Mentee Posts

by Kristen Hall

Kristen Hall has been working in the agriculture industry for 13 years in a multitude of different capacities. Hall has always had a passion for agriculture and those involved in it, and has been lucky to work with so many great farmers, ranchers and growers since she started. Hall graduated from Olds College in 2013 with a diploma in Agriculture Management and with a major in Marketing. She has used this in her different positions as a Farm Manager, but also in an office setting with Alberta Farm Animal Care.

3 years ago, Hall got into beekeeping, and is looking forward to the Advancing Ag Program so that she can learn more about the valuable and essential relationship between bees and different crops used in Agriculture. She looks forward to working with her mentor and exploring the crop sector more in depth. Hall currently has 35 Hives, but hopes to expand to 70 during the 2021 season.

So far in the Advancing Ag journey, Hall has been working on looking for events that are still going forward, and has found it challenging to find relevant programming that links the two sectors together. That being said, she is up for the challenge and can’t wait to see where this opportunity will take her. Ultimately, she hopes that she can meet some great people and make lifelong connections that will help to advance her career in agriculture!

by Brittany Turchyn

Twice a year the Grain Growers of Canada hosts National Grain Week, a unique event that is held with the purpose of bringing together key stakeholders in Canadian agriculture to discuss relevant and emerging policy issues. Although this event is typically held in the nation’s capital, Ottawa, Ontario, this year was an exception to the norm as, like with other industries, challenges associated with COVID-19 reduced the ability of participants to travel and meet in person. As always, those involved in agriculture showed their agility, flexibility and creativity, leading to National Grain Week being held in November, 2020, with attendees joining virtually from all across Canada.

As was the case with other participants, I had the great privilege of attending National Grain Week as a result of my mentorship with Erin Gowriluk, the Executive Director of the Grain Growers of Canada. As you may be aware, opportunities to sit in on meetings where grain farmers and agriculture are explained and promoted to key government decision makers is not something that happens often. As a result, I was excited to observe the advocacy efforts that took place and the ensuing exchange of ideas that followed. This past meeting also provided a time for farmer directors and Grain Growers of Canada staff to offer suggestions with respect to how Canadian farmers in the grain sector can drive innovation and grow in a renewed economy once the pandemic ends.

Through bringing relevant stakeholders together to discuss issues of importance to Canadian farmers, I found that I was better able to understand the nuances of Canadian agricultural policy and how its influence ranges from the field, to the dinner table and everywhere in between. At all stages during National Grain Week, I was pleased to see how well informed, prepared and open to innovation the participants were. Like other strategic sectors in the Canadian economy, agricultural workers have faced setbacks in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hearing discussions about how the agricultural industry can whether the storm and emerge renewed- in part through technological innovation- was an encouraging sign for all those, including myself, that have a stake in seeing Canadian agriculture grow (no pun intended). Having the privilege to observe and participate in this unique event, which was only made possible by my Advancing Ag Program mentor, Erin Gowriluk, was an experience that I will not soon forget as I frequently reflect on discussions that I heard during National Grain Week as I talk with farmers on a day-to-day basis. To me, this level of reflection highlights just how important events like National Grain Week are for our industry going forward

By Tayo Adegeye

Hello Everyone, my name is Tayo Adegeye. I live in Regina with my family and I am a Research Biologist working with SynergyAG in Saskatchewan. I grew up in Nigeria, a country with a thriving agricultural industry. I have always had a passion for the sciences, especially biology and agriculture. My love for agricultural research has taken me on an exciting journey. I have a Masters degree in Crop Biotechnology from the University of Nottingham, UK and I am currently writing up my PhD thesis on Fusarium.

Since moving to the Prairies, I have an even bigger respect for farmers, they truly do the hard, sometimes fun (I presume) job of feeding the world; they should be appreciated much more. In my job role, I am involved in the planning and management of our field and laboratory research endeavours with the ultimate aim of providing solutions to our growers. 

I am very happy to be a part of the 2020-2021 Advancing Ag Future Leaders program, my goal with this program is to gain more on-farm experience and expand my professional network in the Ag industry. To this end, I am very lucky to have as my mentor Alan Hall. He is the Executive Director, Agricultural Research and Extension Council of Alberta (ARECA), with almost 50 years of experience in the Ag industry spanning research, extension services and management of research institutes/organizations. I hope to gain a lot from his wealth of knowledge. 

