Blog: What's New at MCA

Manitoba Crop Alliance (MCA) is proud to support agriculture’s next generation. MCA’s bursary program is designed to assist with the financial needs of students pursuing education in a field that will benefit the agriculture sector.

Six post-secondary students from Manitoba have been awarded with MCA 2024-25 bursaries valued at $2,000 each. The 2024-25 bursary recipients are Mika Cleave from Ochre River, Noah Kaminsky from Brunkild, Chad Pouteau from Mariapolis, Layne Thompson from Ochre River, Jadyn Wiebe from Plum Coulee, and Abby Mazier from Justice.

“Educating and inspiring the next generation is a strategic priority for our organization,” says MCA chair Robert Misko. “Each of our bursary recipients has chosen to pursue their passion and expand their knowledge, and I hope they will eventually use that knowledge and passion to advance our industry.”

Bursary applicants needed to meet the following criteria:

• Have completed a minimum of one year (two terms) of post-secondary education at the college or university level (diploma or degree) and are enrolled full-time for the 2024-25 school year in an agricultural program within Canada.
• Have achieved a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0.
• Have an interest in wheat (spring or winter), corn, barley, flax or sunflower crops, or agriculture in general, as demonstrated in a brief, one-page letter.
• Are from a farm that is a member in good standing with MCA
• Have not previously been awarded an MCA post-secondary bursary (past high school bursary recipients remain eligible for a post-secondary bursary).

An independent selection committee was contracted to evaluate the applicants based on their connection to or interest in agriculture, explanation of why they decided to enrol in an agriculture-related post-secondary program, how they hope to benefit the agriculture industry once they have graduated and are in the workforce, and their academics and writing skills.

This year, the selection committee included Curtis Cavers, an agronomist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada based in Portage la Prairie, and Loveleen Kaur Dhillon, the agronomist in residence for special crops at the University of Manitoba.

Born and raised in southern Manitoba, Cavers holds a bachelor of science in agriculture, majoring in soil science, and a master’s degree from the University of Manitoba. Prior to assuming her current role at the University of Manitoba, Dhillon completed her PhD in plant science at the University of Saskatchewan and was working as a post-doctoral fellow.

Thank you to the selection committee for evaluating the bursary applications and congratulations to the 2024-25 bursary recipients!

Meet the MCA 2024-25 bursary recipients

The 2024 nomination period for delegates positions on our four crop committees took place from July 2 – Oct. 1, 2024.

In total, 16 farmer members were nominated for 17 available delegate positions across the four crop committees and were thereby elected by acclamation. Among those 16 delegates, eight are new to their respective committees.

Read on to learn more about the newest additions to our crop committees:

Corn 

Craig Riese (St. Andrews, MB)

Craig Riese farms in the St. Andrews and Selkirk area with his wife Crystal and two sons. Together they operate Westphalia Farms Ltd., where they grow corn, soybeans, wheat and canola. They added corn to the rotation in 2016 and currently grow about 800 acres.

Riese’s past and current industry involvement has included serving as a delegate and director with Keystone Agricultural Producers, as well as a delegate with Manitoba Pork. He has found corn to be a great addition to his farm and continues to learn and adapt to the challenges that come with its nature as a late-season crop.

Patrick Gamache (Laurier, MB)

Patrick Gamache is a sixth-generation farmer who farms in Laurier with the help of his parents, grandfather and employees. Currently, their main crops are wheat, canola, soybeans, edible beans and corn, but they have also grown rye, barley, oats and meadow fescue. Apart from grain farming, Gamache was also a seed grower and co-owner in an ag retail business for several years, in addition to working with cattle. He is passionate about agriculture and aims for perfection on his farm.

Gamache attended the University of Manitoba, where he received is agriculture diploma. He has volunteered with Agriculture in the Classroom – Manitoba, does community work in his hometown and has been a volunteer firefighter for 11-plus years. He is looking forward to being more involved with Manitoba Crop Alliance. 

Flax

Myles Kubinec (Holland, MB)

Myles Kubinec farms with his wife Anastasia and his father-in-law in Holland, growing both commercial and pedigreed seed. He is originally from a mixed operation in Alberta and received a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Alberta. Kubinec and his wife have three sons that are also involved in the operation, when they’re not keeping their parents running to sports.

Amanda Ellis (Wawanesa, MB)

Amanda Ellis is co-owner/operator with her husband Simon of Black Creek Farm Ltd. and Ellis Seeds, a third-generation, 1,500-acre seed farm and retail. They grow flax, wheat, oats, peas, soybeans and canola, as well as the occasional “project” crop, such as hemp or millet.

Ellis has a diploma in business-finance from Assiniboine College and previously worked in finance at a Credit Union. She is interested in being involved in the agriculture industry, often volunteering for pilot projects and research studies. These have included participating as a panellist for University of Manitoba agriculture presentations and co-hosting farm tours for students and the public.

Ellis believes there is great market potential for flax, with growing demand in health food and pet food, as well as opportunity for research and the development of new, higher-yielding varieties. She is enthusiastic and curious to see what she can learn from and share with the flax crop committee.

