For the RM of Estevan Reeve, Jason Leblanc, it's become a routine for him to go to Ag in Motion (AiM). As a farmer, producer, and auctioneer himself, this year was no exception.
"Well, up here, this is basically where the agricultural world meets. It's a fantastic show," he shared.
The event showcases what's new in agriculture, from technology, farming innovations, to new practices for producers to implement in their operations. This year, AiM is at Langham, SK., where Jason has travelled with his company, Steffes Auctioneers. He said it's been packed throughout its run.
"This morning (Tuesday), the doors opened at 8:00 am. I was here at about 6:30 am, and the lineup was a mile, mile-and-a-half long. They can put 10,000 people through those gates in a couple [of] hours, and it's very well organized."
Leblanc didn't mention how long he's been going to the annual tradeshow, but he's gone to more than his fair share. Over the years, he's seen a lot of growth in the sector, including a growth in support.
"Ag is changing. What we're seeing now is a bunch of youth coming back into the game. You know, in the 80s, it was an exodus. Everybody was going to do something else and then it kind of built up again. And then around 2010 there, well, everybody was -- you can make an easier living with a laptop and a computer. But now we're seeing that ag is solid."
Leblanc says he always learns something new every time he goes to AiM. He's especially amazed at the ever-growing technology that's showcased every year. "The newer technology is pretty cool. Generally, what you'll see at an ag show, in 10 years from now, you'll start to see it in your automobiles. Everything that you see with the auto steering and vehicles that it'll keep you in your lanes, we've had that on the farm for 10 years prior to. This is where they test it, and then it goes into the automotive industry."
He meets hundreds of fellow producers and farmers at the show. Leblanc often brags about the agriculture scene here in the southeast.
"We're sitting in a very good spot here because of our climate. We go through some droughts. We go through some floods, but nothing's ever changed in the history of it. We're in a very good area in the southeast."
"They've got new technology and new ways of farming that you can you can justify or make things work now within those conditions; if you get too much rain or too much sun. The new seed varieties, the new styles of doing it, the new spraying," he added.
"There's always somebody inventing something, and this is where you're going to see it."