The fleece and conformation of Canadian alpacas impressed an American judge at the Canadian Western Agribition Alpaca Halter Show and Fleece competitions.

Beverly Brehm has been a certified judge since 2019 and was particularly appreciative of the care that Canadians show for conformation, such as legs, ears, mouth, and bite, noting she didn’t see a single incorrect bite.

Read: More Canadian Western Agribition coverage.

“It means that they’re placing a lot of value on the things that are very important,” Brehm said.

“Like the eating aspect, being able to graze correctly, get the food in the alpaca’s mouth so that it can grow, and that’s where that correct bite is really, really important.”

Cathy Merkley, an alpaca owner and judge for more than 20 years, chalks this up to the seriousness of alpaca breeders, who she said are keen to continue educating themselves.

“We know good conformation, and so we fixed that early on in our breeding programs,” she said.

“Everybody breeds for correct conformation. If he doesn’t have correct confirmation, he’s out. Like, it’s just simple. So we have that fixed in our herd, really.”

While judging the fleece competition, Brehm engaged in a discussion about breeding capabilities with some of the volunteers. One area that particularly fascinated her is Canadians’ ability to rapidly improve fleece length and continue to produce a very long stapling length.

“In the ‘A’ fleeces that I was looking at, which is the juvenile fleeces, their first fleece after birth, they have a massive stapling, which is not something that we normally see in that age group in the U.S.,” she said.

“And so some of the conversations that we were having was, is it something that they’re trait selecting for or are they doing it out of necessity? Because it is quite a bit colder here, and in order for that animal to survive in the winter months, it needs to have enough fibre for it to stay warm and survive outside.”

Environmental influences may be the most unique difference between Canadian and American alpaca trait selection.

Another difference has been the judging system. Canada weighs fleece as 60 per cent and conformation for 40 per cent, while the United States weighs it 50-50.

Fleece is judged on traits important for processing, such as uniformity of microns (the fineness across the fleece), crimp definition and uniformity and uniformity of colour and length. Points can be lost due to management issues such as improper skirting, weathered fleece and vegetation or dirt.

The 60-40 weighting approach affected placing decisions because when deciding on first place and weighing two animals, the choice comes down to fleece traits.

”I think it probably happened in about three or four of the classes where I really had to make sure that I was focusing on the fleece trait specifically,” Brehm said.

“Versus, ‘yeah, this guy looks great in conformation, but he just doesn’t have everything packed in it.’ So that was a little bit of a difference, besides Canadians having red for the first place ribbons.”

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The award recognizes businesses in the tourism sector with a commitment to creating outstanding tourism experiences across the country.

The Langham, Sask. Farm show has grown into Western Canada’s largest outdoor farm expo in its 10-year history, attracting more than 30,000 attendees and 550 exhibitors each year, including a strong international presence.

Ag in Motion Show Director Rob O’Connor accepted the award during a trip to the National Capital Region.

“I was proud to accept the award on behalf of everyone who has helped shape Ag in Motion into an event that brings the agriculture community together,” O’Connor said via a Friday written release.

“We are grateful for our collaboration with our community partners and the team at Tourism Saskatchewan, among others, who help put Ag in Motion on the map,” he continued. “Our local, national and international footprint gets stronger every year. There’s always something exciting and new to showcase at Ag in Motion.”

Ag in Motion returns July 21-23, 2026. For more information, check out the documentary series Welcome to the Farm Show, from the Western Producer.

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Read: More coverage of Agritechnica with the Western Producer.

The new Optum tractor series comes in three models: the 440, 390 and 360. The new Optums are rated at 435, 390 and 360 horsepower, respectively.

Case’s new Optums come equipped with the new Cursor 9 engine and a CVXDrive transmission, allowing it to travel at faster road speeds of up to 60 km-h.