We had a wonderful two-day Leadership Summit early November last year in Banff suitably themed ‘Leading Yourself and Others’. Our facilitators covered a lot on workplace profiles and effective communication in leadership. I learnt lifelong lessons about my personality and leadership style which will really improve my relationship with colleagues in the workplace. The take-home message for me was the power in understanding, listening and asking questions. The beautiful scenery we had looking out from the conference room was a lovely bonus! I would like to thank the Alberta Wheat Commission and Alberta Barley for this program and the sponsor Corteva.

By Christina Owczarek

Navigating COVID in the last part of 2020, was not just navigating the obvious social, professional & barriers, but for a lot of people it has been navigating the comorbidities of depression & anxiety caused by financial pressures, isolation, exhaustion from trying not to lose hope, and the sheer extra mental & emotional energy it takes to get just the basic things done in a world full of so many more hurdles than usual. 

However, one much needed break in the bleak (literal) mid-winter, was the Advancing Ag Leadership retreat in Banff in early November 2020. This retreat was gorgeously staged at the iconic Rimrock Hotel nestled in the Upper Hot Springs of historical Banff, and saw the 2020-2021 Adv.Ag class meet in one place for the second time, and what we hope won’t be the last. While oddly spaced at 6ft apart at our tables over the course of three days, the distance between each participant grew less and less personally as we opened-up vulnerable conversation and exploration of our individual personality styles, and in turn the way in which we interact with others. We did this through guidance by Linda Wilson of CorQuest leadership development using the DISC model of behavioral and productive conflict styles. 

Over the course of two days, we explored the way in which we take in external information & stimulus, the way we process it, how we express ourselves, and how these factors combined creates relationships both in and outside of the workplace. It allowed us a mutual safe place to examine our strengths and also our areas that may require improvements to be facilitate and foster better relationships for greater success. 

The weekend brought a group of people together to share & grow as a group striving to make our impact in our businesses & in turn our communities better. I sincerely hope that the world allows us to meet again in such circumstance to share & how this program has shaped & developed us as budding leaders in this very exciting sector. 

Through my AdvancingAg Leadership involvement I set out to develop and study a deeper understanding of how Public Trust impacts our Food Production Sector today. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to learn first-hand from my mentor Kim McConnell specifically on Public Trust within our Agriculture industry. My role within the industry has evolved through the years from being a primary beef producer to an agronomy consultant and now an industry brand manager within the grain input sector – the impact of Public Trust however as I see it has an equal degree of importance within each level of the food supply chain. I was invited to take part in the Virtual Rural Roots Canada sessional as a panelist on the Public Trust discussion.

Here is a snapshot of my discussion surrounding Public Trust within our Grain Sector:

Our grain industry has traditionally prided itself as being known to produce a food supply based on high quality raw goods, ethical stewardship practices and processes that emanate the integrity of our industry throughout the entire supply chain. Starting right from the Primary producer producing our raw grains and oilseeds, collaborating with specialty production consultants & agronomists, to the commodity organizations; grain handling facilities and processors while finally reaching the consumer market level. Our grain sector stands by the high level of pride and integrity in our products. The modern consumer interest however has grown to demand a deeper transparency and understanding of:

• HOW their food is GROWN, PROCESSED and finally BROUGHT to Market
• The consumer also expresses interest and demand for transparency including the impact our production practices have on environmental sustainability.
• How is our grain sector meeting these demands from the consumer for increased transparency and input in production practices??

I find myself taking a walk back through memory lane thinking of my growth in Agriculture in order to better understand the change in consumer interest and demand. I was born and raised in the beef industry having grown up not only through the 4H program but also as an active member in numerous Youth Livestock Breed associations. These associations and the 4H Program focused on teaching their members key basic skills encompassing production techniques, communication and even marketing of our agriculture products. Although I grew up in a rural community, I still found my fellow students never truly understood what we did on the farm in order produce their food. Now 35 years later I find there is an even larger divide between our fields and pastures to our consumer plate. Never once while growing up did I feel like our industry was under such scrutiny as I do now as an adult making consumer decisions for my young family. The source and reasoning of the scrutiny can be argued however in reality as technology grows including access to social media and exposure of agricultural practices our consumers are increasing their ask for information and demanding more transparency of production practices and techniques. I witness firsthand as many of you do the growing desire for information from consumers on HOW their food is produced and WHY we as producers incorporate varying practices in our operations.

