On February 27, 2025, EMILI hosted a webinar as part of MB Tech Week, Creating Space for Agtech Innovation in Manitoba. It was an opportunity for 70 attendees to hear from two dynamic organizations about their experiences in agtech and their process for creating innovations from concept to commercialization.
The discussion, facilitated by EMILI’s Director of Agri-Food Data Dan Lussier featured Connor Entz, Director of Research and Development at Bushel Plus; Rheal Boileau, Product Development Manager at Elmer’s Manufacturing; and Leanne Koroscil, Innovation Farms Manager at EMILI.
Attendees had the opportunity to learn how Innovation Farms powered by AgExpert supports agtech development, the role of diverse skills in advancing the industry, and how Manitoba’s tech ecosystem fosters collaboration.
“You only harvest your crop once. You can always reseed, you can always respray. But you only harvest once. And so we want to make that harvest count,” said Entz while explaining the value of innovations such as Bushel Plus’s Smart Pan System.
The webinar explored key aspects of agtech development, including how innovation plays a role in optimizing harvest processes and improving efficiency for farmers. Entz highlighted how Bushel Plus works to reduce harvest loss with precision tools, emphasizing the financial impact of improved efficiency on growers. Boileau discussed how grain handling equipment developed at Elmer’s Manufacturing improves harvest efficiency by reducing downtime and optimizing the transfer of grain from combines to transport trucks and how real-world testing at Innovation Farms accelerates product development.
Boileau shared insights on hiring for diverse backgrounds, emphasizing that innovation in agtech benefits from a wide range of expertise.
“You don’t have to have experience in ag, but one of the questions I always ask when interviewing is, how excited are you about the potential to drive a tractor,” he said, highlighting that individuals from various disciplines — engineering, data science, and manufacturing — help to drive new ideas and solutions, ultimately advancing efficiency and productivity in the sector.
Both companies collaborate with EMILI at Innovation Farms to test their technology in real-world conditions. Last season, Bushel Plus trialed its harvest loss technology on soybean and corn harvests, while Elmer’s Manufacturing used historical farm data to evaluate the Mother Bin’s impact on efficiency.
EMILI is an industry-led non-profit established to accelerate the growth of the agri-food industry by promoting digital agriculture and technologies. Watch for more panel discussions, Innovation Farms events, and data literacy workshops in 2025. Bookmark our events calendar and subscribe to our monthly newsletter to stay informed.
This is the second year that EMILI has hosted a webinar as part of Tech Manitoba’s MbTech Week, an annual event featuring workshops, speakers, and networking events showcasings Manitoba’s vibrant tech community.