(ELORA – April 22, 2013) – Farmers and agribusiness personnel will want to circle Thursday, July 11 on their calendar and be sure to attend the FarmSmart Expo to hear the latest in agronomy news from members of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food (OMAF) and Ministry of Rural Affairs (MRA) field crop unit and the University of Guelph’s research departments.
FarmSmart Expo provides progressive farm operators and agri-business people with leading-edge, hands-on diagnostics to help them develop and advance their farm business operations.
“Take a drive, bring a colleague and build your knowledge. We encourage you to commute to give yourselves the opportunity to discuss the learnings on the ride home,” says Ian McDonald, OMAF/MRA’s applied research coordinator and one of the event organizers. “The OMAF/MRA and University of Guelph teams will put together a number of wide-ranging diagnostics to help you identify common problems, with a look at emerging new technologies and innovations.”
Preparations of the research plots are in the developing stages, with organizers considering corn planter down pressure and row unit closing wheel options, cover crops and their impact on corn production, planting date by variety and fertility in winter wheat, full season emergence and annual forage crop options, near surface injection of liquid manure into forages.
A special program is also planned for rural youth on the following day, Friday, July 12. The daylong youth program features barn tours, hands-on activities and in-field demonstrations of on-farm situations with the field crops unit team. This is an excellent opportunity for a club meeting, a makeup session or a club/county field trip. Non-4H members welcome.
Rosemarie Haegens, past president of the Golden Horseshoe Soil and Crop Improvement Association and one of the event organizers says the FarmSmart Expo team has never failed to offer some of the best hands-on diagnostics, field demonstrations and innovative cropping ideas. “This year’s event is sure to offer producers the same high-quality sessions and we hope that you will save the date and join us at FarmSmart Expo–a day definitely worth attending,” says Haegens.
FarmSmart Expo and the FarmSmart Expo Youth Day will be held at the University of Guelph Elora Research Station, 6182 2nd Line, Elora (south of Elora, one block west of County Road 7).
For more information and program updates visit http://www.ghscia.com/farmsmart or follow on Twitter at @FarmSmart1. Official hashtag: #FSExpo13
ABOUT FARMSMART
The FarmSmart organization started in 1998 as a conference only event geared to help educate farmers on new topics that might assist them to develop their farming operations. Our FarmSmart philosophy is to attract all producers, whether the farm focus and interest is cropping and nutrient management or livestock production.
FarmSmart is a partnership of the Golden Horseshoe and Heartland Regional Soil and Crop Improvement Associations, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food (OMAF) and the Ministry of Rural Affairs (MRA), the Ontario Agricultural College (OAC) of the University of Guelph, the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association (OSCIA), the Ontario Cattlemen’s Association (OCA), and various agri-business partners, including Presenting sponsor DuPont Pioneer and Platinum sponsors BASF Canada Inc., Bayer CropScience, DEKALB, Farm Credit Canada and Syngenta.
MEDIA INQUIRIES
Anne Howden Thompson: 905-703-0744 or goldenhorseshoe.scia@rogers.com
PROGRAM INQUIRIES
Ian McDonald: 519-896-0299 or ian.mcdonald@ontario.ca
