Alberta Sugar Beet Growers celebrate Picture Butte’s Centennial with Farm-to-Table

Posted on July 23, 2026 by Sunny South News

By Kristine Jean
Sunny South News

Residents and visitors across the region are invited to learn about and experience  Southern Alberta agriculture with the ASBG Farm-to-Table Tour 2026  on July 28.    

This year’s event is hosted by Inspired Vacations and the Alberta Sugar Beet Growers (ASBG), and will provide a memorable Farm-to-Table Tour in the Town of Picture Butte, celebrating local food, local products, and local producers.  

“Not only sugar beet farming but any type of Albertan production is really important. We hold the Farm-to-Table Tour to get the community involved in the industries that support southern Alberta,” said Angel Munroe, summer agricultural marketing assistant for the Alberta Sugar Beet Growers.   

The annual event has taken place every summer for about 10 years, noted Munroe, and rotates between the communities of Taber and Picture Butte each year.  

Things get underway in the afternoon with a guided tour of a local Alberta Sugar Beet Growers farm from 2:00–3:00 p.m. where attendees will learn how sugar beets are grown, harvested, and made into one of Canada’s most important agricultural products. Participants in the farm-to-table experience will have a chance to meet the growers, explore the fields, and learn about the sugar beet industry.  

“We begin with a sugar beet farm tour, which we do every year and then we usually have a second stop before the dinner. This year, we are going to the Picture Butte Museum for a guided tour because we are celebrating (the town’s) 100th anniversary,” said Munroe, noting prior to the dinner at the Cattleman’s Chophouse in Picture Butte, there is a new feature – a farm-to-table market with local businesses and sugar beet products. 

“This (market) is something we are trying this year,” she said. “The Farm-to-Table Tour is always trying to highlight the producers and products that are produced and processed in our community,” Munroe added, noting they usually partner with one or two businesses for the event but wanted to expand that opportunity to include more local businesses this year, with the market. 

Feedback from the event has always been positive, she noted, pointing out the pride Alberta producers and growers have in their products. 

“The community members always enjoy being able to interact with and discover businesses they can support. They’re supporting local but also directly supporting Alberta producers,” said Munroe, noting a 96-person limit for the tour. “We’ve had declining numbers in the past couple of years, because of the economy but usually it’s a pretty big event.”      

Later in the afternoon, participants can enjoy a guided tour of the Picture Butte Museum, from 3:30–5:00 p.m. and can discover the history, the people, and the stories that have helped shape Picture Butte over the past 100 years.  

“We are trying to focus on Picture Butte this year, just to celebrate their achievement of 100-year milestone,” said Munroe. 

The event wraps up in the evening with a dinner made from local products, starting at 5:30 p.m. at the Picture Butte Cattlemen’s Chophouse. Participants will enjoy a farm-to-table meal featuring local ingredients and showcasing local dishes.     

For more information on the ASBG visit http://www.albertasugarbeets.ca