Soup, anyone?
Despite the Alberta Clipper that swept through the region last week, St. Jean Farm Days still attracted a big crowd.
Known as “Canada’s Biggest Little Farm Show,” the event drew hundreds of local producers and exhibitors to the Centennial Hall in St. Jean-Baptiste Jan. 10 -11 to connect with other farmers and ag dealers from across the region.
Jennifer Sabourin chairs the six-member organizing committee which also includes her husband Brunel Sabourin, Wayne Klassen, Gilbert Sabourin, Rachel Neumann, and Kat Dequier.
She said this year marks the 37th anniversary of the show, and it was great to see so many members of the farm industry come in and enjoy the event.
“Farm Days has enjoyed a long history. It was my husband’s parents and Gilbert’s parents and a few other couples from St. Jean that started it. We’re the second generation organizing this, and now the third generation is also slowly trickling in.”
The purpose of the show has always been to connect local producers with each other and experts in the industry.
“We wanted to provide a place where they didn’t have to travel very far to get the advice and the products they needed,” said Sabourin.
One of the big sellers, she added, is that at this show they know they’ll get to talk to a familiar face.
“We work hard to get experts who can present on current topics that are relevant to local producers. The people who can help them are all right here. With some of the larger shows such as the three-day event in Brandon, it might be harder to connect with your person on the day you’re there. Here, they’ll be there. Whether they’re looking for new bins or whatever it is, they can do things efficiently here, plus get all the great information and a wonderful lunch, all for just $10. There’s nowhere else you can find something like this.”
Once again, visitors enjoyed the same great food Farm Days has come to be known for, including a continental breakfast, home made soup featuring the region’s signature pea soup, open faced buns and the increasingly popular wine and cheese reception.
For decades, St. Jean-Baptiste proudly held the title of “Soup Pea Capital of Canada.”
“That market has since moved to Saskatchewan, but they’re still famous for the best traditional soup in the region,” Sabourin says.
The soup is prepared and served by the local Knights of Columbus to raise funds for local projects and families. This year, they served 32 gallons of pea soup, five gallons of vegetable soup, and two gallons of lentil soup.
Visitors at Farm Days also had the opportunity to network with other producers and over 50 exhibitors about what’s going to be important to their farm operation this upcoming season.
LD Seeds employee Rory Penner spoke to dozens of producers over the course of the event.
“This is such a great place to network and talk. I don’t think retailers come here expecting to sell a lot. They’re mostly putting faces to the names and asking what other companies are seeing in the current market.”
Marlen Bergen of Komb Ag Services agreed.
“It’s really about connecting with the community and meeting farmers in the region. Often when talking on the phone, they’ll ask me if I’ll be at Farm Days. Even if they’re your neighbour, they still like to meet at the farm show.”
With a full speaker program lined up for both days of the event, Sabourin said producers were able to hear about relevant topics to their business.
“It’s been the same format since we began. People want to know about the forecast in terms of market, weather, and insects, along with other things like the resistant weeds that we have coming up from the states. We are seeing them, and we need to take a close look at how to manage them. They’re coming with a lot of built-in resistance, so we are almost behind the eight ball. We need to stay ahead of the game. We bring all these experts here where people can get all the information they need and talk to local people about local issues. They get answers, right down to how to survive the current market. It’s really a great event.”
Sabourin extended a huge thank you to all the presenters and producers who braved the weather to attend this year’s show.
“Mark your calendars for next year, which will run Jan. 8-9, 2025.”