Through my career I have seen the need for all involved in our food production sector to CONNECT – BUILD INTEGRITY – GROW TRUST – and BE TRANSPARENT in order to close the gaps that exist as an industry through to consumers. We all need to come to the table in order to cohesively represent our industry to the consumer in order to rebuild and grow the trust within our products moving forward. Through mentorship from Kim McConnel I looked to the Canadian RoundTable for sustainable crops as an avenue in which our Grains sector addresses collaboration on sustainable agriculture issues and opportunities directly within the grains sector. Formed in 2013 the CRSC seeks to facilitate cross-commodity collaboration facing its members. Members being representative from every link along the value chain – Seed developers through to end consumers.

Through review of the Grains Roundtable Public Trust Working Group most recent updates priority issues were identified to include:

1. Crop Protection Product usage
2. Plant breeding technology
3. Food Safety

My career and industry experience speak to all three of these priorities the working group has identified:

• As an agronomist I have personally found daily when interacting with consumers a gap in how we communicate and connect with consumers on our production practices directly leading to their understanding of these practices and their impact on food safety.
• For example – the misconception within the general public that utilizing GMO technology and pesticide practices drive an increase in pesticide usage on farm when in reality the adoption of integrated pest management practices including GMO technology has led to a decrease in pesticide applications & rates and it is an integrated approach encompassing multiple techniques to grow a productive sustainable profitable crop.

The working group within the Canadian Roundtable for sustainable crops have found initially in their study of Public Trust that:

• Our understanding of the public needs to be an on-going diverse collection across the public through individuals, groups and communities.
• Trust with the Public is not just a matter of changing their belief in our systems of production
• It also involves what relationship they have within our industry across the entire value chain
• Our industry sector has a need for systems and accountability that are trust – worthy building confidence back with the consumer public
• The start to rebuilding this trust is going to also focus on what both the public and our industry values. If the values of our consumer differ greatly from the values implied by the grain/food production sector, then it will continue to be an uphill battle in rebuilding trust.

At the end of the day I myself continue to integrate the practice of growing relationships within my grain sector career – GROW the relationship with our consumers – allowing our industry to continue to GROW a sustainable profitable food supply.

By David Pinzon, PhD. Regulatory Affairs Manager at Corteva™ Agriscience, August 2020

Every day, with virtually everything we do, we are exposed to risk.

Crossing the street, brushing our teeth, and drinking coffee, all come with varying degrees of hazard. This is why we wait for cars, spit out our toothpaste, and limit our caffeine intake. In fact, managing our exposure to activities and substances that are potentially harmful, is simply part of life.

And yet, virtually all substances have the potential to cause harm. Even water, in certain amounts, is lethal. The dose dictates the poison!

So, when a system classifies substances based exclusively on their hazard or risk, that system ignores the most important factor – the degree to which we are exposed. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) cancer classification, for example, virtually disregards exposure amounts or limits, when labeling carcinogenic substances or activities.

On the other hand, the Canadian Government regulates medications and pesticides with the understanding that everything comes with associated risk. The Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA), an entity within Health Canada, determines whether a pesticide product can be used safely, based on the amount that is necessary to control the pests. They then establish limitations on how the product should be used, so that both humans and the environment are thoroughly protected.

I came to Canada in 2010 to study plant biology at the University of Alberta. Today, as a PhD scientist, my role is to understand ‘the science behind the agricultural practices’. So, joining the regulatory team at Corteva Agriscience in 2014 was a great fit for me.

Of course, as a scientist, I was also very curious how a big corporation operates. Is their science reliable? Who works there? Do farmers have a choice, or are they being forced to use their technologies?

The good news is that scientists like me at Corteva are held to the same ethical standards as the scientists I worked with at the university-research level. Remember, to earn a PhD, it takes at least 11 years of university studies.

