The Southwest Agricultural Conference is getting ready to wrap up their 25th annual meeting in Ridgetown.
The annual event kicked off on Wednesday at the University of Guelph, Ridgetown Campus and will end Thursday.
Program co-chair Peter Johnson says they wanted to go all out for their 25th anniversary by bringing in a couple of well-known guest speakers.
On Wednesday, athlete and TV host Jon Montgomery spoke to local residents about pursuing goals. Meanwhile, on Thursday, former Canadian Senator Lt-General Roméo Dallaire will talk about making a difference.
Over the years the conference has proven to be a hot-ticket event, with registration filling up quickly.
Johnson says usually they register anywhere from 1,350-1,400 people for each day of the conference. However, this year, those who couldn't make it were able to catch a few sessions through a live stream.
"The fact that it sells out and we're live streaming speaks to the desire farmers have to be the best in the world here in Ontario," says Johnson. "They care not only about how many dollars are in their pocket -- because they have to survive too, but also about how much impact they have on the environment. That's a really great thing to try and pair together."
Looking back to when the conference first started, Johnson says it has been "incredible" to see the progress made in the past 25 years.
"We used to run Farmer's Week and that sort of evolved into the Southwest Ag Conference," he says. "We try to bring in speakers from all over the world, in terms of bringing the best and the latest information here. To make it to 25 years is incredible, it's a wonderful achievement."
Johnson adds some of the hot topics discussed at this year's conference revolved around nutrient management, cover crops, and precision agriculture.
-With files from Cheryl Johnstone
