IFAJ world congress June 30 tours preview
Picking the right tour that fits your interests is a monumental decision. We know how it is: you’re feeling like you’re missing some of the facts but still have to deal with the question of what tours do you choose?
Well, IFAJ 2023 co-chair Annemarie Pedersen is here to help with an in-depth look at our Friday tours.
For Friday, June 30, there are four amazing adventures to choose from but never fear, there are NO WRONG ANSWERS.
Olds College Smart Farm
While it may seem strange to book a campus tour for an entire day, there is so much going on on Olds Campus that visitors will not be disappointed. Skip the bus trip for the day and take a deeper look into all this amazing campus, and our home for the week, has to offer. Drones, satellite imagery, water remediation, weather sensors, and home to their very own brewery, Olds College was chosen for our Congress site for a reason with this tour showing us why.
Just like all of us here in Canada, the numerous representatives from Olds College are also extremely excited to show us what they’ve got.
Bales and Broncs
Rodeo is the unofficial sport of Alberta with plenty of investment and economic growth coming from rodeo events and culture. What does it mean for animal and human welfare when these sports are so taxing on both. Some things have changed with this tour for right now but the discussion around the benefits and challenges of the rodeo industry will remain the focus for this tour.
Sustainability in the Beef Industry
Canadian beef is well known around the world and IFAJ visitors will be able to take in one (or both, check out our June 29 tour post) of two beef tours during their stay in Canada. Sustainability is the key to the future of our planet and we’ll see how beef producers are making that the mandate of their prairie operations. Featuring presentations and a round table discussion on regenerative and sustainable agriculture, this tour won’t be without some fun with a trip to cow/calf and purebred cattle operations, as well as a movie set where some of the top film and television Westerns have been filmed.
The Barley Belt
From farm to table, this tour features a chance to see how Canadian beer is brewed from the ground up with the multigenerational malting facility, Red Shed Malting, on the docket. This will be followed by a dive into the research that goes into developing our world renown malt barley with Olds College’s Field Crop Development Center in Lacombe. Before heading back to the college, visitors will stop at the craft brew pub and farmers market in Red Deer.
Be sure to check out the prior blog post to learn more about the amazing options for the Thursday, June 29 tour lineup.
