High River (Rural Roots Canada) – Ashley Nicholls, founder of REACH Agriculture Strategies, is set to debut a new initiative aimed at making agricultural education more accessible to farmers and ranchers.
The seminar series, Reach Ranch Talks, will kick off on February 20th at High River Brewing at 6:00 PM, offering farmers and ranchers a chance to engage in discussions about communication at the farm and ranch level.
Nicholls, who has spoken at multiple conferences and hosted events in the past, says that Reach Ranch Talks was born out of his experience with the Canadian Young Leaders (CYL) program. After attending large-scale conferences, he recognized a significant gap in accessibility for many members of the agriculture community. “A lot of these conferences are out of reach for a lot of our industry due to time and financial constraints,” he explained. “It can be difficult to get off the ranch for any period of time, especially during busy seasons.”
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In response, he developed Reach Ranch Talks as a way to bring the conference experience closer to home for farmers, ranchers, and industry professionals. The quarterly seminar series will take place in various local areas and feature guest speakers who will address important topics like effective communication within the ag industry, the importance of building relationships with veterinarians, and understanding how to manage grasslands.
“These seminars are all about helping people communicate better with each other, whether it’s on the ranch or with outside experts,” Nicholls said. “The goal is to make it easier for people to get the knowledge they need without having to travel far or take time away from their operations.”
The first event in the series, happening in High River, is priced at just $20 per ticket, which includes a free beer – a feature that Nicholls hopes will attract a crowd and encourage networking. “We want people to feel comfortable and engaged, so a little social element goes a long way in making the event enjoyable.”
Tickets for Reach Ranch Talks are available now, and Nicholls encourages anyone involved in agriculture or related industries to attend.
For more information on the event, click here.