麻豆视频

ESTEVAN — The Estevan Farmers Appreciation Evening is starting to take shape.

The big agricultural event, celebrating the industry and achievements of local producers, is slated to take place on March 21 at the Beefeater Plaza. Cocktails are at 5 p.m., and supper will start at 6 p.m.

The night will feature a similar lineup to past years, with the supper, the presentation of the prestigious Farm Family of the Year Award, several 4-H speakers and a guest speaker.

Estevan Chamber of Commerce executive director Jackie Wall talked to the Mercury and 麻豆视频 about the details.

The Farm Family of the Year Award presentation is always a highlight of the evening, and hundreds of people traditionally turn out to recognize the recipients.

The deadline to submit a nomination is March 1. The form is being updated at the Estevan Chamber of Commerce's website at estevanchamber.ca. Wall noted that a few nominations will be carried over from last year, but encouraged people to submit or resubmit nominations for local farming families to be recognized.

"I would recommend that if someone has nominated someone in the past, to put in the nomination again. We don't carry them too many years forward because things change so much," Wall said.

"It's not a long nomination process. We want to hear specific details and why the person is being nominated, but it's not a lengthy nomination form.

"It would be nice to get some really good, solid nominations. We usually get a few every year. But there are a lot of farm families out there that we would love to recognize. It's a difficult decision every year, but it is so great to recognize the farmers and to get everybody to gather to really appreciate the farming sector," Wall added.

The 4-H speakers will be back with new topics and bright speeches this year. Organizers expect to have representation from all local clubs, but details are yet to be finalized.

The event also raises money for their scholarship program, and a bursary will be presented to a farming family or someone going into the agriculture sector.

The Axten Family will be the guest speakers. Their motto is Loyal to the Soil. Axten Family Farms focuses on the health of their soil to grow nutrient-dense grains.

"They will be coming to talk about the farm to the table and their 'Loyal to the Soil' message," Wall noted. "They focus on positively impacting the environment, healthy soil, diversity and being mindful of ecosystem."

The event is organized by a committee, with representatives from the chamber, agriculture agencies and the farming community. The guest speaker was brought forward by members of the committee as a fairly local, multigeneration farm family with a focus on diversity and innovations in their operation, Wall noted.

The Axten family waived their speaker's fee and asked the money to be donated to a local organization a group instead, which has yet to be decided by the event committee, Wall said.

Axten Farms is a multigenerational farm. The first Axtens arrived in the Minton area in 1916, and they farm that original homestead today.

"Thanks to the hard work and dedication of our ancestors, we have expanded our farm and made it what it is today. In 1973, the corporation, Axten Farms Ltd. was formed," their website axtenfarms.ca says.

"This land that our ancestors homesteaded in 1916 produced a diverse amount of grass species without the land being worked or sprayed. It has taken many years of researching, learning and listening, but we believe the key is soil health. This has changed the way we farm, and as we are still learning, we feel we are moving in the right direction."

In 2007, they started using a low disturbance, no-till drill to move as little soil as possible during seeding. They have also implemented the use of stripper headers, so when they combine their flax and cereal crops, they just take the top of the plant, leaving tall stubble to catch an even amount of snow to provide moisture for the spring.

The decaying residue also feeds the soil microbes, earthworms and other beneficial insects which allows the nutrients to cycle and build soil structure.

They have also increased diversity in their crop rotations. Having a diverse rotation helps control pests and weeds with less reliance on chemical pesticides. It also increases soil fertility with less need for synthetic fertilizer. In the last few years, they have also started intercropping.

Their goal is to have plants growing as long as the weather allows. They do this by planting cover crops usually after harvest to reduce erosion and soil compaction, increase water infiltration and organic matter, and improve soil health.

"Soil health is very complex, and we have a lot to learn. Our goal is to take care of what Mother Nature gave us, so that Axten Farms Ltd. is a sustainable farm and can continue for many more generations," the website says.

The description on their website says every farming action they decide to take has the soil ecosystem in mind. They practise diversity, large-scale composting, controlled traffic farming and biologically friendly inputs to take care of their soil microbiology, which allows them to have a positive impact on the environment.

Tickets for the Farmers' Appreciation banquet go on sale this week and are available through committee members and the chamber. Registration is also possible through the chamber's website.