RISKY BUSINESS
BY JEANINE MOYER • PHOTOS BY ANTHONY HOULE PHOTOGRAPHY
Seed growers are at the forefront of advancement in crop production, said Kelly Chambers, executive director of Alberta-British Columbia Seed Growers (ABCSG). They specialize in production and multiplication of plant breeder stock that produces certified, blue tag seed for commercial production. Alberta’s 662 certified seed growers farmed 307,711 acres of pedigreed seed in 2024, about 25 per cent of Canadian pedigreed acreage.
“Choosing pedigreed seed provides several advantages for farmers and end-users because it is high quality, traceable and genetically pure seed,” said Chambers. She emphasized seed growers gain a great deal of insight on the agronomic performance of a new variety prior to its availability for sale.
Being a seed grower entails greater risk, complication and expense, but with the promise of high reward. Growers must purchase high-generation seed, hire field inspectors and test seed for germination viability and the presence of disease. They must also factor in downtime to clean equipment between varieties and store varieties separately. In return, they are first in line to discover the latest in new seed genetics and crop management solutions they can then offer their customers.
While seed growers face risk on an individual level, the sector as a whole confronts a broad set of challenges. Chambers noted the Canadian seed industry faces reduced funding and the potential restructuring of vital public breeding programs that could impact the accessibility of new seed varieties and valuable trial data that farmers use to make cropping decisions. The federal government is reviewing funding for public plant breeding programs. Without funding for these programs, said Chambers, the development of new varieties that address the agronomic needs of Alberta farmers could be in jeopardy.
Canada’s Seeds Act and Seeds Regulations are also under review by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), which is consulting with stakeholders for the seed regulatory modernization review process. Resulting changes may positively impact ABCSG members, and Chambers said the association continues to participate in CFIA regulatory consultations.
“The seed industry has seen a lot of changes in recent years,” said Chambers. “From government funding and regulation concerns to weather events that impact seed production. Our growers face risks, but they are resilient and proud to deliver quality seed that is the foundation of every crop.”
TRUE SEEDS FINDS SUCCESS IN NICHE PRODUCTS
A first-generation seed grower, Chelsea Tomlinson operates True Seeds near Redwater in northeast Alberta. She grows peas and faba beans, gluten-free oats, triticale and red and white wheat as well as malting, silage and seed barley. Most of her customers are within a 200-kilometre radius, while she ships some seed to southern Alberta, British Columbia and Quebec.
Tomlinson acquired her farming skills by working with a local seed grower. She launched her own operation in 2007 with just 200 acres. She attributes much of her success to advice and feedback from customers and fellow seed growers. It has helped her business evolve, improve and grow and has given True Seeds a reputation for high-quality products and service.
Tomlinson now works in partnership with her husband Shane, two full-time employees and seasonal workers. The farm has expanded to more than 5,000 acres with 65 per cent in seed production and the balance seeded to commercial canola.
With limited acreage to start, she concentrated on niche varieties to deliver the best return. As the business has grown, she has maintained its niche focus. When gluten-free oats came into high demand five years ago, she seized the opportunity to produce seed. To maintain gluten-free status required additional equipment and land management. A dedicated combine is used for this crop alone.
“We struggled to get pure seed stock, but we shifted our production to accommodate all the requirements to grow certified gluten-free oats and we haven’t looked back,” she said. Coincidentally, one of the couple’s two young daughters subsequently developed celiac disease. “Growing gluten-free oats has become personal for us, and we know just how worthwhile and important it is to produce the seed stock.”
To expand her business, Tomlinson has relied largely on rental acres, so maintaining relationships with her landlords is a top priority. While land availability has been a limitation, so has a scarcity of skilled labour. To address this, Tomlinson has partnered with neighbouring farmers in custom seeding agreements. This creative solution allows them to maximize return from their land and her to expand acreage. In return, they help with her fieldwork and share valuable management and agronomic advice she eagerly applies.
To deliver clean, pure seed products demands a lot of work from participation in validations and audits to fully documented equipment cleanings. Tomlinson also maintains a retail yard that offers the value-added seed cleaning service of a mobile seed plant. As well, the business offers the support of outside agronomists to support customers with advice. “I want every farmer I deal with to be successful and to come back and try a new variety because they trust our quality and recommendations,” said Tomlinson. “Seed growers make up a small percentage of Canadian farms, but we make sure every farm and the crops they grow are successful.”
LIMOGES SEED FARMS FOLLOWS LOCAL MARKET DEMAND
Second generation Peace Country seed grower and operator of Limoges Seed Farms near McLennan, Richard Limoges must continuously reassess local market demand for his seed. The business markets pedigreed pea seed, barley and wheat. “Growing seed is tricky because we always plan at least two years in advance,” he said. He also noted new varieties appear to come available faster than ever, especially in the farm’s chosen trio of crops.
New varieties are always welcome, especially those that offer qualities such as improved drought tolerance and reduced lodging. However, said Limoges, while seed growers may take two years to produce a newly released seed, this work and investment may not pay off. If poor market or weather conditions predominate the first year a farmer tries a new variety, the farmer may drop it.