Sunflower

Andrew Saramaga (Hazelridge, MB)

Andrew Saramaga is a fourth-generation farmer who works with his dad and a few employees in the Hazelridge area. Together they grow a variety of crop types, including corn, soybeans, spring and winter wheat, canola, sunflowers and various forage seeds.

Saramaga received his degree from the University of Manitoba. From there, he got involved in the early days of soybean production and marketing. This led to an opportunity to get involved with the former Manitoba Pulse Growers Association (now Manitoba Pulse & Soybean Growers), where he chaired the association for two years.

Saramaga’s farm has been growing sunflowers for about 15 years, starting with confection types and moving to black oil types in the last few years. He is excited to bring his experience to the sunflower crop committee and help further the sunflower industry in Manitoba.

Wheat and Barley

Carly Chatham (Killarney, MB)

Carly Chatham farms with her husband Cody at his family farm, Chatham Seeds, in Killarney. The Chathams are seed growers and continue to produce top-of-the-market wheat varieties. Chatham was born and raised in Carman and has been involved in the agriculture industry since she was a student.

Chatham obtained her agriculture diploma and bachelor of science in agriculture at the University of Manitoba. She has had job roles in research as a technician in small-plot work and breeding, worked at Paterson Grain as a sales agronomist and spent the last seven years as an independent agronomist at Field 2 Field Agronomy. She also holds a designation in the Prairies as a Certified Crop Advisor.

When she’s not working, Chatham enjoys golfing and a little bit of curling in the winter. She believes Canada is a top wheat-producing nation and would like to see us continue to grow the best wheat in the world.

Marcus Loeppky (Niverville, MB)

Marcus Loeppky farms in the Niverville area, where he grows wheat, oats, canola, soybeans and corn on approximately 4,800 acres with his cousin Paul. He has been married for 20 years to his wife Candice and they have two girls, Taylor (14) and Morgan (11).

Ty Ballard (Bield, MB)

Ty Ballard has been a dedicated grain farmer growing wheat, peas and canola for many years on his family farm, Rockin’ Cattle Company Inc., in Bield. He believes the increasing global demand for wheat and barley is a good opportunity for Manitoba farmers to heavily contribute to the industry and grow the market for the crop. He also believes wheat and barley are excellent choices to have in any crop rotation for a high-yielding crop.

By Jonothan Hodson

When you’ve been farming your whole life, it’s easy to think you’ve seen and done it all – that there’s nothing else for you to learn about the job or the industry. Thanks to my decision six years ago to put my name forward to become a director for the Manitoba Corn Growers Association, I’m happy to report that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Like many farmers, my introduction to agriculture happened when I was young, growing up on the family farm. I spent some time away to go to university, and then to live and work in New Zealand for a growing season to learn about agriculture there, before returning to the family farm, where I’ve been for the last three plus decades. Through it all, I was extremely curious about the industry and thought about getting more involved, but it still took a bit of a coincidence for me to take the leap.

Six years ago, I was at the CropConnect Conference when I heard that the Manitoba Corn Growers Association was looking for new farmers to join its ranks. I said I might be interested, one thing led to another, and before I knew it, I was in. When Manitoba Crop Alliance (MCA) was formed in 2020 from the amalgamation of the Manitoba Corn Growers Association and four other crop commodity organizations, I stayed on to become a delegate of MCA’s corn crop committee, and then had the privilege to be nominated to serve as one of the inaugural directors for the organization.

I understand there are a lot of reasons people are reluctant to put their name forward. You might be nervous you’re not going to be able to offer much or feel like your opinion might not be needed, but that isn’t at all the case. In fact, it was completely the opposite. The committee and the organization were very welcoming from day one and showed me there was nothing to worry about. My input and perspectives were valued, and it quickly became clear each member of the organization had something unique to offer.

MCA staff are there to support you every step of the way and answer any questions you might have. They are passionate about finding innovative ways to help producers in the province now and into the future, and it feels meaningful to be a part of that important work.

One reason I encourage all farmers to get involved is to help determine where your check-off dollars are invested. Ensuring those investments align with the priorities of farmer members across the province is a major responsibility and one I don’t take lightly. The second reason is just as valuable: becoming a delegate is an incredible opportunity for personal growth.

My time as an MCA delegate has been an amazing learning experience. Manitoba is a diverse province, with many different climates, soils and types of crops being grown. As a result, I leave every crop committee and board meeting having learned something I didn’t know before from one of my fellow delegates or directors. Since 2018, my personal development has been dramatic, taking me from a delegate on the corn crop committee to an MCA director and now to an additional role as a director with the Grain Growers of Canada. During that time, everything I learned about agriculture in Manitoba and across Canada has made me a better farmer and a better advocate for our industry.

None of this would have been possible without taking the first step. As my dad always said, “You can’t finish until you start.” Looking back with those wise words in mind, my only regret is that I didn’t get involved sooner.

So, don’t make the same mistake I did – regardless of where in the province you call home, how long you’ve been farming or how much you think you know, the time to “start” is now.

