Pacific Agriculture Show kicks off

The Pacific Agriculture Show takes place this week at the Tradex in Abbotsford alongside the Lower Mainland Horticultural Conference, January 25-27.

Strong attendance is expected at the three-day event, which saw a strong turnout last year on par with pre-pandemic levels at between 5,000 and 6,000 people.

This year, a sold-out tradeshow floor will greet participants in the annual horticultural conference as well as members of the public who come to see the latest developments in local agriculture.

This year’s program, developed by the Lower Mainland Horticultural Improvement Association in partnership with the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food, will closely parallel that of previous years.

Introductory remarks from the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food on January 25 will be followed by an opening plenary session with keynote speaker and executive coach Kelly Dobson, leader of a fourth-generation farm in Fairfax, Manitoba, who will discuss the “partnership of personalities” that make a farm successful.

Those partnerships are critical in the face of extreme weather, which will be discussed in the following presentation.

Sessions on strawberries, raspberries, field vegetables and potatoes will round out the first day’s offerings.

Agritech and innovation kick off the second day, which will also include an all-berry stream, a focus on hazelnuts as well as streams devoted to floriculture and greenhouse production.

Blueberries, organics and hops are the focus on the third day.

Special events during the show include the BC Dairy lunch and learn on January 25 and the Ag Innovation Forum, which takes place January 26.

A new feature this year will be Farmers Den, a pitch competition for agribusiness organized by the Abbotsford Tech District. The event will feature two pitch categories, one for Seedlings, students or recent graduates launching or hoping to launch companies who will compete for a $10,000 prize, and Agripreneurs, entrepreneurs with established agricultural or agri-tech companies who will compete for a $50,000 prize.

There’s something for everyone, and everyone is invited to check out Country Life in BC, whose team will be on hand throughout the show.

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