Agricultural societies in Central Alberta and across the province are getting a significant funding boost from the Government of Alberta to help them manage rising operational costs and invest in long-term sustainability.
The province has announced more than $7.4 million in one-time funding for its seven regional agricultural societies, including those in Red Deer, Camrose, Olds, Medicine Hat, Lethbridge, Lloydminster and Grande Prairie.
These regional agricultural societies are long-standing cornerstones in their communities, organizing events, managing infrastructure, and fostering rural vitality. They are among the most active in Alberta, which leads the country with 292 agricultural societies in total.
“It’s hard to overstate the impact regional agricultural societies have on rural Alberta,” said RJ Sigurdson, Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation. “From event organizing to infrastructure upkeep, they energize folks and bring communities together. This funding will ensure our regional agriculture societies are able to keep up their good work and continue to be pillars of their communities.”
The new investment includes:
- $4.03 million distributed among the seven regional ag societies to help address rising costs and support planning;
- $2.87 million to fund business transformation projects and a third-party consultant to assist in developing more sustainable operational models.
This funding is in addition to the $2.8 million provided annually through the Agricultural Societies Grant Program. Each regional agricultural society currently receives $398,853 annually — consisting of a $298,853 base grant and $100,000 for agricultural event support.
In Central Alberta, the Red Deer, Camrose, and Olds regional agricultural societies will directly benefit from the additional one-time support. These organizations, like their counterparts in southern and northern Alberta, are essential to community life, hosting year-round events, maintaining fairgrounds and facilities, and supporting agricultural education and economic activity.
To help inform its funding approach, Alberta’s government hired Deloitte in 2024 to conduct a sustainability assessment of regional ag societies. The report's recommendations played a key role in shaping the funding package and future planning efforts.
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