Jonothan Hodson is a director and corn crop committee delegate with Manitoba Crop Alliance, as well as a director with the Grain Growers of Canada. He and his family farm near Lenore, MB.

Manitoba Crop Alliance (MCA) is proud to support agriculture’s next generation. MCA’s bursary program is designed to assist with the financial needs of students pursuing education in a field that will benefit the agriculture sector.

Six graduating high school students from Manitoba have been awarded with bursaries valued at $1,000 each. The six bursary recipients are Alara Krahn from Mather, Laura Delichte from St. Alphonse, Riley Jorgensen from Cromer, Madisyn Robertson from Neepawa, Zenith Vanstone from Miami, and Evan Whetter from Alexander.

“I’d like to offer my sincere congratulations to our inaugural high school bursary recipients and wish them well in their continued studies,” says MCA Chair Robert Misko. “MCA is committed to supporting agriculture’s next generation and expanding our bursary program is one way we have demonstrated that commitment.”

To qualify for these bursaries, applicants did not need to be continuing into an agriculture-specific program. However, they did need to clearly articulate how their continued studies would help them benefit the agriculture industry.

An independent selection committee was contracted to evaluate the applicants based on their connection to or interest in agriculture, how they hope to use their education to benefit the agriculture industry, and their academics and writing skills.

This year, the selection committee included Adelle Gervin, program manager with Agriculture in the Classroom – Manitoba; Sonia Wilson, oilseeds specialist with Manitoba Agriculture; and Santosh Kumar, research scientist at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Brandon Research and Development Centre.

Gervin graduated with a bachelor of science in agriculture (animal systems) from the University of Manitoba in 2019. She strives to educate today’s youth on our agricultural story and show them her perspective as a cattle rancher and “agvocate.”

Wilson recently started her role with Manitoba Agriculture, which includes focusing on special crops such as flax and sunflower. She has a background in agriculture focused on plant genetics and research.

Kumar completed his master’s degree at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute in New Delhi, India, before moving to Canada for his PhD. As a PhD student at the University of Manitoba, he worked on barley physiology and genetics. His current area of research includes wheat variety development, climate resilience and clean environment trait introgression, and targeted trait manipulation.

Thank you to the selection committee for evaluating the bursary applications and congratulations to the recipients!

Learn more about this year’s recipients

Manitoba Crop Alliance (MCA) is proud to support agriculture’s next generation. MCA’s bursary program is designed to assist with the financial needs of students pursuing education in a field that will benefit the agriculture sector.

Six post-secondary students from Manitoba have been awarded with MCA 2023-24 bursaries valued at $2,000 each. The 2023-24 bursary recipients are Emma Harms from Mather, Rhett Grieve from Virden, Ashlyn Whetter from Alexander, Brendan Friesen from Blumenfeld, Nathan Krahn from Rivers, and Cadence Krahn from Carman.

“Year after year, I am impressed with the curiosity and passion for agriculture displayed by our bursary recipients,” says MCA Chair Robert Misko. “These qualities will serve them well as they begin their careers, and I look forward to seeing how their generation moves our industry forward.”

Bursary applicants needed to meet the following criteria:

• Have completed their first or second year of post-secondary education at the college or university level (diploma or degree) and are enrolled full-time for the 2023-24 school year in an agricultural program within the province of Manitoba.
• Have achieved a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.0.
• Have an interest in wheat (spring or winter), corn, barley, flax or sunflower crops, or agriculture in general, as demonstrated in a brief, one-page letter.\
• Are from a farm that is a member in good standing with MCA
• Have not previously been awarded an MCA bursary.

An independent selection committee was contracted to evaluate the applicants based on their connection to or interest in agriculture, explanation of why they decided to enrol in an agriculture-related post-secondary program, how they hope to benefit the agriculture industry once they have graduated and are in the workforce, and their academics and writing skills.

This year, the selection committee included Mallorie Lewarne, grow team advisor with Federated Co-operatives Limited; Anne Kirk, cereal crop specialist with Manitoba Agriculture; and Haider Abbas, applied research specialist at Manitoba Agriculture.

Lewarne provides technical agronomy support to local co-ops in Manitoba. She holds a B.Sc. in agriculture and an M.Sc. in plant science from the University of Manitoba and is a member of the Professional Agrologists Institute of Manitoba. Prior to her current role, she worked for MCA as an agronomy extension specialist.

With Manitoba Agriculture, Kirk focuses on cereal crop extension and variety trials. She holds a B.Sc. in agriculture and a master’s in plant science from the University of Manitoba. She is also a Certified Crop Advisor and a member of the Manitoba Institute of Agrologists.

Abbas was born and raised on a family farm and holds a B.Sc. in agricultural engineering and an M.Sc. in biosystems engineering from the University of Manitoba. He is currently based at the Manitoba Crop Diversification Centre in Carberry, MB, where he contributes to advancing agricultural research and innovation.

Thank you to the selection committee for evaluating the bursary applications and congratulations to the 2023-24 bursary recipients!

Meet the MCA 2023-24 bursary recipients