Royal Agricultural Winter Fair approaching

Oct 17, 2016

Event takes place November 4 to 13

By Diego Flammini
Assistant Editor, North American Content
Farms.com

From November 4 to 13, 2016, the 94^th Royal Agricultural Winter Fair takes over Exhibition Place in downtown Toronto.

With indoor equestrian competitions, prize-winning cattle, local agriculture, food and beer, the fair attracts visitors in and outside of agriculture.

"The Royal is a spectacle, a celebration and a stage for competition among the best of what Canada offers the rest of the world," said Charlie Johnstone, chief executive officer of The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, in a release. "From Olympic champions who strive for show jumping perfection to farmers who proudly compete to be recognized as the country's best in agriculture, visitors are guaranteed an immersion in a truly amazing, not to mention, fun and educational experience."

Winter Fair

In addition to classic events like rodeo, show jumping and chef challenges, a number of new attractions are being introduced to help enhance the visitor experience.

For music lovers, some of Canada’s newest country acts, including Vanessa Marie Carter, Jesse Gold and Robyn Ottolini, will be on hand as part of the Boots and Hearts Music Festival.

If fine dining is of interest, Canadian celebrity chef Michael Bonacini will host a four-course meal using ingredients from Royal competitors.

Looking to dance the night away? The Colt Walker band will help kick off the first ever Royal Barn Dance in the new Ring of Excellence.

Ticket prices and event schedules can be found on The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair’s website.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.