September 1–3, 2026 · Prince Edward Island

Hybrid Conference Agenda

An evening meet-and-greet, two mornings of farmer-led discussion and two afternoons in the field. This draft schedule is subject to change as speakers and tour details are confirmed.

Session / meal Farm tour & demos Social & evening

Pre-Conference

Tuesday, September 1

Arrivals · Blackbush Beach Resort, Grand Tracadie

Afternoon
Guest arrivals & hotel check-in
Settle in at Blackbush Beach Resort ahead of two full days.

Day 1

Wednesday, September 2

Blackbush → Souris

8:00 – 9:00 AM
Registration, coffee & networking
Light continental breakfast in the Blackbush lobby. Included for guests staying at the resort.
9:00 – 9:15 AM
Welcome & opening remarks
  • Andrea McKenna · Innovative Farmers Network & Living Lab – Prince Edward Island
  • Hon. Bloyce Thompson · Minister of Agriculture, Government of Prince Edward Island
9:15 – 10:15 AM
Growing farm profit through innovation
Why innovation is important for farmers?

Facilitator

  • Lynda Nicol · Living Lab – Manitoba

Panelists

  • Andrea Stroeve-Sawa · Shipwheel Cattle Feeders, Alberta
  • Arlie and Brett LaRoche · Farm One Forty, Saskatchewan
  • Krista Reader Chatman · Three Mile Ridge Farm, Newfoundland and Labrador
  • Andrew Smith · Smith Farms, Prince Edward Island
10:15 – 10:30 AM
Nutrition break
10:30 – 11:45 AM
Farmer-led research & innovation success stories
Farmers and project partners share success stories driven by farmer-led research.

Facilitator

  • Kimberly Cornish · Regenerative Alberta Living Lab

Panelists

  • Susan Heather · Heather Crop Care, Alberta
  • Jolene Noble · Jackknife Creek Land & Cattle, Alberta
  • Cedric MacLeod · Local Valley Beef, New Brunswick
  • Nick Green · Kingston View Farms, Prince Edward Island
12:00 PM
Working lunch & presentation
Lunch served at the hotel, with an agronomy platform demonstration over the meal. Included with conference registration.

Presenters

  • Kyle Bassett · Founder, Agronome.ai
  • Zohaib Butt · Founder, Agronome.ai
1:00 – 5:00 PM
Farm Tour · Souris
Incorporating wetlands and digital tools to improve farm sustainability. Welcome and refreshments at the Souris lodge, then out to a constructed wetland site and a rotational grazing site using satellite-guided virtual fencing and digital livestock collars. Practical soil health and grazing management you can take back to your own farm.

Day 2

Thursday, September 3

Blackbush → Kinkora

8:30 – 9:00 AM
Registration, coffee & networking
Light continental breakfast in the Blackbush lobby. Included for guests staying at the resort.
9:00 – 10:15 AM
Farmer perspectives: Why the Living Labs model matters
A discussion on reducing risk when testing innovation, research on farms, trust between farmers and researchers, and how collaboration accelerates adoption.

Facilitator

  • Kelly Williamson · Living Lab – Central Prairies

Panelists

  • Scott Duguid · Lochwood Farms, Manitoba with Dan Cox · Living Labs Lead, Manitoba
  • Jordan Eyamie · Webster Farms, Nova Scotia with Cheryl Ritz · Living Labs Lead, Nova Scotia
  • Kent Fudge · Mountain View Farm, Newfoundland and Labrador with Rodney Reid · Living Labs Lead, Newfoundland and Labrador
10:15 – 10:30 AM
Nutrition break
10:30 – 11:45 AM
Building a lasting national farmer network
How do we maintain and build on the relationships we have established?

Facilitator

  • Rodney Reid · Living Lab – Newfoundland and Labrador
11:45 AM
Closing remarks
12:00 PM
Depart for Kinkora · PEI beef on a bun by Ruby’s Counter at the farm
Afternoon
Farm Tour · Kinkora · Choose your own adventure
How digital agriculture is changing farm management and profitability. Rotating drone demonstrations, equipment demos from partners, historic barn tours, and a shuttle out to see a 360 RAIN unit in the field. Mingle, talk to the experts, and explore at your own pace.
4:30 PM
Buses return to Blackbush
Those travelling by car can depart for the bridge directly from Kinkora.

Support to help you get here

Some farmers may be able to claim the cost of attending through programs that fund on-farm adoption of beneficial management practices, including Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s On-Farm Climate Action Fund (OFCAF) funded through Agricultural Climate Solutions.

If you need to show what you'll be learning, the sessions and farm tours cover:

  • Cover cropping — drone interseeding and multi-species covers
  • Rotational grazing — adaptive multi-paddock grazing, virtual fencing and digital livestock collars
  • Soil health and water quality through constructed wetlands
  • Farmer-to-farmer learning and on-farm demonstrations throughout

Not sure whether your program covers it? Email eastprinceassociation@gmail.com and we'll send a summary of the agenda you can submit.