia, the south-eastern US and segments of the US corn belt, several major

herbicides are no longer useful on dominant weeds; tillage and chaff carts are becoming more

common. Diversity can substantially delay herbicide resistance problems: diverse rotations and crop life cycles

(annuals, winter annuals, and perennials), and diverse weed management techniques. If diversity is employed

now, we can prolong the utility of major herbicides. True integrated weed management practices employing

alternative weed management techniques (not just herbicide mixes and herbicide rotation) will be discussed for

wild oat and other weeds.

11:30am-12:00pm

Learning from long term organic rotations

Dr. Martin H. Entz // University of Manitoba

BIOGRAPHY

Dr. Entz is a professor of Natural Systems Agriculture at the University of Manitoba. Martin

has an MSc in horticulture (U of Manitoba), a PhD in plant drought physiology (University of

Saskatchewan), and has also studied in at the University of Adelaide in Australia. He teaches

courses in Agroecology, Forage and Pasture management and Organic Crop Production, and

has an active graduate student program. Dr. Entz’s research focusses on ecologically-

integrated farming systems with specialization in long-term studies. Dr. Entz leads the

Glenlea study – Canada’s oldest organic vs conventional farming systems experiment.

Together with his graduate students and collaborators, Dr. Entz has published his work in 87

scientific papers and 8 book chapters.

Dr. Entz enjoys working with farmers and learning from their experiences. He participates in ecologically-

integrated farming system research and development work in Central America, southern Africa, NW China and

North Korea. In his spare time, Martin enjoys his small farm – “Shady Maple Lane Shared Family Farm”.

SUMMARY

Long-term studies are a bit like an actual farm since the same piece of land is managed for 10, 20, 40 or more years. Long-term studies in Alberta have taught us a great deal about crop rotation, fertilizer and grazing management. In fact, the long-term study at Agriculture and AgriFood Canada Lethbridge is the oldest cropping study in Canada. Crop rotation studies that focus on organic farming methods were started in the 1970's and 80's in places like Pennsylvania, Germany and Switzerland. While organic farming is not everyone's cup of tea, these long-term organic studies can teach us a great deal about sustainable weed and soil fertility management. Martin Entz will talk about overcoming weed, soil phosphorous and soil erosion problems in organic farming using the experiences from Glenlea - where organic and conventional farming have been compared for 23 years. He will also draw on examples from studies in semi-arid regions of the world. Lessons learned from long-term organic crop rotation and management studies are useful for all farmers, no matter what farming method is used.

1:15-1:45pm

4-H Energy M.C. – Bryanne Peltzer, 13. Newell 4-H District.

Lyndsey Peltzer – 11 years old, Newell 4-H District. Presentation “Pony Express”

Madisen Groves – 15 years old, Lethbridge 4-H District. Speech “My Super Hero”

Taiya Nickel – 11 years old, Lethbridge 4-H District. Speech “Bear Aware”

1:45-2:15pm

Buzzwords about bees

Gregory Sekulic // Canola Council of Canada

BIOGRAPHY

An Agronomy specialist with the Canola Council of Canada since spring 2011. Prior to that,

Gregory spent 10 years in the Edmonton area as a field agronomist for two Ag Retail outlets.

Gregory obtained his BSc in Agriculture, Crop Science, from the U of A in 2001. Throughout

his career, Gregory has been an advocate for soil and water conservation, as well as

sustainable agricultural production with a special interest in beneficial insect ecology. For

the last two years, Gregory has led the Canola Council’s efforts towards pollinator protection

and promoting biodiversity in canola cropping systems.