His father Marcel grew seed under contract for a few years in the early ’90s. The family took a break from the seed growing business until Richard joined the farm in 2008. He now manages 2,700 acres with 75 per cent in seed production and 25 in commercial canola. Limoges employs his expertise as a Certified Crop Adviser and professional agrologist and enjoys growing new varieties that add value to the industry.
He works to increase seed nutrient density and lower disease prevalence using crop nutrition to deliver high-quality, top performing seed. Customer input helps him select varieties that suit the needs of Peace Country farmers. “Some customers want the latest and greatest varieties with improvements, while others prefer the tried-and-true varieties,” said Limoges. “And just because it’s new, doesn’t mean it’s better.” These tend to be shorter season, good-standing varieties compatible with the region’s grey-wooded soils. This includes short- to medium-season wheat and barley varieties that will perform in the colder, shorter growing season. “While we still face rainfall deficits in certain years, we also need to be prepared for snow in September and the harvest challenges that come along with it,” he said. “Our goal is to pick varieties that will be successful in all scenarios.”
As with True Seeds, Limoges said the quality and purity of the varieties he produces are top priority. This demands diligent attention to cleaning protocols, documentation of operations and the purchase of equipment. “Anything we can do to make cleaning faster and easier translates to improved quality and purity of our products,” he said. His investment in specialized seed handling, storage, seeding and harvest equipment has enabled him to streamline operations. He points to the purchase of smooth-walled storage bins that are easier to clean than corrugated bins. These include several smaller bins that allow him to store multiple varieties of seed stock. He also uses a conveyor because it handles seed more gently than an auger.
An industrial-grade, diesel air compressor is one of the business’s most valuable cleaning tools. Limoges uses it to clean combines, grain carts, seeders and trucks as well as bins whenever he switches varieties. He has also invested in duplicate field equipment to reduce in-season downtime required for cleaning and operates four combines. “I usually run two combines for each variety, with a third on deck that is ready to go into the next field, so I don’t have to clean out all the combines on the same day and lose valuable harvesting hours.”
Limoges is proud of his family’s contribution to the industry. “As seed producers, we have the opportunity to help fellow growers reduce their risks by providing new and improved varieties to help them improve their bottom line.”
CARL’S AG VENTURES MAKES EXTRA EFFORT
A pedigreed seed grower since 2014, Carl Huvenaars operates Carl’s Ag Ventures near Hays in southern Alberta. “It’s exciting to see the new varieties and be able to provide them to growers,” said Huvenaars. “Growing seed requires a lot of extra effort in the field and in the office, but I like the challenge and the opportunity to provide value to my customers and fellow farmers.”
Huvenaars grows many varieties of barley, flax, hybrid canola, oats, peas, triticale and wheat on 2,000 irrigated acres. He also grows edible dry beans for the commercial market. Having earned his select grower status, he also produces a small supply of higher generation seed to supply fellow seed growers. With the help of three full-time and two part-time employees and his mother, who manages the bookkeeping, Huvenaars grows, bags and treats certified seed for customers across Canada. Much of it, though, is purchased by irrigators and dryland farmers in his immediate area. Most of the varieties he grows will be used to fill irrigated crop rotations that include potatoes, sugar beets and other vegetables, so they must perform well in heavy moisture. For instance, barley and wheat varieties must demonstrate strong standability and disease packages.
“Yield will always be king when it comes to selecting varieties,” said Huvenaars. “New varieties also continue to offer agronomic advantages that farmers can apply to their growing conditions.” His dryland wheat customers gravitate toward solid stem varieties to help combat sawfly, and while wheat midge isn’t a concern in his area, midge tolerant varieties are a popular choice for their agronomic performance and yield.
Huvenaars faces operational demands like those noted by Tomlinson and Limoges. To market quality seed varieties and offer value-added services such as seed storage, treatment and bagging, requires an elevated level of documentation and training. To operate his seed treater, Huvenaars must be certified and undergo an audit of the operation process every two years. Annual in-field crop inspections by a third-party inspector are also required at various growth stages, depending on the crop. Huvenaars is also subject to audits of his bin yard every two years. The process evaluates the facility itself and documents details about grain movement such as conditioning dates, purchaser and destination.
Crop management and planning also demand time and resources beyond standard farm operations. This includes labour requirements. “Maintaining our workforce has been a challenge,” said Huvenaars. “Especially since the cleaning and documentation requirements are so detailed. It’s not always a fun job. That’s why it’s so important to find employees who understand what we’re doing and why we do it.”
As well, field equipment must be thoroughly cleaned when moving from one crop variety to the next, and between the differing crops, isolation belts between one and 10 metres in width must be maintained. Volunteer plants must be removed from the field by hand to ensure varietal purity.
The seed industry will continue to change, predicts Huvenaars. This will be driven by new technology and breeding innovations such as gene editing. He also believes in the importance of maintaining the industry’s local breeding programs. “We need our local plant breeding and variety testing programs so farmers in our area can have the best seed available.”
Comments