The public wants to know more about the food they eat. Where does it come from? Who’s growing it? How is it being grown? And they are exposed to multiple sources of information that are driving their eating habits. This is an incredible opportunity for farmers who want to help the public understand what they do, how they do it and why. To help inform the public, you must understand how PMRA assesses the safety of pesticides.

It takes approximately 10 years to come up with a new pesticide that’s unique, beneficial to farmers, safe to humans, and safe to the environment. This is not an easy task. Especially when you consider that our chemistry and biology scientists begin the process choosing from more than 100,000 possible chemicals to end up with one or two that meet or surpass the criteria.

Once the thoroughly-researched chemical candidates are chosen to become products, further studies are conducted to determine the pest it controls. Tests are also conducted to assess the optimal application rates, and its safety to humans and the environment, based on the proposed application patterns and volumes.

Overall, it takes nearly 150 separate studies to assess the safety and efficacy of a chemical product. This is a huge investment for innovator companies.

PMRA, as other agencies around the world, evaluates the safety and integrity of a chemical pesticide product by several types of studies in the scientific areas of:

• Chemistry. Farmers can be reassured that what’s in the package will work as expected.
• Toxicology. Any chemical – even water or coffee – has the potential to cause negative effects if a person is over exposed. For pesticides, PMRA wants to know the safe amounts everyone in the population can be exposed to in the short and the long term.
• Occupational exposure. Based on the proposed label uses, PMRA assesses exposure to the applicators and bystanders. Then, the personal protective equipment and the re-entry time are established, which provide instructions on how to apply the product safely.
• Environmental toxicology. Crops are not isolated environments. There may be animals visiting the field, or a natural forest may be near. To assess the potential effect of the pesticide to non-target species, PMRA uses worst-case scenarios to test environmental toxicology (or example, a bird feeding exclusively from a field that has been treated).
• Residues. Once a pesticide is sprayed, it acts on the pest and then starts to degrade. PMRA assesses studies that show how much pesticide residues there are on the crop at different times after spraying and up to harvest. PMRA then establishes the maximum residue limit (MRL) – the amount of pesticide residue that is acceptable and expected when the label is followed.
• Environmental fate. PMRA needs to understand how long it will take for the product to dissipate or breakdown and how the product moves in soil, water and air. Considering the physical and chemical characteristics of the compound, PMRA can establish the fate of the product once it is sprayed.
• Value. Any label claim (such as this product controls unwanted pests) must be demonstrated through field trials before it can be approved by PMRA. The rate that is used to control a pest must be enough for consistent control but cannot be more than is needed.

Pesticides are one of the most regulated chemicals on the planet. Many studies from several different scientific areas are reviewed by regulatory agencies before a pesticide is considered for registration. We can be confident that registered pesticides can be used safely, while bringing tremendous benefits to the environment, producing more on less land. Pesticides also make good economic sense, keeping food prices low, and ensure that farmers have the right tools to grow their crops.

By: Isabelle Thibout

The AdvancingAg Future Leaders Program is a great way to bridge the gap between theory and practice. It allowed me to answer five key objectives in Marketing Communications.

My first objective was to participate in the creation and implementation of a marketing communication plan within AdFarm. My mentor, Ben Graham, connected me to Megan Morozoff, Account Manager within AdFarm. With the authorization of the Alberta Wheat

Commission, Megan and I covered the

consumer campaign “Life’s Simple Ingredient”. It was so helpful to learn the organization and deployment of this campaign in terms of overall strategy, tactics and value creation. Moreover, consumer campaigns are not common in the agriculture industry and I really appreciated participating in this project.

As a second objective, I wanted to be introduced to the marketing of a specific product within my company. To do this, I connected with Mark Alberts, Product Manager within Corteva Agriscience. We covered the different aspects that came into play to market the product Rezuvant in terms of Product, Placement, Promotion and Price. It was very interested to view the planning cycle and learn about all the partnerships and negotiations that take place.

My third goal was to observe communications and marketing tactics at an agriculture trade show to understand how companies differentiate themselves. Ben and I met at Agri-Trade, in Red Deer, and reviewed different booths and exhibits. We looked at location, impact and engagement. A well-located booth with relevant visuals that catch the eyes are the basics to attract people. Demo items, contests and good promotional material are the key to engage customers and prospects. It was very interesting to see that we attract more customers by focusing on one specific message rather than providing too much information.