The new Case IH Optum tractors are also designed to work in tight spaces and have a tight turning radius of 6.1 metres, while Adaptive Steering Control reduces the effort it takes to maneuver the tractors when in the field.

Related: Check out the Case IH OPTUM 440 Tractor Specifications on AgDealer.com

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Versatile has introduced four new widths — a 15-foot, 18-foot, 21-foot and 24-foot — to its high-speed disc lineup for model year 2026.

One of the new units, the HS150, was on display at Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show 2025 in Woodstock, Ontario.

“What sets us apart is the tilt angle on the Fury HS,” said Leo Reznik, product manager with Versatile. “It has 20 degrees tilt angle, and in combination with the disk angle, creates more disturbance on the soil.”

Reznik added that the new design allows the Fury HS series to chop crop residue better and bury it more into the soil than its competitors.

The disc sizes are 22 and 24-inch on the new HS series of high-speed discs. Reznik said that the combination of disc size and disc orientation creates a very smooth seedbed.

Alongside the HS series, Versatile has also released the Fury R which has a 10-degree tilt angle and is comparable to other high-speed discs.

Reznik said that the Fury is one of the heaviest implements in its class, delivering a down-force of about 1,000 pounds per foot.

“This creates a situation that we don’t need to use a hydraulic pressure on the wings,” said Reznik. “The weight of the implement is enough to keep it engaged with the soil.”

Reznik added that the transport width is about three metres.

Versatile is accepting customer orders for the new Fury models now and will begin manufacturing the units in October 2025.

The Fury is designed and made at Versatile’s manufacturing facility in Winnipeg, Man.

See more Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show coverage on Farmtario’s landing page.

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The ceremony, held Monday night at the show site outside Woodstock, honoured winners across five categories: agronomics, business solutions, environmental sustainability, equipment and livestock.

Find more coverage of Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show with Farmtario.

In the Agronomics category, Oxford MP Arpan Khanna presented the award to Spornado for the Spornado Sampler, an early alert system for crop disease which allows producers to apply their fungicides more effectively. The air sampler allows customers to detect disease in the air before it’s in the field.

Oxford MPP Ernie Hardeman awarded Lactanet Canada with the Business Solutions award for its Transition Management Index (TMI), marketed as the first tool in Ontario to provide a comprehensive assessment of the transition period in dairy cows, leading to improved milk production and profitability.

LaSalle Agri Inc’s AgroBoost fertilizer was the winner in the Environmental Sustainability category. It’s all-in-one fertilizer contains naturally-occurring ingredients harder to find in other fertilizer formats. The award was presented by Woodstock mayor Jerry Acchione.

In the crowded equipment category, the winner was Haggerty AgRobotics with the Monarch Electric Tractor, a fully-functional 70 hp machine which can operate over 10 hours per day on one charge. The electric capacity is one of the largest currently available for its size.

Finally, BioFerScience won its second straight Livestock Innovation award, this time for the ProFlora Post-Calving Calcium Bolus, “the first and only calcium bolus designed and manufactured in Ontario specifically to support calcium levels in fresh cows after calving.” Mayor of East Zorra-Tavistock Phil Schaefer presented BioFerScience with the award.

All award winners will be exhibiting at Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show.

Prior to the announcement of the Innovation Awards, Steve White of AgScape presented an award for Teaching Excellence in Agriculture and Food to Stratford elementary school teacher Hannah Anderson for integrating agriculture and food topics into her teaching, including workshops, virtual field trips and hands-on activities.

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Show director Rob O’Connor will take on COFS, which takes place Sept. 9 to 11 in Woodstock, for the second time after taking over the reins from former show director Doug Wagner last year. O’Connor is also show director for Ag in Motion (AIM) which took place in Langham, Sask. in mid-July. Both farm shows are owned and operated by Glacier FarmMedia.

To follow all our Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show coverage, visit Farmtario’s COFS page.

