Agri-Mex A Tradition Dating Back to 1885

source: Farm and Food Report

As the Northwest Resistance unfolded nearby in 1885, a small, budding farming community launched the Battlefords Agricultural Society.

Excellence in agricultural practices and the quest for economic prosperity in a land where the buffalo — until two decades earlier — had been roaming the Plains region was what they sought.

One hundred and twenty years after its creation, the Society is perhaps the oldest in Saskatchewan, and certainly one of the most active.

Agri-Mex 2005 — the Society’s progeny — is about to embark on its 21st edition. Jocelyn Ritchie is General Manager of the Battlefords Agricultural Society.

“We have people who attend Agri-Mex whose great-grandfathers were members of our agricultural society,” Ritchie says. “We have had literally generations of families involved in organizing activities with the Society. There is a real pride in this for many of our members.”

Because this is one of the earliest settlement regions of the former Northwest Territories, many families in the area live on farms that have been passed down from generation to generation.

“Every year, we honour a farming family that has farmed the same land for over a century as a way to celebrate local agricultural achievement. How they have diversified their activities also comes into consideration in the selection process.”

Ritchie, her colleagues and area producers relish this agricultural heritage and the fact this is the largest event of its kind in northwest Saskatchewan. “Every year, over 5,000 consumers from the Battlefords and surrounding communities attend Agri-Mex to see the latest in ideas and innovations for the farm and home,” Ritchie says.

Many businesses and implement dealers capitalize on the number of people coming to town by hosting various open houses and customer appreciation events, which help to ensure people come. The show draws visitors from a 160 km radius, and many travel from Alberta for this celebration of a livelihood that has come under some pressure lately.

“The primary production sector of the agriculture industry is the back bone of our community,” says Ritchie. “At times, we are victims of other countries’ trade actions, or simply of our own country's lack of acknowledgement of the role we play in food production. This is our opportunity to shine in the public eye.

“Agri-Mex is about business, but it is also about education — a chance to interpret how important what we do is for the local economy. It is a time for renewal; meeting old friends; and expressing hope for agricultural prosperity.”

Agri-Mex runs from April 1st to April 2nd at the Exhibition Park in North Battleford. For more information, visit: http://www.bexhib.com/events/agrimex.html

For more information, contact:
Jocelyn Ritchie
Battlefords Agricultural Society
(306) 445-2024

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