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Not surprisingly, then, she doesn’t
draw a stark line between corporate
goals and the everyday concerns of
producers.
“It took me a while to realize that it’s not
about ‘us’ and ‘them.’ It’s about all of us
working together to move the value chain,
andmove the country further. It’s not
always easy to see, but if the supply chain
collectively is prospering, and is bringing
value to the marketplace, that in itself will
bring long-term success to the industry.”
She points to the sector’s ongoing
challenge in transitioning through the
Canadian Wheat Board monopoly.
“It’s been a few years now, and I would
say we’re all still learning,” she said. “We
needed to walk, not run, and build trust
throughout the process. But, as we work
through that, our ability to be candid and
show our value in what we can do has
been important. The industry is coming
together well.”
As a farmer at the other end, Greg
tends to agree.
“You have to spend a lot of time
looking at information—that’s probably
the biggest change. If you don’t keep
up-to-date, you might get blindsided
a bit. But if you read, and keep yourself
educated, you have a pretty good idea of
what is coming and how to work through
it. It actually hasn’t been that bad at all.”
Both Donahues are excited for
the future of Canadian agriculture,
particularly given the technological
advances of recent years.
“In the past 10 years, canola yields
around here have basically doubled,”
Greg observed. “That’s huge.”
Although canola is clearly a special
case, Chantelle looks forward to eventual
advances in Canadian grains, as well.
“Over the past five years, there have
been some really great agronomic traits
bred into wheat,” she observed. “There’s
more that can be done.”
Despite the global undercurrents and
concerns around GMOs, Donahue sees
biotechnology as a key component of
sustainability.
“The key there is sticking to sound
principles of science. Those are the
baselines for trade, and that’s what we
try to work towards,” she explained.
“That’s why it’s so important that we
work as an industry. Because one farm,
or one company, can’t do that, and the
government alone can’t do it. It needs
to be the entire value chain—right from
seed producer and crop protection
company, through to producers, grain
handlers, government—all working
together.”
The future hangs in the balance, added
Donahue.
“How do we keep this entire value
chain in Canada profitable, and growing,
so that when our little girl is our age, she
has the opportunity to farm if she wants?”
Fortunately, Donahue believes Canada
is up to the task.
“We stand out internationally for our
ability to come together.”
She and Greg feel a shared sense of
purpose on the home front, as well.
“I hope, as our daughter Abigail grows
up, she can see that and appreciate
that,” said Donahue. “It’s not going to be
necessarily easy to find that balance, but
we’re committed to doing it, and making
sure that she has both parents actively
involved with her.”
Although Abigail will determine her
own future, Chantelle would be thrilled
to see her eventually follow in her
parents’ footsteps.
“She was five or six days old, and we
had her out in the field scouting crops
with us.
“She has agriculture in her blood.”
Winter
2015
grains
West
32
all In the FaMIlY:
The Donahues welcomed their
newest addition to the family, Abigail. Even though
Abigail cannot walk yet, that didn’t stop her proud
parents from taking her crop scouting this past harvest.