“I’m very fortunate because I’ve lived in both Ontario and Saskatchewan,” O’Connor said. “I actually went to University of Guelph, so I have a number of friends and connections in the east. So that’s been very helpful with this transition.”

O’Connor said Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show has a great brand and has a lot of loyal customers and farmers who come to the show. “There’s a lot of passion for the show, and a lot of people that are friends to the show. So, that’s been very helpful to keep things running very smoothly.”

The 2025 show will feature over 650 exhibitors and open with the Innovation in Agriculture awards, which O’Connor said will feature around 30 companies. There will also be a heavy focus on agtech programming for both livestock and crops.

In terms of returning features, O’Connor mentioned high-speed tillage demonstrations, baling demonstrations, drone demos and ride-and drives.

He said one of the events he is most excited for is the Beyond the Beaten Path tour of applied research projects happening at the site.

Plenty has changed in the world of Canadian agriculture since O’Connor took over the show in 2024. With concerns now on U.S. tariffs and international trade, he said to expect a strong international presence at the show.

“With the change in the international trade, especially between Canada and the U.S. or Canada and China, it’s not just happening with Canada. It’s happening with other countries that trade with those larger economic forces. They’re doing the same thing to their other trading partners.”

“What we found at the show in Saskatchewan was we had a lot more international people come for the purpose of trying to find new partners that they can trade with,” O’Connor said. “I fully believe that’ll happen at our show in Ontario as well.”

O’Connor said he’s still receiving requests for letters of invitation for people to come to Canada. “We do know there’s a large group of Australians coming this year, people from Czech Republic. So yeah, we’ll definitely have that international flavour at the show,” he said.

O’Connor offered the following advice for first-time COFS attendees: “The show is quite large,” he said. “Thirty-six thousand to 40,000 people come through the gate. So, it can be very busy, so take some time, maybe come back a second day. It’s too much, I think, to do in one full day.”

He also encouraged farmers to check out this year’s agtech programming at the Dairy Innovation Centre and the agtech tent.

“Those are the types of technology and businesses that are up-and-coming and will be not only looking for input for farmers, but also to let them know that these new opportunities to improve their business will be probably coming to the market in the next three to five years.”

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McGovern, 24, works on developing special content for marketing projects for Glacier FarmMedia, the parent company of Country Guide. She has a BA in linguistics and publishing from Simon Fraser University and has just finished her master’s thesis on the history of agricultural journalism in Canada. 

Country Guide: Why did you decide on a career in the agriculture industry?

Emily McGovern: It’s just the passion of it. When I went into media journalism the ag industry wasn’t at the top of my list but I wanted something where I would learn something fresh, different and new. What I’ve learned is how vast this industry is. That was the reason I stayed because I saw potential to grow. If I want to move beyond ag media, I know there would be other areas that I could branch into that still touch ag without having grown up on a farm or having to work on a farm.

CG: What is your perception of the Canadian ag industry today? What excites you about it?

EM: The thing that excites me is the technology and sustainability that is at the forefront of a lot of the technology that people create. It amazes me that farmers are trying to make their work more efficient and the only people who are going to come up with these things are farmers. I think it is so important to support tech because it’s going to make farming easier, more efficient and more sustainable. 

CG: What expectations did you have coming into the industry and how do they compare with your actual experience? As a young person coming into the ag industry, have you found it difficult to earn people’s trust and confidence, to show that you know what you are doing?

EM: I think it’s sometimes harder to get your footing in the industry but for me it was more difficult because I had no experience. When I started as an intern, I had to learn about the different kinds of equipment and the different seasons, when seeding happens, and all those pieces, so it was a bit of a learning curve.

Everybody that I interact with is older than me or they have a farm and, for example, maybe they are a fourth-generation farmer, so I definitely do have to earn the trust of the people that I work with and the farmers that I talk to. But it’s just a matter of appreciating it because what matters to them is their community, their growth and their family. For me it is a bit of a challenge but it doesn’t put me off the industry at all.

