As the end of 2024 draws near, it is time to look back and reflect on some of the milestones we experienced as we worked with producers, industry, investors, and innovators to grow a sustainable and economically resilient digital agriculture industry.  Watch our 2024 video for some of the highlights. 

Five ways EMILI accelerated digital agriculture in 2024 

  1. We officially opened Innovation Farms Centre, an 8,500 square foot space that increases opportunities to analyze farm data, and demonstrate and test technology solutions.
  2. We partnered with 23 organizations on 22 unique projects on Innovation Farms powered by AgExpert this season, conducting 21 drone flights over 8 fields, deploying more than 50 sensors, and hosting over 535 visitors, including more than 200 students.
  3. We launched the Fundamentals of Farm Data program to equip farmers and others along the value chain with foundational knowledge and data governance skills related to agriculture data. Since launching this free data literacy program, we have developed 4 modules, planned 9 in-person workshops, and engaged over 250 participants in person and online.
  4. We hosted three Manitoba Digital Agriculture Table meetings in 2024, including one on-site meeting at Innovation Farms, and connected more than 80 industry, academic and non-profit leaders who share the same vision of encouraging Manitoba students to pursue careers in agtech. A great example of this is the Palette Skills program which EMILI is a longtime supporter of. As the program expands to Manitoba in 2025 we were able to connect Palette with experts in academia and industry for insights into how this program can best meet the demands of the Manitoba market. 
  5. We were excited to see more than 260 people attend Agriculture Enlightened in 2024! Attendees heard from more than 25 smart farm leaders, economists, lawyers, producers, academics, and leaders in digital agriculture about the importance of agtech innovation in increasing productivity across the sector.

We are thankful to the following organizations for their ongoing support

It has been an exciting year at EMILI, full of collaboration, the launch of new initiatives, and innovative projects that we have had the privilege of partnering on. This is not something we can do alone.  

The support we’ve received across the ecosystem, from Farm Credit Canada, FCC AgExpert, Enns Brothers, The Family of Jake Enns Ag Innovation Legacy Fund, Elmer’s Manufacturing, MacDon, Access Credit Union, Rutherford Farms, John Deere, the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, and MLT Aikins represents a big investment in the future of digital agriculture. 

We look forward to more growth in 2025. Make sure to subscribe to our monthly newsletter and follow us on X (Twitter) and LinkedIn to stay informed on new initiatives and emerging technologies.