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Evolution of Agriculture
The data on this page is from the 2021 Census of
Agriculture performed by Statistics Canada.
The County of Newell has 561,986 hectares of
agricultural land. There are 166,176 hectares of
land for crops, 99,552 hectares of which is
irrigated. There are also 384,591 hectares of land
for pasture.
Currently, the dominant agricultural products in
the County are wheat, spring wheat, barley,
canola, and alfalfa for crops; and beef cattle
ranching, including feedlots for livestock.
Agriculture will continue to be an integral part of
the County’s way of life for years to come. The
rural character of the region is dependent on the
success of the agricultural industry. It is crucial to
identify what are the current strengths, the future
opportunities, and the potential threats to
agriculture.
Demographics & Statistics
Census data reveals that there are 1,040 farm
operators in the County. 710 of them are male and
320 are female. The age distribution is: 115 under
35 years old, 305 between 35 and 54 years old,
and 620 over 55 years old. The average age is 54.9.
There are 727 farms in operation in the County.
Their total farm capital is $5,489,276,015. Of the 727
farms in the County, 708 of them reported a
collective revenue of $712,944,631 in 2021.
Irrigation
The Eastern Irrigation District (EID) owns and
operates the irrigation network throughout the
County of Newell. Its primary business is to
manage an extensive raw water distribution
network in support of irrigated agriculture.
Without the irrigation network it would be difficult
to support the growing of crops in the region due
to the lower-than-average annual precipitation.
Agritourism
Agriculture can serve as a tourist attraction for the
region. From across the province, examples
include tours that highlight the culture of rural
Alberta. Other counties are implementing policies
to allow for commercial experiences and events
related to farming or farm life.
Climate Change
According to the Province of Alberta’s Climate
Smart Agriculture - Overview, farmers will need to
adapt to climate change and its impacts on
agriculture. Climate smart practices aim to lower
greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) by increasing
efficiency of resources and resilience to changes.
“Expanded use of proven management strategies
will help farmers and ranchers respond to
consumers’ expectations, remain competitive
and capture emerging market opportunities.”
The Future
Agri-business in the County should continue to
revolve around the same foundational principles
that have operated for decades. What will
change in the next twenty years is the way in
which agri-business utilizes technologies,
innovations, and collaboration to address the
many challenges that farmers must face on a
continued basis.
The agricultural industry’s ability to adapt to
climate change, inflation, political instability,
market forces, and more should determine the
resiliency of the region for generations to come.