CG: What are your personal career goals and what new ideas and fresh approaches do you have to help benefit agriculture in your chosen field?

EM: I’m working on events promotion and marketing, and I would like to keep working in those roles and moving forward in a way that would strengthen our relationship with farmers. That’s important to me. 

I’d like to see more efforts to include younger people in the ag space, and a chance for us to learn all the steps that are involved, starting at a younger age. In school, we don’t learn about how agriculture works or how the agricultural sector impacts Canada. As a young person I’d like to see more appreciation for how the agriculture sector functions in Canada.

What I would also like to see more of in the future is ways to help farmers because right now they’re doing it all. Farmers need to know so much about markets, finances, etc., but I think we need to help them with some of these things whether that’s through programs or other companies or whatever method — a way that helps farmers manage these pieces better, so they don’t have to do it all. Farmers are very versatile and must adapt to so many different challenges. Any bit of help we can provide is important.

Because what I see happen is a young person will look at their family farm and see their dad stressed out working on the farm managing everything on their own, and they may think “I don’t want that to be me, so I’m not going to take over the family farm.” You see that a lot with the younger generation and that’s not beneficial to the industry.

CG: How do you feel about the future of the industry and the role of ag media?

EM: I hear a lot that print is dying but I don’t necessarily believe that is true. I think where farmers get their sources from matters to them. A lot of people, especially my generation, get our news online, from social media. People from my generation don’t even read newspapers or magazines anymore which I think is sad because journalism and media is an art form.

But I don’t think that print is going anywhere. We’ve seen a big boom in people buying books and I think our turn for renewing newspapers is right around the corner. I am hoping that my generation will turn to new sources to get their news.

CG: If one day your children came to you and said they were considering a career in ag, what area of the industry would you encourage them to look at? Where do you see the best opportunities?

EM: We will need labour. Once this generation of farmers retire, we’re not going to have many people who know how to operate the machines or use the equipment so that will be a huge gap that we need to fill, and it offers huge potential for people who are looking for a career that they can do for a long time. 

I would also say marketing because I think there’s a big space for growth in that sector as well, just from the way that media and marketing come together, we’re going to need that in the future.

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The German based company expanded to North America in November 2024, and will soon be holding the Canadian Dairy Expo (CDX) on April 2-3 in Stratford, Ont. A trade show in the United States is set to take place in Vermont in November.

Starting her role in February 2025, Schmidt-Machinek is responsible for managing DLG’s activities on the North American continent, including Canada, the U.S. and Mexico.

In addition to trade fairs, DLG North America “will be offering the region’s farmers access to technical solutions and best-practice knowledge, enabling informed investment decisions.”

Schmidt-Machinek has worked with DLG for more than 25 years, most recently as project manager for Agritechnica — the world’s largest exhibition for agricultural machinery held annually in Germany.

In her new role, Schmidt-Machinek will lead the transfer of DLG’s relevant exhibition and agricultural expertise to North America.

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On Jan. 14, guests gathered in the high tower of the Sheraton Cavalier in Saskatoon for the premiere of License to Drive. It showcases equipment close-ups, in-the-cab footage and equipment exhibitors.

This is the second of three episodes in the documentary series, which is a behind-the-scenes look at what happens during Ag in Motion, the annual outdoor farm show that happens every July near Langham, Sask.

With the equipment focus in mind, GFM’s machinery editor, Scott Garvey, is featured sharing his knowledge. Many will know Garvey from his videos and articles on all different types of farm machinery.

In the film, Garvey shared tidbits such as how and why farm machines adopted tracks instead of tires and what being at the show is like, likening it to DisneyWorld for farmers.

This episode’s focus is on the big equipment, while the first episode features cattle and livestock handling equipment. Episode one launched in November during Canadian Western Agribition. The third and final episode will launch in February.

