BASF Knowledge Harvest opens discussions on future of sustainable farming

MISSISSAUGA, ON, March 13, 2014 /CNW/ - After three weeks, six cities and over a thousand attendees, BASF Canada's first Knowledge Harvest comes to an end today.

The event, an education-based series for growers and retailers across Western Canada, opened discussions on everything from the economics of farming to self-driving tractors and flying drones that monitor crops, to herbicide resistance.

"Knowledge Harvest smashed all of our expectations," says Howie Zander, National Sales and Accounts Manager for BASF Canada. "We loved being able to personally connect with so many growers and retailers. We learned as much from them as we hope they learned from us."

With stops in Lethbridge, Portage la Prairie, Regina, Saskatoon, Yorkton, and Edmonton, Knowledge Harvest was designed to share new ideas and perspectives for sustainable agriculture with BASF customers. Best-selling author Richard Worzel was the keynote speaker and led a discussion of what the future of agriculture holds for elite growers.

"It has been a privilege to be able to talk with some of the best growers in the world over the past three weeks," said Worzel. "In particular, I have enjoyed our discussions about how global demand will create opportunities for Canadian growers and how smart technologies will affect the way they farm."

In addition to the keynote address from Worzel, breakout sessions provided attendees with information on how biologicals, inoculants, and seed treatments are opening new opportunities for crops; featured live plant demonstrations to show the effects and solutions on heat, drought and cold stress on crops; and offered strategies for managing herbicide resistance from industry experts.

"BASF pulled out all the stops with this one," says Casey Koomen, a grower from Taber, Alberta who attended Knowledge Harvest. "It was done very professionally and the screens, lights and live plants were a nice touch."

For more information on Knowledge Harvest, visit the online media kit: http://www.agsolutions.ca/knowledgeharvest/mediakit.

Follow the discussion on Twitter @BASFAgSolutions
#BASFKnowledgeHarvest

© 2014 BASF Canada Inc.

BASF - The Chemical Company

BASF Canada, located in Mississauga, Ontario is a subsidiary of BASF SE, and an affiliate of BASF Corporation. BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has nearly 17,000 employees in North America, and had sales of $19.4 billion in 2013. For more information about BASF's North American operations, visit www.basf.us. To find out more about BASF's activities in Canada visit www.basf.ca or follow us on twitter: www.twitter.com/basfcanada.

BASF is the world's leading chemical company: The Chemical Company. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products and crop protection products to oil and gas. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. Through science and innovation, we enable our customers in nearly every industry to meet the current and future needs of society. Our products and solutions contribute to conserving resources, ensuring nutrition and improving quality of life. We have summed up this contribution in our corporate purpose: We create chemistry for a sustainable future. BASF had sales of about €74 billion in 2013 and over 112,000 employees as of the end of the year. Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com.

SOURCE: BASF Canada Inc.

Christina Stroud
BASF Canada Inc.
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E-mail: [email protected]

Jo Ann Robinson
ON Communication
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E-mail: [email protected]