The Southern Alberta Conservation Association (SACA) began in 1990 as an umbrella group for the Conservation 2000 Clubs being established across southern Alberta. Local leaders of the Conservations Clubs came together to form SACA and under the auspices of this umbrella group, some of the first conferences and field days on reduced tillage and direct seeding for farmers across southern Alberta were held. Today, the Conservation 2000 Clubs are gone, but SACA continues, led by a core of farmers across southern Alberta interested in promoting and learning more about direct seeding and reduced tillage.

SACA's Mission Statement is:

"To preserve and enhance the soils and water resources of southern Alberta through improved farm management practices."

SACA continues to work with other producer groups and municipal, provincial and federal government staff to organize workshops, conferences, tours and field days related to direct seeding and reduced tillage practices. The flagship event is the Reduced Tillage Conference, which takes place in early December and alternates between Medicine Hat and Lethbridge.

Our region:

Working closely with the Southern Applied Research Association (SARA), SACA is also based out of Lethbridge and is involved with producers working in a region with a geographic area of 14 million acreas.  This region contributes 43 per cent of the total gross farm receipts for Alberta as the area includes almost all of the province's irrigated acreage, substantial acres dedicated to crops of very high value, high concentrations of livestock, and large areas of dryland cropping and pasture.  With the close proximity of transport links and population centres, SACA's area includes many value-added industries. The 2010 conference will be held on November 30 and December 1 in Medicine Hat. Over the past 19 years, SACA's 16 conferences, six crop production workshops and seven field days have drawn over 8000 participants.


Projects:

SACA's big project continues to be the Southern Ag Advantage Conference.  It alternates on an annual basis between Lethbridge and Medicine Hat (the next conference is scheduled for December 2008). 

The focus of SACA events has always been extension based on science and/or experience.  It has been through the support of programs such as CASCI, CAESA, AESA, ACAAF that SACA has been able to deliver high quality presentations while keeping costs to producers reasonable. 

In southern Alberta, SACA represents an opportunity for crop and livestock producers to gather in the interest of enhancing the environmental sustainability of their farm operations. We, as very strong advocates of the conservation message along with the long history as an organization feel that SACA can indeed provide unique and valuable perspectives and input.

Our Farming Smarter Website: (click logo)