Melonee Ochitwa, GFM’s Saskatchewan sales and sponsorship co-ordinator, has had a hand in the organization of Ag in Motion for the last three years and has also appeared in the documentary.

She shared her excitement about the series and at seeing the second episode come to life, after having a sneak peak at some of the clips before hand.

“It’s amazing when it all comes together, and it’s always so exciting. And it always amazes me how they can kind of take all these little pieces and put it together and make it a show.”

Ochitwa has a background in agricultural manufacturing, and comes from a farm family, so she’s familiar with what’s important to farmers when looking at equipment. Ag in Motion is a great spot to do it, too, she added, with the ability to do more than just look.

“It really gives them those touch points of being able to see … but when they can actually experience it, feel it, see it run, it just makes all the difference.”

The show features equipment demonstrations and the ability to test drive the machinery. Garvey gets the chance to do just that in the documentary, even having a little competition with Western Producer editor Robin Booker.

This casualness adds to the community feel of the show, which Garvey and Ochitwa say is a key piece of it.

“It doesn’t matter whether you’re a competitor, you know, side by side,” Ochitwa said.

“When you’re at Ag in Motion, everybody is friends, you’re all friends in the business trying to provide the best solution for our farmers.”

Episode two, License to Drive, is available on YouTube. Episode one, Working Cattle, and other ag videos, such as Garvey’s equipment features, are also available on the Western Producer‘s YouTube channel.

The post Crop Production Show 2025: Episode two of Western Producer documentary launches appeared first on Country Guide.

Moyer and Wallace’s wish list included 36 sheep, three horses, eight beef animals, nine dairy cows, and a few sows and piglets.

And here’s why the animals needed to be docile. They were to be trucked down the Gardiner Expressway to Exhibition Place, where Moyer and Wallace’s staff would get them bedded down at the CNE Farm to stay from August 16 to September 2.

About 1.6 million people go to the Canadian National Exhibition every summer. Most of them are (misguidedly) focused on roller coasters, food trucks, casinos and concerts. But for families with small children and anyone interested in agriculture, the CNE Farm is a great break from a busy day at the Ex.

And when these visitors have questions, Moyer and Wallace and their staff are ready with answers.

• RELATED: Welcome to the farm show (An Ag in Motion documentary)

Best summer job ever

With one year of this under their belts, Moyer and Wallace were excited to put the CNE Farm together again for 2024. For this daughter-father team, the farm is an extension of their commitment to their local agricultural society, just on a slightly bigger scale.

When the CNE first approached them to ask if they were interested in this challenge, Moyer recalls,
“I thought they were joking.”

But there was no way she and her father would turn down this opportunity. With Moyer running her own ag company, Barn Door Communications, and Wallace pulling back from full-time farming, they could work it into their schedules. And they’re both believers in the importance of connecting with people at local fairs.

When Moyer was growing up, taking her 4-H calves to the Fergus Fair, near Guelph, had been her favourite fall activity, and Moyer and Wallace are still active volunteers with the Fergus Agricultural Society.

• RELATED: Young ones in the ring at Ag Ex

Their connections with local farmers gave them the network they needed to source animals and staff for the CNE. Wallace found most of the animals, and Moyer took charge of the staff.

This year, the farm crew was made of up 22 young people, all kids from rural communities near Fergus who raised their own livestock and thought they could explain farm life to visitors at the CNE.

Moyer and Wallace literally “brought the farm to the city.” The two of them, their staff, and enough livestock for a small ark lived together on the CNE grounds through all 18 days of the fair. The CNE supplied air-conditioned trailers for sleeping and a kitchen with two refrigerators, but Moyer brought her own deep freeze and Wallace hauled a barbecue along.

During the day, Moyer kept eight or 10 staff on hand to look after the animals and answer visitors’ questions. When they weren’t on shift, the kids set off to explore the CNE, trying new foods, attending concerts and soaking in the big city atmosphere. Many of these kids were away from their families for the first time (except, of course, for Moyer’s own two children). All of them made long-term friendships, learned to take responsibility, and had a great time at this weird, farm-themed summer camp.

