Unique race to inspire ag education

A race across southern Alberta promises to test participants’ agricultural skills while having a bit of fun along the way.

The race, a localized version of the TV program The Amazing Race, is dubbed the Lethbridge Odyssey. The competition starts in Lethbridge, and will span southern Alberta. Contestants will complete in challenges along the way, in hopes of winning the $5,000 prize.

“We wanted to create an event that was experience-based revolving around agriculture and really trying to focus on the distinct advantage that southern Alberta has,” said Shilpa Stocker, project manager at the Lethbridge Lodging Association.

Organized by the Lethbridge Exhibition and the lodging association, the Lethbridge Odyssey is a safe way for people to begin travelling again.

“We anticipated with 16 months of us all having been through COVID and as we’re coming out of this, we saw the potential for vaccination rates to go up and cases to go down, and we thought, you know what, people are looking for things to do,” Stocker said.

Slated to be held Aug. 13-15, the Lethbridge Odyssey will challenge participants to a variety of activities.

“Some involve a little bit of physical effort, some involve learning a new skill, some involve learning a little bit about culture and transferring that knowledge,” Stocker said.

“We’ve got a variety of challenges. They’re not all physical, they’re not all intellectual. It’s a mixed bag so that we have the opportunity to attract a variety of people and interest and make it fun for everyone.”

Mike Warkentin, chief executive officer of the Lethbridge and District Exhibition, said they partnered with producers for some challenges.

“They are on-farm tasks,” he said. “There are things that will help these producers get to market.… It really is every day tasks that producers go through that people will get to experience.”

Warkentin said it is an exciting opportunity for the participants and the producers.

“They (producers) are excited, not just to get the help, but also to showcase their products and showcase their labour, because they live this every day and they know the importance of what they do to our local economy, and they’re just as keen to educate everyone else as we are.”

Stocker said they wanted to showcase the importance of agriculture, especially to the community of Lethbridge.

“Agriculture is absolutely important in terms of the economic impact in this area, so we just felt, you know what, it’s time to sort of highlight some agritourism here.”

Warkentin said it’s important to teach people who may not have the same level of knowledge when it comes to agriculture.

“Really getting people out there and touching and feeling and seeing and experiencing all the things that it takes to put food on the table is what this event is about.”

Applications for the Lethbridge Odyssey are currently open at visitlethbridge.com/odyssey.