As a fourth objective, Ben and I covered the different Key Performance Indicators (KPI) required in a communication campaign, and their benchmarks. Each channel has its own KPI, some more tangible than others. For instance, KPI for print is not always easy to obtain compared to digital, where web metrics are easy to pull out. Social media is categorized by impressions, likes, shares, engagement rate and general reporting tools. The success of Direct Mails can be analyzed by its specific call of action and a contest, by its number of entries, votes or conversion rate. I enjoyed learning more about KPI and the way to examine them.

My last objective was focused on career growth, more precisely understanding the different paths leading to a Product Manager position. Thanks to Ben, we covered both career growth paths within an ag company, such as Corteva Agriscience and an ag marketing communication agency, like AdFarm. Understanding the path to follow is half the way. One important thing I learnt was to have clear communication with my direct supervisor about my professional goals. It helped me established my goals, while keeping myself accountable for them. After having this discussion with my supervisor, I was able to access an add-on role as a Marketing Communications Specialist for the Nitrogen Stabilizer business. I am very excited about this role, the learning opportunities and where it could lead me a couple years from now.

Isabelle and her mentor, Ben Graham

An aspect of the AdvancingAg program I really enjoyed was my public speaking opportunity. As a winner of the AdvancingAg essay contest, I had the chance to present my essay “Regulation of atrazine in corn” during the Cereals Prairie Summit in Banff, on December 12th. It was a great experience to share a subject I am passionate about to a group of agricultural professionals. I am looking forward to my next public speaking event.

Thanks to this mentorship program, I also had the opportunity to attend FarmTech, in Edmonton and the Advancing Women in Agriculture conference, in Calgary. This was a great experience; excellent events to attend and a great opportunity to network with professionals throughout industry. The Advancing Women in Agriculture conference taught me to recognizing my value within the company and how it should be celebrated, rather than being too humble.

Sadly, the AdvancingAg Future Leaders Program is coming to an end. It was a tremendous experience to be part of. The key elements I appreciated were the establishment of personal goals and being paired with the most appropriate mentor to achieve them. I benefited from the essay contest, public speaking, events and different opportunities to network. I wish the future mentees to enjoy their experience and explore all the aspects of this mentorship program: you are in for a real treat!

Strong communication skills are hard to find in every day life. From business to personal life, communication flows have evolved into often emotionless electronic messaging. Face-to-face interaction gets limited in lieu of technology, which can also limit comprehension. Effective communication can certainly happen through technology, but I think regardless of the method we often need to put more effort into daily communications. As I sit conversation-less in the passenger seat of the car typing this post on my iPhone, the irony is astonishing.

One of the main themes of the Advancing Ag’s three day Leadership Summit in November was communication. One day was devoted to effective communication, while the other two days discussed leadership themes that require strong communication practices. I learned a few basic communication tips that I think can benefit anyone in personal life or in the workplace.

I learned how to ask proper questions. This may seem elementary, but as an optimist I often say something like “Isn’t it a nice day?” or as a true Canadian “That was a productive meeting, eh?” Both questions are closed questions framed in a way that the listener has to strongly disagree to answer with something other than what’s expected. It doesn’t give the chance for an authentic dialogue. By structuring the question “what were your take-aways from the meeting?” an effective communication flow begins. Ask questions to learn a new perspective, not to re-enforce your own.

I also learned how to be a better listener, and how important strong listening skills are to communicate effectively. One way to be an active and engaged listener is to ask probing questions and search for next steps after the conversation. By being inquisitive about the topic and trying to understand the subject matter, the conversation will likely be more memorable, even if you weren’t interested in the topic. After leaving a conversation with clear action items both parties are likely to think the communication was strong. When listening for true comprehension, a good practice is to rephrase part of the speaker’s sentence in the form of a clarification question. This forces us to hear the information, process it, and repeat it right away, which creates a higher chance of remembering the content.

These simple tips can create more effective two-way communication every day. Try to use open questions at home and at work to understand your listener’s point of view, and when it’s your turn to listen be engaging whatever the answer, and just maybe you’ll learn something. Considering we spend roughly 60% of our communication time listening, and that within a few hours we typically only recall about 20% of what was said, with these tips maybe we can improve tomorrow and remember half of what was discussed today?