There was a big crowd on hand Thursday in Brandon for a conference put on by a group looking to attract a soybean processing facility to Manitoba.

Over 90 people attended the event, which was held at Brandon University. The Rural Development Institute (RDI) also co-hosted the conference. Those in attendance included economic officers from various communities, municipal officials, farmers, and representatives from Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers (MPSG).

Dr. Allan Preston is the vice-chair of Westman Opportunities Leadership Group (WOLG).

He explained the purpose of the meeting.

"We'll we've been working for about 14 or 15 months now...trying to put together a community driven approach to attracting investment in a future soybean crushing facility. The purpose of this event was to let the wider audience know what it is we are doing, where we're heading, what we've done to date, and what the next steps are."

Some of the discussion focused on plant benefits, with Bob Stroup, Senior Consultant to the Plus Group of Cincinnati, Ohio, providing perspective. An afternoon panel session with Soy Canada, the Keystone Agricultural Producers, Manitoba Pork Council and Manitoba Agriculture talked about the potential impacts and challenges that need to be addressed.

Preston said although they're based in western Manitoba, that doesn't mean that's the only possible location, adding they've also been in talks with representatives from other areas such as Morden, Winkler, and Altona.