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Feb 11 is your chance to connect with the best ag knowledge in Alberta

Friday, January 30, 2026

The annual Farming Smarter Conference & Trade Show is your opportunity to catch leading edge knowledge and grow your network.

Agricultural innovation takes centre stage at #FSC26 with presentations on kochia management, fertilizer management and efficacy, agronomic wheat systems, and more. Make sure you're in the room on February 11!

We're excited for you to join us and this year's fantastic line-up of speakers eager to share research updates, industry insights, and much more at the Farming Smarter 2026 Conference & Trade Show.

Beyond the delicious meals and buzzing conversations, we think you'll walk out with the tools and knowledge necessary to start 2026 with the best foot forward. Don't believe us? Check out our highlights:

  • Dr. Brian Beres shares the journey of a lifetime; from his unconventional path to becoming a scientist through his 30 years of leading wheat research in southern Alberta, Dr. Beres talks wheat stem sawfly, winter wheat, ultra early seeding programs and more from his work here and around the globe.
  • Michael McGee brings the investor's eye to the innovation conversation; with more than 35-years experience, and a stunning report of Canada's innovation ecosystem hot off the presses, Michael discusses the regional, provincial, and national opportunities and challenges revealed in his Canada-wide round table series.
  • Lewis Baarda showcases the toolbox for kochia management; with multiple new projects underway, Lewis' team at Farming Smarter is cultivating new strategies to help you combat kochia, including management for saline areas, herbicide screening, and a prairie-wide collaborative initiative focused on kochia in pulse crops.

Make sure you don't miss this fantastic opportunity to learn something new and mingle with with neighbours! Click the agenda to visit the event page for more information & to buy your tickets to the Farming Smarter Conference & Trade Show today.

Or, read up about our speakers below!
Join us on February 11 at the Sandman Signature Lethbridge Lodge for a day full of great people, delicious food, and rousing conversation!



Secure your spot!

Meet our speakers!

Dr. Brian Beres - Life of Brian: Decades of Advancing Wheat Research

Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada - Lethbridge

Dr. Beres shares the journey of his career, from the unconventional path to becoming a scientist through his three decades of leading wheat research in southern Alberta. This includes his Prairie-wide work on wheat stem sawfly, building agronomic systems-based approaches for wheat, leading the winter wheat and more recent Ultra Early Seeding programs in southern Alberta.

Dr. Brian Beres is a sneior research scientist at AAFC - Lethbridge, Adjunct Professor at the University of Alberta with an incredible impact on the agricultural industry. He has authored or co-authored 131 peer-reviewed research articles, 2 edited books, and 3 book chapters and received numerous accolades. He has represented Canada on multiple international research bodies and developed an expert working group for global agronomy wheat research.

Ashley Nicholls - If Agriculture Feeds the World, Who Feeds Agriculture?

REACH Agriculture Strategies

Ashley brings a candid look at the current demographics of agricultural employees to identify the opportunities in front of the industry to encourage more boots on the ground and create the workplaces that keep them there.

Ashley Nicholls hails from a small farming community in New South Wales, Australia, and now resides in Foothills County, AB. As the founder of REACH Agriculture Strategies, he is a passionate advocate for Canadian agriculture and dedicated to ensuring the long-term strength of operations throughout the industry.

Michael McGee - Uniting the Agricultural Innovation Ecosystem

Bioenterprise Canada

Farmers must be included when discussing the future direction of agriculture, yet they're notably left from the table. Michael will share the investor's perspective of how farmers can get the tools and opportunities to have their voices heard in Canada's innovation ecosystem!

Michael McGee has over 35 years of investment experience, more recently as the Director of Innovation before joining the Board of Directors of Bioenterprise Canada. In 2025, Bioenterprise Canada hosted a series of round tables across Canada to enhance the understanding of regional, provincial, and national opportunities and challenges in the agri-food ecosystem.

Lewis Baarda - An Overstayed Welcome: The Kochia Dilemma

Farming Smarter

Lewis brings updates the forefront of the kochia battle, namely the new management strategies in saline areas, herbicide screening, and a prairie-wide collaborative initiative focused on kochia in pulse crops.

Lewis Baarda is the On-Farm Authority at Farming Smarter, leading the Field Tested team. He brings insight from the multiple field-scale trials he conducts throughout southern Alberta with partnered farmers.

Curtis DeGooijer - Seed Rates and Fertilizer Placement: Helping or Hurting?

Bourgault Industries

Nitrogen is the most applied fertilizer on the Canadian Prairies, but its placement can affect the safety of your canola along with its uptake of phosphorus. Curtis joins us to share insights gleaned from more than a decade of field scale reseach at Bourgault Industries.

Curtis DeGooijer works as the Agronomy Manager at Bourgault Industries based in St. Brieux, Saskatchewan. He manages the Bourgault 2000-acre research farm and organizes the field scale, replicated fertilizer placement trials.

Mike Gretzinger - It's About Time We Updated Our Fertilizer Recommendations

Farming Smarter

What's old is new again, but with a modern twist! Just like young people listen to vinyl records on new headpones, farmers use new equipment to grow new varieties but use old nutrient recommendations. Mike shares insights from his evaluation of fertilizer response curves in wheat, canola, potatoes, and corn.

Mike Gretzinger leads the Agronomy Research team at Farming Smarter, coordinating the agronomy trials and collaborations with external groups. He's the branch between the academic and practical, always evolving and growing his skills, knowledge and organization to ensure his agriculture research meets the day-to-day needs of our farmers.

Nolan Johnson - Evaluating Nitrogen Efficiency in the Prairies

University of Alberta

Nolan joins us to share the effects of nitrification inhibitors across the Canadian Prairies to help farmers optimize their operation for efficient application. His results will demonstrate the efficacy of NI's on soil ammonium and nitrate, and how these products affect barley production under various reduced urea rates.

Nolan Johnson grew up on a generational cattle ranch near Wainwright, AB before enrolling into the Crop Science program at University of Alberta. He begun his Master of Science at the university with Dr. Linda Gorim in 2024.

Ken Coles - Fueling Farm Innovation

Farming Smarter

Ken explores the importance of on-farm innovation adoption, today more than ever, and how Farming Smarter is building capacity, fostering a culture of innovation, and shaping influence to ensure the lon-term resilience and success of Prairie Farmers.

Ken Coles leads Farming Smarter as Executive Director, his passion for practical science and dedication to the agriculture industry drives him and the team to pave the way for stronger farms throughout southern Alberta.

Dr. Thierry Fonville - Take Cover - Blanket the Soil!

Farming Smarter

Thierry shares the biggest lessons for successful cover crop management from fall to spring, how cash crops can thrive alongside covers, and how these practices impact your soils. As he gears up for the final year of the Saving Soils project, Thierry is excited to help you get the most out of your cover crops.

As Farming Smarter's Research Scientist, Dr. Thierry Fonville brings fresh insight and soil expertise to the Agronomy Research program and assists teams with the design and development of research projects while coordinating research grant applications for new projects and publishing project reports for peer review.


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