Ag-Expo ready to showcase new machinery and technology

By Lethbridge Herald on February 27, 2023.

A crew uses a crane to move a large piece of farming equipment into place as exhibitors at the 2023 Ag-Expo and North American Seed Fair put the finishing touch on their displays Monday afternoon at the Lethbridge and District Exhibition grounds. Herald photo by Alejandra Pulido-Guzman

Alejandra Pulido-Guzman – LETHBRIDGE HERALD – apulido@lethbridgeherald.com

The Lethbridge and District Exhibition is ready for the 2023 Ag-Expo and North American Seed Fair and multiple exhibitors spent Monday putting the finishing touches on their displays. 

This year the Ag-Expo is presented by Farm Credit Canada, and will showcase nearly 300 exhibitors. 

Show director Dave Fiddler said it is great to be back at full force, with every inch of the grounds filled with exhibitors, machinery, new technology and more. 

“We’ve got nearly 300 exhibitors with all types of farm equipment, farm services and all the related technologies. Everything that a farmer or rancher would need to know and buy,” said Fiddler. 

He said the displays will be spread across the entire facility, from the three pavilions to the parking lot on the north end of the building. 

“We have outdoor exhibits too, with a lot of the big equipment that doesn’t fit in the halls, outside of the north pavilion.”

Fiddler said because of the outdoor exhibits, parking will only be available by the south pavilion entrance. 

Fiddler added that attendees will also be able to enjoy a speaker series provided by Alberta Financial Services Corporation. 

“AFC has a speaker series with very high-quality speakers, some on irrigation, some on safety on the farm, and many different things. Throughout the week there’s three speakers each day.”

This year, exhibitors are bringing new technology to the show, from drones and crop farm management systems to global positioning systems. 

“All the high-tech things that farmers use today to produce the safe and high quality food for Canadians and consumers of the world,” said Fiddler. 

One of those exhibitors is Meridian Manufacturing, which has been taking part in the Ag-Expo and North American Seed Fair for many years. 

Regional sales manager for Meridian Manufacturing, Garry Siebert, said he will be available to talk about their multitude of products with those in attendance, while they look through their display, which extends to the outdoors. 

“On display here we’ve got an 810 feed bin, TL1039 fully equipped truck loader auger and the convey-all 1650 truck loader oilseed conveyor, and outside we have our newest 100,000 litre fuel tank fully equipped package,” said Siebert. 

He said those tanks are sold to farmers and commercial operators to store fuel and make it easier for them to capitalize when buying fuel at a special price. 

“The 100,000 litre tank is our newest and biggest addition. We were asked by a number of people if we could make something larger than 75,000 litres,” said Siebert. 

He said the storage helps farmers avoid multiple trips to the gas station to get fuel. 

Ag-Expo opens today and runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Thursday.

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