Saskatchewan Young Ag-Entrepreneurs To Discuss Key Issues

Jan 07, 2019

Proudly Ag is the theme for the Saskatchewan Young Ag-Entrepreneurs Annual Conference and AGM.

The event runs Wednesday, January 9th and Thursday, January 10th at the Radisson Hotel in Saskatoon.

The group involves individuals under the age of 40 that are involved in the agriculture sector from students to producers, to those involved in agri-business or value-added processing.

There’s a great lineup of presentations with topics on Wednesday ranging from Murad Al-Katib’s presentation on Seizing Canada’s Opportunity in Feeding the World, Shawn Senko from the Canola Council of Canada will talk about Clubroot, Matt and Lesley Kelly will hold a Mental Health discussion on Breaking Barriers in Agriculture. Brad Wall is the Keynote Banquet Speaker and will be talking about What Makes Saskatchewan a Prominent Province in Agriculture and where he sees opportunities.

Thursday’s presentations include a presentation from Dan Aberhart on The Three Levels of Entrepreneurial Enlightenment, Chris Lane will talk about Canadian Western Agribition - The Wild West and there’s a presentation from Sask Power and a personal story relating to Safety around power lines from Chris Weber - Triumph over Tragedy.

More information on the Saskatchewan Young Ag-Entrepreneurs Annual Conference and AGM are available here.

Source : Discoverestevan

Video: How farmers are protecting the soil and our food security | DW Documentary

For a long time, soil was all but ignored. But for years, the valuable humus layer has been thinning. Farmers in Brandenburg are clearly feeling the effects of this on their sandy fields. Many are now taking steps to prepare their farms for the future.

Years of drought, record rainfall and failed harvests: we are becoming increasingly aware of how sensitively our environment reacts to extreme weather conditions. Farmers' livelihoods are at stake. So is the ability of consumers to afford food.

For a few years now, agriculture that focuses solely on maximum yields has been regarded with increasing skepticism. It is becoming more and more clear just how dependent we are on healthy soils.

Brandenburg is the federal state with the worst soil quality in Germany. The already thin, fertile humus layer has been shrinking for decades. Researchers and farmers who are keen to experiment are combating these developments and looking for solutions. Priority is being given to building up the humus layer, which consists of microorganisms and fungi, as well as springtails, small worms and centipedes.

For Lena and Philipp Adler, two young vegetable farmers, the tiny soil creatures are invaluable helpers. On their three-hectare organic farm, they rely on simple, mechanical weed control, fallow areas where the soil can recover, and diversity. Conventional farmer Mark Dümichen also does everything he can to protect soil life on his land. For years, he has not tilled the soil after the harvest and sows directly into the field. His yields have stabilized since he began to work this way.

Isabella Krause from Regionalwert AG Berlin-Brandenburg is convinced after the experiences of the last hot summers that new crops will thrive on Brandenburg's fields in the long term. She has founded a network of farmers who are promoting the cultivation of chickpeas with support from the scientific community.