I’m anxiously awaiting and counting down the days until March 22, aka the first day of the 2022 Canadian Spud Congress. The last few months have been a blur for the team here at Spud Smart as we have worked to plan this year’s virtual Congress for you. It’s a labour of love and we can’t wait to share it with you.
The two days of the Congress are jam packed with content and opportunities to connect with the potato industry all from the safety and comfort of your home. I am very much looking forward to kicking off the Congress with a markets overview session. I know it’s been a year of highs and lows for the Canadian potato industry, and our industry experts will bring insights on what to expect as you head out into the fields this spring.
We also have some great agronomy sessions. I am excited to have Haider Abbas and Zack Frederick from Manitoba sharing the results of their mustard fumigation trials over the last few years. The two had been looking for an opportunity to showcase their work and I was thrilled that the Canadian Spud Congress was the perfect fit. You’ll also be able to get CCA credits for tuning in to watch their session. And we’ll have an update on what the CanPEDNet is all about. I know this is popular topic of discussion in the industry and I’m excited to learn more about this important project.
I’m thrilled this year to have even more grower panels than we did last year. I know potato growers love to learn from each other and I’m excited to have some innovative growers sharing their thoughts. We’ll take another look at the world of minimal tillage and regenerative agriculture, and we’ll also have an insightful chat about what’s affecting farms across the country from potato wart to drought.
Of course, agronomy and grower panels are a perfect mix, so we’ll have industry experts including growers speaking about nematode and disease management on potato farms. Growing a potato crop isn’t just about the inputs though, so we’ll take a closer look at weather and what might be coming for this growing season.
We’re not just looking at what you grow on your farm though, we’re also going to have an insightful discussion about succession planning. Sadly, you can’t work the farm forever, and if you want that legacy to continue on, having a good succession plan is key.
The Congress isn’t all agronomy and marketing sessions and this year we have invited some producers of potato made beer and vodka to speak with you about how they use spuds to make delicious drinks. And after you’ve learned about potato liquor you can head over to the ever-popular Spud Shed to visit with friends while partaking in a drink or two.
When you’re not watching sessions there’s our exhibition hall to check out with tons of companies waiting to chat about their innovative products. When it comes down to it, there’s so much to do at the Canadian Spud Congress and we can’t wait to share it with you on March 22 and 23.
There’s still time to register for the Canadian Spud Congress for free!
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