Grainswest - Spring 2019

Spring 2019 grainswest.com 33 COLETTE PREFONTAINE PEDIGREED SEED TERRITORY MANAGER, CANTERRA SEEDS The first time Colette Prefontaine attended university, it was to keep peace with her family. Her dad was concerned that if she didn’t attend right after high school, she would never do so. “I went [to university] to play hockey. That was all I cared about,” she said with a laugh. A BA in history and English didn’t land her a dream job, but a subsequent degree in agriculture from the University of Lethbridge and completing a certified crop advisor diploma program at Olds College did. She suggested the fact she didn’t grow up on a farm gives her a unique perspective and an advantage in acting as a bridge between people with a deep agricultural understanding and those outside the industry. “I love being involved with genetics,” said Prefontaine. “That little seed holds the potential for yield and return on a farmer’s investment. As much as I like seed, I wanted to be in the field.” When she isn’t working at her home office, she’s on the road, sometimes taking her Labrador retrievers Rin, Blade and Cache along for company. She logs 80,000 kilometres per year visiting customers, shareholders and farmers from La Crete to Milk River. and seed growers. Spring is time to focus on marketing and planning for upcoming growing seasons. Once the crops are up in summer, Hyra meets with seed growers to inspect crops. He is also president of the Canadian Seed Trade Association and travels widely to participate in association meetings. Fearless pursuit of his goals and support from his managers have influenced his career success, he said. “With that, I was able to always channel my energy to areas of work that I enjoyed. Make sure you pick something you like,” he advised. “Channel your energy and enthusiasm where you can truly excel.”