Grainswest - Fall 2023

Fall 2023 Grains West 8 It’sall about teamwork TWO GREAT TASTES THAT TASTE GREAT TOGETHER. Peanut butter and chocolate are a famously delicious food pair- ing, but wheat and barley are agriculture’s hottest new team. In September 2017, the Alberta Wheat Commission and Alberta Barley embarked on the long path to the formation of a single commission with the launch of an amalgamation pilot project. It soon became apparent the move allowed the organ- izations to share space and resources, collaborate on program- ming and realize big financial savings. In plebiscites held by the respective commissions in October 2022, wheat and barley farmers overwhelmingly voted in favour of joining forces. On Aug. 1 of this year, the two crop commissions merged to form Alberta Grains. A total of 12 directors will be elected at six regional meetings in November, and the interim board will serve until a perma- nent set of directors takes office in January at the new organi- EDITOR’S MESSAGE zation’s inaugural AGM. Now helmed by interim director Mark Olson, the unified commission’s first permanent executive director will soon be named. While this new and improved wheat and barley governance model rolls out immediately, the revitalization of Canadian crop group leadership more broadly is ongoing. In recent years, efforts have notably been made to increase the gender diversity of ag boards, but recruitment efforts increasingly also target variety in age, farm size and skillset. For our cover story, “Get on board” (pg. 34), we spoke with many ag group leaders for their perspective. Board members past and present emphasized contemporary ag boards are exceptionally welcoming to potential new participants, but soft barriers remain. A wide-open door, it seems, does not guaran- tee entry. We examine these impediments and what agriculture stands to gain from their elimination. is music to your ears visit grainswest.com to listen, or enjoy on your favourite podcast streaming platform. new episodes are out now!