What’s happening at Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show?

Despite the rainy start, there was plenty to see during the first day of Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show (COFS), which runs from Sept. 12-14 at Discovery Farm Woodstock.

More livestock demonstrations

John Greig, Farmtario’s senior editor, says there’s a larger section at Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show for alternative livestock – sheep, goats and pastured chickens. There are also more demonstrations as the production of those livestock involves more technology. 

That includes the use of Total Mixed Rations (TMR) for sheep.

Courtney Vriens, a livestock nutritionist from Arthur helped with the TMR demo. She says about 80 per cent of sheep farmers she works with use a TMR mixer to feed their sheep.  

She says, if anything, sheep can benefit more from a TMR compared to cattle because they don’t handle long forage fibres as well as larger ruminants. 

The TMR demonstration involved a small Jaylor mixer made to fit into smaller barns and was mixed by Michael Richards, a sheep farmer from near Hamilton.  

The Small Ruminant TMR Demo takes place each day at 2 p.m. at Livestock Central. 

New tech

Farmtario reporter Diana Martin noticed that “Deacon”, Canada’s first autonomous tractor, is turning heads.  

GPS Ontario’s booth features a Kubota tractor with Sabanto Steward tech, an aftermarket level five autonomous system, which turns existing tractors into a fully autonomous tool.  

“This tractor has a lot of firsts to it,” said Jordan Wallace, of GPS Ontario. “It’s the first aftermarket installed level five autonomous tractor in Canada. It’s the first BX992 Trimble antenna in Canada and it’s the first Kubota tractor that has been used in autonomy in Canada-wide.” 

Innovations

Innovative new companies are tackling consumer concerns around sustainability and food safety, and Glacier FarmMedia online editor Greg Berg visited with many of the Innovations Program winners at the show.  

One company is St. Catherines-based Clean Works, winner of the Environmental Sustainability category. Clean Works has invented a process that increases the shelf life of fruit and vegetables by reducing pathogens and natural bacteria which can sometimes live on the surface.

Using a three-step process, Clean Works’ waterless technology destroys nearly all pathogens helping to ensure that fruits and vegetables are more safe to consume, especially when eaten raw.

Hear more from this Innovations Program winner soon in an upcoming video at Farmtario!

Innovations Program winners and finalists are identified throughout the show, and farmers get to choose the overall winner so be sure to watch for signage and cast your vote.

Honouring Doug Wagner

The main road entrance into the Outdoor Farm Show at Discovery Farm Woodstock got a name change today to honour former COFS president and co-founder Doug Wagner.

Wagner was president of COFS from 2011 until his retirement in October last year. He co-founded the show with Ginty Jocius in 1994.  The show was purchased from Jocius by Glacier FarmMedia in 2011.

Farmtario editor Kristy Nudds attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Doug Wagner way, which took place near the front entrance the morning of Sept. 12.

Glacier FarmMedia president Bob Wilcox said staff wanted to honour Wagner’s contributions to COFS as well as commemorate his recent induction into the Ontario Agriculture Hall of Fame, “which we are very proud of.”

Wilcox said COFS and Glacier FarmMedia staff wanted to do something personal, and felt naming a road at the show after him and calling it Doug Wagner Way described his leadership abilities.