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More than 350 Attendees Worked together to Solve The Precision Agriculture Puzzle together

Lessons learned from farmer panel the highlight of the conference

By Farms.com

More than 350 precision ag enthusiasts attended the 4th annual Farms.com Precision Agriculture Conference and Ag Technology Showcase held in London January 31 and February 1st.  “The 2017 conference was the largest of its kind in Canada,” says conference organizer Lindsay Gariepy.

Throughout the conference the challenges of precision agriculture were explored and discussions centered around using these new tools, working together, and integrating them together to benefit the farmer. 

The 2017 conference opened with an overview of the precision agriculture industry, and then focused on the macro-trends impacting technology adoption in farming.  Breakout sessions included topics such as SoilOptix top soil mapping system, adding value to grain through precision information systems, use of satellite imagery to predict corn stover yields, and machinery and agronomy working together to name just a few.

“The international presence at the 2017 conference, with both speakers and attendees from all over the world, provided participants with unique perspectives and innovative approaches to precision agriculture, making this conference a worthwhile event for everyone who attended,” says Farms.com Executive Vice President Joe Dales.

The conference had participants from Canada, United States, Ukraine, Dubai, and China.

This year, as in previous years, the highlight of the Precision Agriculture Conference was the Farmer Panel.  The panellists shared successes and lessons they have learned with conference participants.    The panel was moderated by Lisa Prassack, Prassack Advisors, and panellists included:

  • Chuck Baresich, Haggerty Creek
  • Eric Dietrich, Hugh J. Dietrich Farms Ltd
  • Josh Boersen, Bradi Farms
  • Mark Brock, Shephard Creek Farm Ltd.

A wide variety of exhibitors were eager to display their products and services to the enthusiastic crowd of attendees. “The networking between famers, agronomists and agribusiness throughout the conference was tremendous, the connections made and stories shared are valuable to everyone who attended”, says Farms.com Advertising Manager Andrew Bawden.  

The 2017 conference hosted exhibitors such as A & L Laboratories to Hoskins Scientific Limited and John Deere Dealers of Ontario to BASF.  International and local companies involved in agriculture were sponsors of the event:  A&L Canada, Ag Business & Crop Inc, AgCareers.com, Agromart Group, BASF, Bayer, Climate Field View, Deveron, DuPont Pioneer, Farm Credit Canada, Hensall District Cooperative, Planet Labs, Pride Seeds, Farms.com AgBuyers Guide, and Better Farming magazine.

The 2018 conference will be hosted in London, Ontario on January 30 and 31. 


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U.S.-China TRADE DEAL OR NO TRADE DEAL + Lower U.S./Canada Interest Rates Impact

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Trump/Xi had a productive call today on trade, fentanyl, an end to the Ukraine/Russia war and TikTok but it looks like Chinese tariffs will have to be extended for an additional 90-days to mid-February of 2026 as Trump may not visit China until early 2026 and Xi will make a U.S. visit thereafter. They will still meet at the APEC summit in South Korea, but it does not look like a trade deal by than. It looks like the farmers will have a winter without China buying U.S. soybeans and will have to wait until 2026? The short-term momentum has turned bearish as we need to buy more time and soybean futures break back below all moving averages.
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Stats Canada provided a model-based August production update projecting higher wheat and canola crops as farmers are seeing better than expected yields with more than 50% of the harvest complete.
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South American expected to get rain this coming week that could increase the soybean planting pace.
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