By Martin, Tijana on February 27, 2018.
Joel Maljaars helps set up a robotic milking system from GEA Farm Technologies at the Lethbridge Dairy Mart Ltd. booth at Exhibition Park on Monday in advance of the annual South Country Co-op Ag Expo and North American Seed Fair.
Herald photo by Tijana Martin @TMartinHerald
Tijana Martin
Lethbridge Herald
The annual South Country Co-op Ag Expo and North American Seed Fair, one of Exhibition Park’s largest events, kicks off on Wednesday.
The seed fair was established in 1897 and has grown and transformed into a three-day expo that sees an average of more than 20,000 visitors annually.
There are over 350 exhibitors registered this year, 40 of which are making their Ag Expo debut, and more than 150,000 square feet of outdoor space will be filled with machinery displays.
Fortis Alberta will display and judge products from southern Alberta.
“We are the only show, I believe, in North America that actually does judging for the seeds and the grains,” said Doug Kryzanowski, manager corporate relations and marketing for Exhibition Park.
And judges have their hands full.
“We’ve got probably over 200 samples,” he said. “I think it’s important to recognize the importance of seeds and where our food does come from.”
The event also helps showcase the “economic rotation of what a farm and ranch community does,” Kryzanowski added. “You plant it, you harvest it, you buy equipment, you feed people around the world and still at the same time, we’re pretty fortunate around our area to have great soil, good weather and people make a great living off being a farmer.”
The event runs daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Friday.
Admission is $7 per person, with children under 10 free. Parking on Exhibition grounds is an additional $5 per vehicle.
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