The kids had their freedom, but every evening when Wallace fired up the barbecue they came home to the farm. “Everyone comes together and has a meal together,” Wallace says. Like any farmer ready for crunch time, Moyer had her freezer filled with pre-made casseroles and kid-favourite desserts.

It was a lot easier for Moyer to put her team together this year, the second time around. The first time when she asked local farm families if she could take their kids as young as 14 to the Ex for three weeks, the parents had several questions. “There’s a lot of trust,” Moyer says. But last year’s staff quickly came together as a team. “They were all responsible for each other,” she says. “They learned about speaking to the public, and they gained responsibility. They had stamina!”

Most of the last year’s staffers came back this year, eager to reconnect with their friends. Four of the kids not only came back, but also brought their 4-H calves. “They were feeding them every day and washing them,” Moyer says. “It’s cool to see the pride they take in that.”

Every night around the dinner table Moyer and Wallace asked questions, such as “What was the best conversation you had today?” or “What was the funniest thing you saw?” Some days the kids were surprised by how little urban people know about animals. Other days they were surprised by city people’s clothes. Sometimes, Moyer says, it was little things — “like people watching a cow poo and freaking out.”

The solid truth

Most people stopping by the farm are just happy to see animals. “Where are the babies?” is a common question.

“You’re going on the rides. You’re eating some crazy food, and the conversations are pretty high level,” Moyer says. Fair-goers on a break between wasabi ice cream and the Zipper don’t bring up many controversial topics like vegetarianism or climate change. “Most of the time they just want to know what that animal is,” Moyer says.

It’s easy to forget that not every Canadian has seen a real live pig. “They want to know how old the animals are, and if the animals have a name,” Moyer says.

Many new Canadians enjoy the farm. “I find a lot of them have those roots in their home countries and so they want to come and talk to a farmer,” Moyer says. “Even though they were raised on a farm, they’re not working in agriculture here in Canada. They’re able to come and connect and talk to their kids and say, ‘I used to milk these cows at home.’”

“We have a global audience here,” she says. “How great is that, that we can share our stories together?”

Of course, not everyone is a fan. A handful of protesters turned up, mostly outside the gates, to raise animal welfare issues. CNE security were prepared for disruptions and so were Moyer and Wallace.

“Any agricultural event or anywhere you’re showcasing livestock tends to attract some attention in one way or another. That is the reality of exhibiting, anywhere you go, especially in a large urban area.”

There was no protest action dramatic enough to rate media coverage this year, but the kids were paying attention. “It was an eye-opener for our staff,” Moyer says.

Full circle

The CNE began as an agricultural fair in 1879, when it was called the Toronto Industrial Exhibition and admission cost a quarter. Across the rest of the province, agricultural societies have been putting on fairs since even earlier. At one time, Ontario had more than 500 annual fairs.

In 2024 it costs $26.55 to get into the Ex. And Ontario is down to 212 fairs. But these events still bring people together and they still showcase agriculture, to one degree or another.

Rural Ontario is still tightly linked to the CNE too. Since 1971, young representatives from fairs across Ontario have met at the CNE to compete for the annual position of “Ambassador of the Fairs.” The winner travels to fairs across the province and serves as Ambassador for the CNE.

Moyer held this title in 2004. She represented the Fergus Fall Fair and won the competition to become CNE ambassador. She’s taken part in one way or another every year since.

“I was a chaperone for years and gave seminars about things like public speaking,” she says. “It’s great to give back.”

The CNE is a whole different level than small local fairs, but Moyer sees similarities. “It takes people, and it takes that love and commitment.”

Moyer and Wallace plan to take animals and staff to the CNE Farm again in 2025. “Just like a volunteer at a local fair,” Moyer says. “You kind of get roped in.”

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