How do you come back from a last-minute cancellation that sidelined 31 speakers in 2022?
If you ask Manitoba Ag Days program chair Stephanie Cruickshanks, you do it by exceeding that roster in 2023.
Why it matters: Ag Days speakers range from geopolitical analysts and an in-depth look at fertilizer market to social media and mental health.
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The show’s return to Brandon in January 2023 will pump the speaking schedule up to 71 presenters across two theatres, all in line with the year’s theme: Work Smart, Take Care, Feed the World.
“We already had half a program from last year, so we invited them back for this year’s show and then, because we were able to use the whole facility, we filled up both of our speaking locations,” Cruickshanks said.
This year’s show will have dueling programs running each day of the three-day event. The show boasts one theatre in the southern end of Brandon’s Keystone Centre (sponsored by Farm Credit Canada) and a second in the MNP theatre in the building’s main concourse.
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The line up
One of the big names for 2023 is Peter Zeihan, a U.S.-based geopolitical analyst and best selling author of The Accidental Superpower, The Absent Superpower and Disunited Nations. His fourth book, The End of the World is Just the Beginning: Mapping the Collapse of Globalization, was published in June 2022 and was also a New York Times bestseller.
The author “talks about the world’s political climate and how it impacts agriculture,” Cruickshanks said. “He’s going to talk a lot about the impact of the Ukraine-Russian conflict, so we’re really excited to bring that perspective.”
He is also new to Manitoba speaking events.
Josh Linville, vice-president of fertilizer at StoneX Financial, will give his take on the international fertilizer landscape. That may be of particular interest to producers looking to navigate the current waves in the fertilizer market, the program chair noted.
“The price of fuel went up this year but the price of fertilizer increased substantially and we’re not sure if that’s over yet,” Cruickshanks said.
Used equipment will also get a moment in the spotlight. Fan favourite machine guru Greg Patterson, otherwise known as Machinery Pete, will talk trends in the machinery industry.
On a more local note, Forrest-area mixed farmer and Nuffield scholar Ryan Boyd will take the podium to give his views on regenerative soil management.
Through Nuffield, Boyd travelled to Brazil, the Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom and the United States hoping to dive into the question of grazing ruminants and their role in agro-ecosystems. He looked at ultra-high stock density grazing of perennial pastures and the use of crop residues as a feed source.
The producer is a former chair of the ag show and participated in the Nuffield program in 2019, Cruickshanks noted.
“He’s going to speak on how we can reclaim the prairie landscape. He’ll talk about the research that’s gone into his scholarship and how that relates to management on his own farm.”
Mady Adamson, a young YouTuber from Saskatchewan’s Kindersley-Rosetown area, will tackle social media and agriculture. Adamson will speak about her channel, “Learning Ag With Mady,” which she developed to tell her classmates about farming.
The channel features first-person perspectives of her involvement in her family’s grain farm.
“Over the last two years she became very passionate about telling her classmates and creating a whole social media presence for herself. So with the support of her parents, she’s telling people about agriculture and her farm,” said Cruickshanks.
In line with this year’s theme, the roster will be rounded out with a number of presentations focused on health and wellbeing.
Manitoba-born Jon Montgomery will speak on wellness and “using your own personal powers to drive your goals,” Cruickshanks noted.
The skeleton racer from Russell won gold on home soil in 2010 at the Vancouver Winter Olympics and is now the host of the Amazing Race Canada.
“It’s about goal setting and how to use the power of your passion, the power of your mind and the power of your resiliency to drive your goals,” Cruickshanks said of the talk.
Mental health advocate Big Daddy Tazz is another big name filling that role on the schedule.
“He’s going to do a presentation called ‘Out of My Mind,’ taking some humour and talking about the realities of the stress and keeping yourself well,” Cruickshanks said.
