Grainswest - Winter 2023

Winter 2023 grainswest.com 17 BY ELLEN COTTEE • PHOTO COURTESY OF TEAM ALBERTA CROPS Team Alberta Crops manager pushes for farm policy progress The inf luencer F ounded by Alberta Barley, Alberta Canola, Alberta Pulse Growers and the Alberta Wheat Commission, Team Al- berta Crops was formed to elevate the inf luence of Alberta’s farmers in key agricul- tural policy areas. Focused on four priorities— improved market access, reduced regulatory hurdles, increased global competitiveness and continued sustainability—Team Alberta Crops advocates on behalf of Alberta farmers. The organization hired Reg Warkentin as its first full-time staff member in spring 2022. As government relations and policy manager, Warkentin works to unite the voices of the or- ganization’s eight member commissions and ad- vises policy-makers on its collective priorities. Born and raised in Red Deer, Warkentin’s time outside work revolves around family. He and his wife Roxy take their five children to the rink and pool and spend time together hiking and swimming in the mountains. GrainsWest: You didn’t grow up on a farm. How did you come to work in agriculture? Reg Warketin: I’m a generation removed from the farm. My grandfather leased out the land from when I was a young kid, so I didn’t have a lot of exposure growing up. However, when I started working in finance investments, a lot of our clients were farmers. That was my first big introduction. Later on, as policy and government affairs manager with the Red Deer District Chamber of Commerce, there was a lot of ag policy to consider. We were really fortunate to put together a strong policy group from the bank and finance side, along with equipment, val- ue-add and producers. We have one of the stronger chambers in the country when it came to ag policy. GW: Long ago, you did work for a summer as a research assistant with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. How did that role impact your career? RW: That was a huge learning opportunity. It was also a fun place to work because you had a mix of research scientists and people who farm as well as work there. Even being able to tell the difference between wheat and barley, I know it’s elementary for most of us, but in the general public there is an extremely limited number of people who can even do that. It really grant- ed me a huge appreciation for the industry and everything that goes into it. GW: What drew you to the government relations and policy manager role with Team Alberta Crops? RW: When the position came up, I was really interested be- cause [agriculture] is an extremely important industry. Issues like food security and safety are critical. Whether you’re a farm- er, a policy person or working in a commission, you’re providing that much-needed support to an extremely important but often underrepresented industry. Agriculture policies, perhaps more than most other indus- tries, have an incredible impact on the sector. It’s a lot more pronounced than other industries. It is extremely important to have representation. The real props go to the commissions for understanding the value of working together. I’m fortunate enough to be the person who gets to collaborate with all of them and make sure we’re all rowing in the same direction.