Southern Alberta has been a hub of ingenuity throughout the 20th century. One of its notable inventors was irrigation farmer Andrew Briosi. In the 1940s and 1950s, he designed a significant number of agricultural machines to make farming easier. He became most famous for his beet harvester, which revolutionized the sugar beet harvesting process. Read more about his life journey below on calgary-name.
History of Inventions
Andrew was born on January 23, 1912, in the village of Purple Springs, Alberta. He was married to Jessica Lirmont, and they had a son.
Briosi spent most of his life on the farm, initially as a sheep owner and later as a farmer involved in irrigation. His yard was filled with various agricultural machines.
At that time, sugar beet farming was an incredibly labor-intensive process. The development of seeds, chemicals, and new machinery changed everything. In 1942, the Alberta Sugar Beet Growers Association formed a committee to study different types of beet harvesting machines and determine which ones would be most suitable for use in southern Alberta fields. In 1942, Canada was at war, and there was a shortage of labor in southern Alberta. Mechanization was seen as a long-term solution to many of the problems faced by sugar beet producers in the region.
In 1955, the Lethbridge Herald published an article that highlighted why Alberta farmers were so eager for new technology. By 1945, only four sugar beet harvesting machines were in use across southern Alberta, and these could harvest 96 acres or just 0.03% of the total crop.
So, after finishing his daily farm tasks, Andrew began working on his machines. In 1949, he built a large building on his farm to work on his projects indoors during the winter. Over time, Briosi created a beet harvester, a mower-mulcher, and a front-end loader for tractors. Briosi often joked that he was just lazy and invented these machines because he couldn’t understand why he should do things manually when they could be mechanized.
In addition to agricultural machinery, Andrew also designed a machine that collects golf balls from driving ranges.
By 1954, 299 machines were being used in the sugar beet harvests of southern Alberta. In just 1954, these machines harvested 14,974 hectares of sugar beets, accounting for 40.5% of the total sugar beet crop.
Recognition and Awards
The new machinery helped farmers overcome labor shortages, gave them independence, sped up harvests, and reduced operating costs. It’s no surprise that farmers who were able to equip their farms with the necessary machines received many awards.
In 1974, Briosi was awarded the Alberta Achievement Award for his accomplishments. In 1975, he was awarded the Order of Canada for his outstanding work with agricultural machinery and equipment for sugar beets, and he was included in the “Who’s Who in Alberta” as recognition of his dedication to agriculture in the province.
Briosi also received respect and thanks from both the community and provincial and national recognition, both within agricultural organizations and public groups.
He was inducted into the Agricultural Hall of Fame in 1982. Due to illness, he couldn’t attend the ceremony, so his son went in his place. The following day, on March 13, Briosi passed away in Lethbridge, Alberta, at the age of 70. He was buried in Lethbridge Cemetery.