If you're looking to attend this week's FarmTech conference in person, you're out of luck. Alberta's premier crop production and farm management conference is sold out with a record 1,200 delegates.
But you can keep on top of the highlights with this daily e-mail newsletter brought to you by Alberta Farmer Express and Country Guide. Staff writers and photographers will be attending the show and filing news briefs with highlights from the previous day's sessions.
FarmTech kicks off Wednesday, January 30 with two keynote speakers. Doug Wright returned to his native Australia in 2006 after 16 years of farming in Nobleford Alberta. He'll bring his perspective on the challenges of farming in both countries.
A common challenge is water, especially the lack of it in Australia the past two years. With climate change and increasing industrial and urban demand, water availability is a growing concern in Canada and especially Alberta. "Water — will we have enough?" is the subject of the second keynote address by David Schindler, a world-renowned professor of ecology in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Alberta.
Wednesday's afternoon sessions feature a choice of 17 speakers in concurrent sessions on a diverse range of topics including market outlook, biofuels, carbon offset markets and agronomic sessions on fertilization, weed control and variable rate technology.
Thursday morning features more sessions on agronomy, plus special sessions hosted by Reduced Tillage LINKAGES and the Alberta Barley Commission. The morning keynote speaker will be Steve Padgette, vice-president, technology for Monsanto, who will focus on future biotech traits expected to be commercialized in North American crops.
Thursday's luncheon speaker is the Honourable George Groeneveld, Alberta's Minister of Agriculture and Food. The afternoon features concurrent sessions on biofuels, market outlook and crop insurance.
Friday features more sessions on agronomy, weather and beef marketing, including keynote presentation by followed by keynote speaker Alejandro Lopez Moriena on "Sustainable farming in Argentina." Another Keynote speaker, former Greenpeace head Patrick Moore, will address "Environmentalism for the 21st Century." FarmTech 2008 winds up with Friday afternoon "Super Panels" on agronomy, environment and farm management.
Full proceedings of this year's conference as well as from 2004-2007 are available on FarmTech's website at www.farmtechconference.com