Collaboration at a provincial and national level and a focus on international markets will be top of mind for Alberta Pulse Growers’ new chair.

The Alberta Pulse Growers (APG) held its annual general meeting last month at FarmTech at Edmonton, where Don Shepert was elected chair of the producer organization.

RealAgriculture’s news lead, Jessika Guse sat down with newly elected chair, Don Shepert to discuss what all took place. He’s no stranger to APG, having worked with the organization for quite some time and continues to be the chair of the crop sector working group.

Shepert says market access continues to be a key issue for the pulse industry. Working with Pulse Canada will be a priority over the next year since India has put a damper on the Canadian market.

“Despite the fact we lost one major market, one other major market has increased by lots, so we’re thankful for China for buying up our peas the way they have,” he says.

Looking forward, he says he’s excited to work with the Team Alberta advocacy team that’s comprised of Alberta Pulse, Alberta Wheat and Barley, and Alberta Canola.

“It’s become a really important venue for us to take care of provincial and national issues,” Shepert says, adding with even more so with the upcoming federal election.

Listen to RealAgriculture’s Jessika Guse speak with Alberta Pulse Growers chair, Don Shepert below.

Jim Denys, a Middlesex County farmer, and Anne Verhallen, a long-time provincial government soil specialist, have been named recipients of the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association (OSCIA)’s Soil Champion Award.

The award recognizes leaders in sustainable soil management. This is the first time the association has presented its award to multiple recipients.

“We are very fortunate to have people in Ontario like Anne and Jim who are so dedicated to soil health and sustainable soil management, and our selection panel was very pleased to exercise its ability to present Soil Champion awards to both of these outstanding soil health advocates,” says OSCIA president Peter McLaren.

Denys raises hogs in a farrow to finish system and grows corn, wheat, and soybeans. His father first started with no-till wheat in the 1990s as a way to conserve soil and stop erosion. Today, the Denys family focuses on building soil structure and organic matter through the use of cover crops and strip tilling. A transition to controlled traffic is underway, and variable rate fertilizer application is also in the works. “The goal is to run a profitable business while taking care of the soil – they’re not mutually exclusive,” Denys says.

“We haven’t given up any yield with these practices and with phosphorus high on the radar now, we have to be proactive about finding solutions.”

Verhallen, soil management specialist for Horticulture Crops with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), first joined the ministry in the late 1980s to deliver the Land Stewardship Program in Essex and Kent Counties.

She is a long-time advocate for soil health, and played a key role in launching the popular Southwest Ag Conference. She also recently worked to get the “Soil Your Undies” campaign off the ground as part of her passion for extension and ongoing efforts to help people visualize soil. (She’s also a regular guest here on RealAgriculture. You can see all her interviews, here).

“I’ve had the best job. I’ve been able to work with researchers and farmers—the best day for me is to be out on the farm soil sampling and talking to farmers,” Verhallen says.