Opinion
Earlier this week, I lined up an interview with Dr. Jeannie Gilbert, a plant pathologist at AAFC's Cereal Research Centre, Winnipeg, Man. I wanted to speak with her about the threat of fusarium head blight for 2013 and what farmers can do now to prevent or manage the disease. When I arrived, I soon learned that while Dr. Gilbert was more than happy to share her knowledge, it was also her last week at work. Dr. Gilbert, after 24 years with AAFC, is retiring.
That in and of itself isn't a sad thing — we all should retire young enough to enjoy good health and busy grandbabies — but not only is she retiring, but so is the research station itself. The federal government announced some time ago that Winnipeg's Cereal Research Station was set to close down in 2014. Dr. Gilbert's exit is part of winding down the centre, a move that will see some researchers moved to Brandon and Morden, Man., and the greenhouses torn down.
In this video, Dr. Gilbert highlights the work that AAFC does and continues to do, but also how the closing of the research centre will impact the rate of research advancement and, ultimately, how that impacts farmers. Please watch it — it's important that everyone in our industry understand the changes happening at AAFC and how it impacts our industry.
If you cannot see the embedded video, click here.