SUMMARY

Canada is home to 700,000 colonies of managed honeybees… about the highest number of bees we’ve ever

had. By and large, these honeybees (and their beekeepers) have a mutually beneficial relationship with

Agriculture. Recent challenges to bee health, combined with long-term declines of managed honeybee

populations in several regions around the globe, and the discovery of “Colony Collapse Disorder” in the USA

have put pollinators into the public eye. This has several consequences. First, the rapid dissemination of

misinformation about modern agriculture. Second, the inability of the general public to navigate the fine

nuances of scientific literature, resulting in: Third, the desire of the public to find a simple, binary solution to the

problem. This desire has manifested itself into one particular scapegoat: neonicotinoid insecticides. In this talk,

Gregory will guide you through the complicated and treacherous seas of misinformation and fact, and outline

the data which do exist concerning bee health, as well as recommendations for improved long-term pollinator

health and stability.

2:15-2:45pm

Just in time nitrogen management

Doug Weist, Weist Farms Inc & Farm Tech LLC

BIOGRAPHY

Doug grew up in Choteau Montana on a wheat and cattle farm and went to Montana State

University, earning a degree in plant molecular biology, plant BioTech. Doug pursued GPS

technologies at MSU and got involved with the Upper Midwest Aerospace Consortium in

2000. It was here where Doug saw the raw power in bringing several disciplines together to

improve food production.

After graduating from MSU, Doug worked for Westbred, a plant breeding company. He also taught the GPS fundamentals course at MSU during the same period. After two years with

Westbred, Doug proposed some new ideas to CHS, Inc where he was hired to bring about new concepts and business ideas to a struggling precision agriculture division.

In 2009 Doug had an opportunity to work on large farms in southern Ukraine and did so for four months. Doug

helped with basic management as well as implemented some advanced mapping and machine control

techniques. After returning to the USA in July 2009, Farm Tech was started fall of 2009.

Farm Tech has 3 employees and offers a wide variety of precision ag hardware and services. Topcon, Micro-

Trak, Spray Target, Dickey John to name a few of the hardware, but mainly Topcon for complete high precision

machine control. Farm Tech provides precision agronomy services such as zone soil sampling, prescription

writing, as applied and yield data processing, data storage and much more. Farm Tech also provides RTK

corrections and telemetry to much of Montana through a 20 station Real Time RTK network.

Doug is partners with his Father in the family farm. Weist Farms Inc. grows winter wheat, spring wheat, barley,

canola, peas on 4,000 acres in North Central Montana. Real time nitrogen management been implemented on

Weist Farms for about 6 years.

SUMMARY

Managing risk in today's volatile agriculture market is becoming very important. Most risk in growing crops

comes from mother-nature, which we have no control over. We do have control over what inputs we apply,

when, where, how and at what rates. Instead of putting all inputs on up front and hoping you guessed right,

react to what the crop and season tell you. Using sensors to variably applying nitrogen in real time is one tool

to help mitigate risk and maximize margin in a multitude of ways. Matching nitrogen needs to crop and season

results in increased yields, decreased nitrogen rates, decreased lodging, increased quality and greater harvest

ability.

2:45-3:30pm

Better beef campaign

Trish Sahlstrom // A&W Food Services of Canada

BIOGRAPHY

Trish has been Vice President of Purchasing & Distribution at A&W Food Services of Canada,

Inc. since 2001. Ms. Sahlstrom serves as the Vice President of Purchasing and Distribution

at A&W Revenue Royalties Income Fund. She serves as General Manager for the canned and

bottled A&W Root Beer business. She joined A&W in 1981 in the Purchasing and Distribution

area and assumed increasing responsibilities. She serves on the lnternational Advisory Board

for the William F Harrah College, University of Nevada Las Vegas; and on the Customer

Advisory Task Force for the National Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers.

SUMMARY

In all of its decisions, A&W puts consumer desires and expectations first, researching intensively to take the

pulse of Canadians. In recent years, as we all know, many consumers have become far more interested in what

their food contains and where it comes from. Trish Sahlstrom, VP of Purchasing and Distribution, talks about

recent A&W innovations in respect to quality of beef, chicken and eggs, and the supply chain developments that

support them. She presents a sketch of A&W’s history and illuminates the essential management principles and

methods that keep the company in an industry-leading position.