Inaugural FutureFarm Canada Expo Provides Unique Look at the Future of Farming

OLDS, AB--(Marketwired - June 20, 2017) - Olds College and dmg :: events (Canada) inc. have partnered to bring a new and unique annual agriculture event and summer festival for Western Canada.

FutureFarm Canada Expo is an exposition and festival focused on scientific advancements and innovations needed for tomorrow's agriculture businesses and future farm generations; while at the same time serves as an exciting new Alberta focused outdoor agricultural festival to kick off summer. The event will attract visitors from across Alberta, and over time develop into a leading international agricultural event based in Western Canada.

The Expo, featuring more than 100 exhibiting companies, takes place July 6 - 8 at Olds College, and features the most cutting-edge products and services available to the industry; as well as providing fun for the entire family.

Desiree Rattray, regional marketing manager for Farm Credit Canada, says an event like this gives farmers "meaningful exposure to a lot of different businesses and different opportunities to help them succeed and of course, their success is vital to our industry."

"We help partner with our customers, and we are excited to be a part of this new event to bring the latest innovations to the forefront," says Rattray of the federal crown corporation, which is a financial institution advancing the business of agriculture in Canada through lending money to farmers and businesses related to the industry. Farm Credit Canada is a sponsor of the event and will showcase an exhibit as well.

FutureFarm Canada Expo highlights smart agriculture technologies and practices through its educational workshops, presentations, and exhibits. It will offer companies a platform to demonstrate their newest technologies and showcase tomorrow's market-leading products in the outdoor exhibition. The show brings producers, suppliers, industry decision makers, private sector champions and government representatives together to develop and drive innovations for sustainable agriculture.

The Expo features a Farm to Fork experience where attendees will be able to connect with companies and organizations focused on the entire food chain process. This featured area combines education about food production from the field to the dinner table with a showcase of local restaurants and chefs, food processors and producers of organic and sustainable agricultural products.

Alex Villeneuve, of Ceres Solutions which is based in Olds, is excited about being an exhibitor at the Expo. The third-year apprentice chef and graduate of the brew master and brewery operations management program at Olds College, has created a company by taking spent grain from breweries in the province and growing oyster mushrooms and as a by-product of that he is also producing protein-enhanced livestock feed.

"Since we're seeing this gigantic increase and expansion in the brewing industry right now, a lot of companies are either forced to throw it right in the garbage or they're forced to pay an exorbitant amount of money for composting companies to come in," says Villeneuve of the spent grain.

Jack Stankievech, owner/manager of Trochu Motors, an agricultural dealership, also an exhibitor at the Expo, says the event is a new show the company wants to participate in. "We want to develop more business in that area. We're hoping to get a lot of exposure to some new products and some new salesmen that we have to get more people over that way. It's also to reconnect with some old customers," he says.

Wes Carrington, sales manager in Olds of Noble Equipment, an agricultural equipment enterprise, says the company has locations in Olds, Nobleford and is opening a third location in Ponoka this summer and will have a booth at the Expo.

"I think it gains exposure in the community. We are a new company and a growing company as well. It helps us in that aspect. It's nice to see a local show come up. So it's always nice to support the local event," says Carrington.

Rick Erickson, territorial sales manager with Honey Bee Manufacturing based out of Frontier Sask., says the company will have a booth and a classroom during the event.

"We're there to present our product so people can see the new AirFlex (header for combine) that we have built here in the last couple of years and we're promoting that for the future farmers. We're also having classrooms where we can invite farmers to learn more about the programming of their headers and combines," he says.

Erickson says the Expo is important for farmers so they can learn more about the products out in the marketplace.

In addition to seeing the latest equipment innovations available to farmers, there are free agri-business seminars, an agri-business exhibition, seed plot demonstrations, country life styles exhibit, three-days of live musical entertainment, Alberta craft brewers beer gardens, and Farm to Fork cooking demonstrations.

FutureFarm Canada Expo registration is available online, and registrants are encouraged to book hotels and campsites as spots fill quickly. For more information, visit futurefarmexpo.com

About Olds College
Olds College is the premier Canadian integrated learning and applied research community specializing in agriculture, horticulture, land and environmental management. Olds College first opened its doors in 1913, and now includes programming that covers Animal Sciences, Horticulture, Land & Water, Fashion, Business, Hospitality & Tourism and Trades & Apprenticeships. For more information visit oldscollege.ca.

About dmg :: events
dmg :: events was founded in 1989 and now manages over 80 events in up to 25 countries each year. Headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, it is currently active in North America, the Middle East, North Africa, Europe, Asia, and Australia, employing over 300 staff. dmg :: events is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Daily Mail and General Trust plc, one of the largest media companies in the United Kingdom. DMGT's history dates back to 1896 when the Harmsworth brothers (Alfred and Harold) established the Daily Mail newspaper in the United Kingdom. For more event information, please visit FutureFarmExpo.com.