Where there is change and disruption, there is opportunity. That is the key message as the 20th annual Tiffin Conference, hosted by Lethbridge College, takes place on Thursday, Jan. 17, at the Sandman Signature Lethbridge Lodge. Tickets are now available for southern Alberta’s leading conference on issues and trends within the red meat industry.
This year’s theme is “Entrepreneurship: Opportunity, Risk and Creative Disruption.” Five guest speakers will touch on topics ranging from digital cow vetting to feedlot health management to a keynote speech focused on the need for future-focused vision in the agriculture industry.
“This year, our committee worked hard to create an outstanding lineup of speakers to inspire and encourage everyone in our audience to take bold steps to innovate and advance the red meat industry in our region,” says Megan Shapka, conference organizer and Agriculture Entrepreneur in Residence (AgENT) coordinator.
Three of the day’s speakers are home-grown Alberta success stories:
- Dr. Cody Creelman is known as the “Cow Vet” on YouTube, where he has more than 33,000 subscribers. He has found success in combining new technologies with traditional veterinary methods.
- John-Jeffrey Ball has grown a simple cattle feeding operation into an international corporation that touches all aspects of production, from cattle genetics to production to specialized products, such as Wagyu beef.
- Dr. G. Kee Jim has had an extensive and award-winning career as a veterinarian and will make a rare speaking appearance, discussing how to capitalize on opportunities in feedlot management.
“The Tiffin Conference has been a fixture in our community for 20 years,” says Byrne Cook, Lethbridge College Collaborative Centre of Excellence in Agriculture coordinator. “Our committee is excited to continue to offer this day of learning and networking right here in Lethbridge. There are a lot of great agriculture conferences across Canada, but not everyone can get away from their day-to-day operations to attend them. Our one-day local conference brings significant value to our community.”
The line-up of speakers is rounded out by Dr. Ty E. Lawrence, a professor of animal science from West Texas A&M University who will speak to the positives of disruption in the beef industry, and Bruce Vincent, a third generation logger from Libby, Mont., whose keynote speech is titled “With vision, there is hope.”
The theme of this year’s Tiffin Conference ties into Lethbridge College’s focus on producing the agricultural leaders of tomorrow. The college’s Agriculture Entrepreneur in Residence (AgENT) extracurricular program is in its inaugural year and has more than 30 students working directly with industry mentors to solve real-world problems that face the agriculture industry.
“In the AgENT program, we’re teaching students about innovation and entrepreneurship and this is generating a lot of interest in our agricultural community,” says Shapka. “We saw an incredible opportunity to provide similar learning opportunities to a wider audience through the Tiffin Conference this year.”
Through its highly-adaptable and collaborative learning environment and its future-focused training and research programs, Lethbridge College’s Collaborative Centre of Excellence in Agriculture is fast becoming a hub for agricultural research and innovation. The college is a proven player in the industry, with faculty, staff and partners who are resourceful, understand farming, embrace innovation, focus on our vision and lead the way with data-driven agriculture.
Tickets for the 2019 Tiffin Conference are on sale now at lethpolytech.ca/tiffin. Tickets are $110 each and include the program, lunch and dinner. This event sells out every year, so those interested in attending are encouraged to buy early.
LISTEN: Megan Shapka, conference organizer and Agriculture Entrepreneur in Residence (AgENT) coordinator speaks about the 2019 Tiffin Conference.