Agriculture Week is officially underway in Yorkton. The community’s annual celebration of the agriculture industry was kicked off with a ceremonial branding. The week-long celebration, running from Nov. 2 to 8, is hosted by the Yorkton Exhibition Association and the Yorkton Chamber of Commerce. A cornerstone of Agriculture Week is the 37th Annual Grain Millers Harvest Showdown, which showcases agriculture, livestock and western heritage while bringing together producers, businesses and residents from across the region. As part of Monday morning’s opening ceremony at the Agri Pavilion, local businessman Kenn Propp was selected to apply a specially-created Agriculture Week brand to a wooden display board. The board will remain on display throughout Harvest Showdown. Propp said he was honoured to be selected for the role, noting his family’s deep roots in the local agricultural sector through their business, Harvest Meats. “We’ve been part of the agriculture community here for almost 100 years,” he said. “Our business was founded by my grandfather in the early 1920s, so we’ve been part of the agricultural success of this community. It’s an honour to be able to do this and help promote the show.” Speaking after the branding, Propp said the event serves as an important reminder of agriculture’s significance to both Yorkton and Saskatchewan. “I think it’s very important to recognize the importance of agriculture in this community,” he said. “Yorkton has become a real powerhouse in Saskatchewan, and this show demonstrates and honours the farmers and farm families that are responsible for providing food that goes worldwide.” He added events such as Harvest Showdown also help connect urban residents with the agricultural industry. “This is a great opportunity to thank (producers) and bring attention to urban folks about the importance of farming to Saskatchewan,” said Propp. The branding ceremony itself has become a long-standing Harvest Showdown tradition. While livestock branding is less common today due to modern identification methods, Propp said the practice remains an important symbol of the province’s agricultural heritage. “It’s a link to the past,” he said. “It used to be that people branded their animals. Now it’s all ear tags and electronic identification, but the branding process is still part of our history.” Agriculture Week celebrates more than farmers alone, Propp added, highlighting the many businesses and industries connected to food production. “Ag Week is really a celebration of agriculture,” he said. “It’s a chance to recognize the farmers who produce the food, but also the suppliers, the people who provide fuel, fertilizer and services. It’s about recognizing the whole connection agriculture has to the community.” Harvest Showdown features a variety of agricultural and family-oriented events, which run from Nov. 4 through 7. “We’re losing some of that connection between urban people and farming,” Propp said. “Events like this help bring people together. It’s a real rural, agrarian-type event for the entire community and the surrounding area.”
