Children climb in and out of a combine loaned by John Deere to harvest wheat for the Canada Foodgrains initiative, allowing them a safe, close-up experience with the equipment.--FILE PHOTO
asmith@medicinehatnews.com
While drought conditions continued for much of the region this year, 2025 was a year of innovation for southeastern Alberta.
Rain did arrive later into the early part of the growing season, but for many farmers the precipitation came both too little and too late to prevent reduced yields.
In Cypress County, the consistent warm and dry weather prompted municipal officials to declare an agricultural state of emergency, in hopes it would help producers become more easily eligible for any financial relief available.
This would mark the fourth time in five years that the county had called a local agricultural state of disaster.
These conditions would result in a lighter harvest for the Canada Foodgrains harvest field just outside Medicine Hat, which came out to roughly 15 bushels per acre this year. Though it was a lighter crop than organizers would have liked, they remained pleased to be able to sell the resulting grain to support those experiencing hunger around the world.
Overall, despite the dry conditions, province-wide harvests for spring wheat, barley and canola actually exceeded the five-year average, with durum, oats and dry peas grading lower than average.
Outside the harvest however, the region continued to push toward the future of industry, both for those already working in agriculture and those hoping to be the producers for tomorrow.
Cypress County hosted the third annual Agricultural Connections Conference at the Medicine Hat Exhibition & Stampede grounds, offering a chance for producers to network, speak with various companies and resources in the field, as well as listen to keynote speakers such as Premier Danielle Smith, mental health advocate and comedian Jessica Holmes and RealAg Radio’s Shaun Haney.
AgPro courses out of Irvine School continued to great enthusiasm from students at the Agricultural Discovery Centre, culminating in the Tech Showcase hosted at the South Alberta Collegiate in November.
Students were able to take a look at upcoming technologies in the agricultural industry shortly after the completion of their AgPro CTF course, as well as speak with local industry leaders to bolster their excitement for the field.
As with previous years, the event boasted full attendance.
It’s an excitement that will be needed as the programs are now set to continue into high school, thanks to the confirmation of the Yuill School of Agriculture.
The project started gaining momentum in April of this year, as Prairie Rose Public Schools sought support for what was at the time referred to as the South Alberta School of Agriculture. It was intended as a natural extension of the Irvine ADC, formed in collaboration with Medicine Hat College, Cypress County and 25 different businesses from throughout the region.
The Government of Alberta provided $725,000 in collegiate funding, while the Yuill Family Foundation donated land valued at approximately $1.03 million, along with an additional $600,000 toward construction of the facility, earning the name change for the upcoming academy.
Ground broke on the project in October, with plans to host various facilities, including spaces for plant and animal sciences, heavy-duty equipment servicing and operation, culinary arts, horticulture and agricultural entrepreneurialism.
It is anticipated the new academy will receive its first students in fall 2027, offering dual-credit programs to help students continue on to pursue relevant post-secondary education.
In the meantime, the final crop report of the year points to many fields throughout the province moving into winter with dry soil conditions. As the region looks to 2026, it remains hopeful for a winter and spring of high precipitation, for a strong growing season in 2026.
