JAN 24, 2026: CAMROSE, AB – Central Alberta Mixer

Calling all new, young and aspiring farmers!

Join us for a full-day gathering on Treaty 6 Territory to connect, learn, feast, and celebrate all things farming!

What to expect:

• A community space where you can get to know other new and aspiring farmers
• Teachings from Elder Joe Cardinal
• A space for creative thinking, entrepreneurship, and discussing new ideas that will help build relationships, grow local food systems, and foster a more inclusive and resilient farming future in Alberta
• A panel with local first-generation farmers who will share their journeys, barriers they experienced, lessons learned, and breakthroughs
• Breakout sessions on topics such as Treaty teachings, veggie farming for healthy soils, grazing animals for healthier farm ecosystems and business support for farm start up from an AFSC expert
• Delicious potluck lunch and a locally sourced and catered community dinner

In the spirit of YA Mixers, this day is designed as a networking event and in particular, to build a strong and active community of new farmers in Alberta. It is a great opportunity to create transformative relationships among each other rooted in the common desire to steward the land by learning from one another and from Indigenous leaders. 

The mixer is open to everyone – whether you are 3 or 83, we welcome agrarians of all ages!

WHEN: January 24, 2026 | 9am -7pm

LOCATION: Treaty 6 Territory | Mayer Family Community Hall, Jeanne & Peter Lougheed Performing Arts Centre – 4501 – 50th Street Camrose, AB T4V 5J1

POTLUCK LUNCH: Please bring a potluck item to share for lunch! Include a list of ingredients for your dish. Note that there won’t be any kitchen facilities to prepare or heat your dish so please bring it ready to serve.

BOOK EXCHANGE: We will be hosting a farm book exchange at the event! Please bring any farming, gardening, or food-related books you would like to swap with others. Or, feel free to take a book at the table anyway even if you don’t have one to exchange.

COST: Tickets are free. If you would like to support our programming, a contribution can be made during the Eventbrite registration process.

REGISTER: So that we can plan for the dinner and workshops, please register on Eventbrite.

*This schedule is subject to change.

SHARE: Planning on joining us? Invite your friends and share the Facebook event.

CARPOOLING: Folks will be travelling from all corners of Alberta and beyond to attend. If you are looking for or can offer a ride to or from the event, please post in the Facebook event discussion to connect with others.

ACCESSIBILITY: If you have any accessibility needs, please get in touch with us at steven@youngagrarians.org

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Michael Gavin of Besties Cooperative Farm

Michael has a BSc in Ecology from the University of Calgary and spent a few years working in pollinator research. Research, while great, didn’t feel impactful enough for him, and so he started moving towards regenerative farming. Through regenerative farming, he implemented practices that strengthen ecosystems and improve food security. After working for a season on a couple of farms in BC, he got the chance to take over Root and Regenerate Urban Farms, which he ran from 2019-2024. Now, two friends and he run Besties Cooperative Farm just south of Calgary.

Alena Todd of Rocking T Farm

Alena is a first-generation regenerative farmer who operates Rocking T Farms with her husband Scott near the town of Mayerthorpe. They raise pastured pork, grass-fed beef, a family milk cow, milk goats, sheep, ducks, and chickens on 160 acres. They also custom graze 230 commercial cows on 1,440 acres nearby, where they use holistic grazing practices and grow cover crops to finish their beef on.

Mike Dorion of Living Soil Solutions

Mike began his journey into soil health 15 years ago, when he earned a Permaculture Design Certificate and launched his business, Living Soil Solutions and co-founded Highfield Regenerative Farm – all while producing a lot of compost along the way! His latest project, The Green Sheep, which he runs with his wife Eve, focuses on interactive composting and soil health workshops for young students.

Brianna Sims of Blooms on 7 Flower Farm

Brianna Sims is the co-owner of Blooms on 7 Flower Farm, a family-run flower farm located outside Edmonton, Alberta. With a passion for seasonal growing and meaningful on-farm experiences, Brianna and her family have spent years transforming Blooms on 7 into a welcoming agritourism destination that blends flowers, alpacas, education, and community connection. Her approach to farming is centred around sustainability, curiosity and a desire to provide her community with opportunities to connect with nature.

ABOUT THE ORGANIZERS

This event is part of a two-day collaborative event by Young Agrarians and AgWellAB of the Alberta Centre for Sustainable Rural Communities (ACSRC), University of Alberta. Check out the Farm Succession Planning: Stories, Strategies, and Shared Learning on Fri, Jan 23rd here.

AgWellAB

AgWellAB is a recent initiative of the ACSRC, located at the University of Alberta’s Augustana Campus in Camrose. AgWellAB focuses on supporting the mental health and well-being of Alberta farmers and strengthening the rural communities they contribute to and depend on. Through applied research, outreach, and knowledge-sharing, AgWellAB addresses challenges such as farm stress, succession planning, agricultural identity, and access to mental health services, and is committed to advancing rural innovation, equity, and long-term sustainability through community-engaged research and action.

YOUNG AGRARIANS

Young Agrarians (YA) is a farmer to farmer educational resource network for new and young ecological, organic and regenerative farmers in Canada.

Our mission is to educate the public by providing courses, seminars, workshops, and counselling about agriculture, farming, food processing, entrepreneurship, community economic development and environmental sustainability.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• This event is free and open to everyone! Supervised children are welcome
• Please leave furry friends at home
• Please stay home if you have cold or flu symptoms
• Please wash your shoes if you worked or visited a farm just before the event to limit the possible spread of bird flu
• Please do not bring alcohol/recreational substances to this event
• Please share this event with anyone who may be interested!

STAY IN TOUCH

• Sign up for our e-newsletter to get events and opportunities for your region delivered straight to your inbox.
• Join our Young Agrarians Alberta Facebook Group to stay up to date with all events in the region
• We welcome cancellations at any time – you can do so through Eventbrite, through the link in your registration confirmation email, or by contacting prairiesnetwork@youngagrarians.org
• Questions? Email Steven at steven@youngagrarians.org

SPONSORS

This event is sponsored by Agriculture Financial Services (AFSC), which provides Alberta’s farmers and agribusinesses with loans, crop insurance and farm income stabilization.