Conference Agenda

The Conference Agenda is now available online. We invite you to browse the agenda and bookmark the sessions you would like to attend.

AGM 2023 Conference Agenda

Download the Conference Program Booklet (PDF)

Keynote Speakers

Dr. Mehmet Tulbek
Topic: Opportunity and Challenges for Food Processing and Value Addition in Western Canada

Dr. Mehmet Tulbek is the President of Saskatchewan Food Industry Development Centre and is responsible to the Board of Directors for the strategy, planning, management, control and the evaluation of The Centre. Dr. Tulbek has been a research, technology, and innovation leader with over 20 years of pulses, cereals, oilseeds and plant-based foods’ global research & development, technical services, business development, international technical education, and management experience. Dr. Tulbek completed his B.Sc. in Agricultural Engineering with emphasis in Food Science and Technology at Ankara University, and his M.Sc. in Food Engineering at Istanbul Technical University in Turkey. He then moved to the United States to pursue his Ph.D. in Cereal Science at North Dakota State University in Fargo, ND. Before joining Saskatchewan Food Industry Development Centre, Dr. Tulbek served as the Director of Research and Development at AGT Food and Ingredients in Saskatoon, Canada, and worked at Northern Crops Institute (NCI) as Crop Quality Specialist and then as Technical Director. Dr. Tulbek previously served as a board member in Ameriflax, Northern Pulse Growers Association, Saskatchewan Food Industry Development Centre and Red River College Prairie Research Kitchen organizations. Dr. Tulbek is a sought-after presenter at global industry and academic gatherings, and has authored several journal articles, book chapters, proceedings and two provisional patents. Dr. Tulbek is a member of multiple organizations including Institute of Food Technologists, American Oil Chemists Society, Canadian Nutrition Society, Saskatchewan Institute of Agrologists and Cereals & Grains Association (former AACC). He currently serves as Adjunct Professor at the University Of Saskatchewan Department Of Food and Bioproduct Sciences and the University of Manitoba Department of Food and Human Nutritional Sciences.

Mr. Trevor Lewington

CEO, Lethbridge Economic Development

Trevor Lewington is the Chief Executive Officer for Economic Development Lethbridge. Together with a 31-member volunteer, community-based Board of Directors, Trevor is proud to work with a talented team that develops and delivers on initiatives to promote Lethbridge as an excellent place to live, work, visit, experience and do business.

With many years of executive leadership experience in the food processing industry, in addition to living the trials and tribulations of a small business owner combined with additional roles in the public sector, Trevor strives to provide a broad-based perspective and collaborative approach which will enhance initiatives that drive continued economic growth in southern Alberta. A recent example includes the start up of a municipally controlled corporation in Ridge Utilities Ltd to provide retail energy marketing across southern Alberta.

Dr. Stanford F. Blade
Topic: Solving wicked problems: the challenge and opportunity

P.Ag, Dean, Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada

Dr. Stanford Blade is Dean of the Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences (University of Alberta). The top-ranked Faculty is made up of 500+ faculty and staff, 1650 undergraduates and 550 graduate students. The Faculty has an annual budget of $85m, with approximately $45m in external research support from industry and funding agencies. ALES is focused on teaching, research and community service in its departments: Agriculture, Food and Nutritional Sciences (where Dr. Blade is a Full Professor); Renewable Resources; Human Ecology and Resource Economics & Environmental Sociology. In 2018 Dr. Blade was named an International Fellow of the Royal Swedish Academy of Agriculture and Forestry.

Dr. Blade’s PhD was awarded by McGill University for plant breeding/cropping systems research (conducted at IITA) supported by a Government of Canada Doctoral Scholarship. He is a 2012 graduate of the Wharton Business School’s Executive Development Program (University of Pennsylvania). He is currently a Trustee on the Board of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture and he previously served two terms as Vice-Chair for the Board of Trustees of the African Agricultural Technology Foundation a Nairobi-based agency supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Dr. Blade is a board member of Edmonton Global (regional economic development agency), the Alberta Cancer Foundation and the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute. Dr. Blade has been an invited discussion leader at Harvard Agribusiness Seminars and participated in the Oxford Scenarios Programme.

Dr. Blade was founding Chief Executive Officer (2008-2014) of Alberta Innovates Bio Solutions. Dr. Blade previously served as the Deputy Director General (Research) for the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA). 

Dr. Blade’s expertise has been recognized through his many invitations to speak at international fora on the role of innovation in creating prosperity in the agriculture and food sectors and through his participation in research reviews conducted by the European Institute of Innovation & Technology, European Union, Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, Food and Agriculture Organization, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and the Canadian Foundation for Innovation.

Sunday July 23th

Monday July 24th

Tuesday July 25th

Wednesday July 26th - Technical Tour

8:00 AM - 6:00 PM

We will start the day with tours of Lethbridge College’s on-campus agriculture research & innovation facilities: the Aquaculture Centre of Excellence (ACE), the new Centre for Sustainable Food Production (CSFP) greenhouse, and new labs that support the Advanced Post-Harvest Technology Centre (APHTC) and the Mueller Irrigation Group.

Bus transportation will take us to our second stop while driving through and talking about the Blood Tribe Agriculture Project (BTAP), a successful and long-running irrigation project that spans 34,000 acres.

The second stop is Greenwood Colony, where we will learn about large-scale farming operations in southern Alberta and the Hutterite way of life.

Our third stop will be the St Mary Dam, which feeds the St Mary River Irrigation District (SMRID), one of the largest irrigation districts in North America. In addition to irrigation, the St Mary Reservoir also generates hydroelectric energy and is a popular destination for boating, fishing, camping, and windsurfing. At this stop, we will learn about the past, present, and future of irrigation in southern Alberta, and get an understanding of the infrastructure required to hold and deliver water in the region.

Our final stop will be two hours of free time in the breathtaking townsite of Waterton Lakes National Park. This park is internationally known as one of the most beautiful destinations in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Stroll the townsite trails, pick up some local art at one of the shops, or relax on the beach with an ice cream and enjoy the views!

Lethbridge College’s new Centre for Sustainable Food Production (CSFP) greenhouse (credit: Autumn Barnes)

St Mary reservoir and dam (credit: Jamie Stringam)

Waterton Lakes National Park (credit: HikeBikeTravel.com)