Board of Directors

With lifelong experience in a family seed business, Dale and his family grow seed near Palmerston, ON. Their primary crops are oats, barley, wheat and soybeans. The Connell family is now in its fourth generation of pedigreed seed production. Dale is a CSGA-Accredited Plot Grower and holds his 20-year Long Service Award. With over 25 years of experience in the seed sector, Dale has served on numerous industry Boards including CSGA, the former Canadian Seed Institute, and the Ontario Seed Growers Association.

Glenn and his family have been pedigreed seed growers since 1988, growing a wide variety of crops for export. They live in Southern Alberta on a 116-year-old mixed farming operation and operate a processing plant. Glenn is a CSGA-Accredited Plot Grower and holds his 25-year Long Service Award and an Outstanding Service Award. Glenn’s experience on Boards of Directors includes CSGA, the Alberta Seed Growers’ Association, the Prairie Registration Recommending Committee for Grains, the Alberta Barley Commission and others.

Shannon, her husband Blair, and their two children run Maitland Lane Farms near Belgrave, Ontario. They have a cash crop operation focusing on growing pedigreed soybean and cereal crops. They also run a beef cow-calf operation and a flock of sheep. Currently the Ontario Seed Growers’ Association’s Past President, Shannon also served as their President, 1^st Vice, 2^nd Vice, and Director.

Born and raised on the farm, like his father and grandfather before him Joe and his family run a seed farm and a Registered Seed Establishment in Milestone, SK. They are shareholders in Emerald Seed Products, a fenugreek extraction plant in Avonlea, SK. For 35 years, Joe has been a member of the Milestone Prairie Players, an award-winning acting group. Joe is a CSGA-Accredited Plot Grower and holds his 35-year Long Service Award. CSGA’s President from 2020-2022, Joe was also President of the Saskatchewan Seed Growers’ Association from 2007 to 2008.

Peter manages a sixth-generation small mixed-family farm in Limestone, New Brunswick. He is a Crop Development Specialist with the Cereal & Oilseeds New Brunswick Department of Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries working on cereal and oilseed variety evaluations for New Brunswick.

Chelsea, her husband Shane, and their two girls run True Seeds Ltd., a first-generation seed farm located at Redwater, AB. They have a strong customer service program that works with their cereal and pulse seed production program. Chelsea holds her 15-year Long Service Award. She has served as Farmer Advisor and Chair of the FarmTech Foundation of Alberta.

Glenn and his family have been pedigreed seed growers since 1988, growing a wide variety of crops for export. They live in Southern Alberta on a 116-year-old mixed farming operation and operate a processing plant. Glenn is a CSGA-Accredited Plot Grower and holds his 25-year Long Service Award and an Outstanding Service Award. Glenn’s experience on Boards of Directors includes CSGA, the Alberta Seed Growers’ Association, the Prairie Registration Recommending Committee for Grains, the Alberta Barley Commission and others.

With a life-long interest in agriculture, Roy, his wife Lois, their sons, and their families own and operate three companies in Regina, SK. RoLo Farms grows commercial and pedigreed crops of peas, lentils, flax, spring wheat, durum, canary seed, and soybeans. Condie Seed is the retail and processing arm of the operation. Roy is a CSGA-Accredited Plot Grower and holds his 20-year Long Service Award. In addition to the CSGA Board, Roy has served on the Saskatchewan Seed Growers’ Association’s Board.

Laurie, his wife Monica, son Kris, and daughter-in-law Tennille own and operate Wakefield Seeds Ltd. near Maidstone, SK. They produce, process, and retail pedigreed cereals, pulse crops, commercial grains, and oilseeds. Laurie is a CSGA-Accredited Plot Grower and holds his 40-year Long Service Award. Laurie has previously served on the Board for the Saskatchewan Seed Growers Association as Director, Vice-President, and President. He has also been a volunteer or elected official on numerous community and local government bodies.

Ryan is a Seed Grower Director from Decker, MB. Along with his brother and father, he operates a third-generation family farm with 4,200 acres of cultivated land, half of which is dedicated to pedigreed seed production. They also own an on-site seed cleaning facility to process their own seed production. Ryan is a CSGA-Accredited Plot Grower and holds his 25-year Long Service Award. Ryan is also a National Director for the Manitoba Seed Growers’ Association, where he also served as their Vice-President, President, and Past President.

Andrew immigrated to Manitoba in 2002 with his wife Heather and two children from a mixed-family farm in the southwest of England. With his children Jake and Caitlin, Andrew owns and operates a farm business which includes seed, fertilizer and biological sales. He is now an independent retailer for pioneer hybrid and a pedigreed seed grower. Andrew is in his final probation year to becoming CSGA-Accredited Plot Grower and holds his 20-year Long Service Award. Andrew is the Past President of the Manitoba Seed Growers’ Association’s Board of Directors.

Shannon, her husband Blair, and their two children run Maitland Lane Farms near Belgrave, Ontario. They have a cash crop operation focusing on growing pedigreed soybean and cereal crops. They also run a beef cow-calf operation and a flock of sheep. Shannon is in her final probation year to becoming CSGA-Accredited Plot Grower. Currently the Ontario Seed Growers’ Association’s Past President, Shannon also served as their President, 1^st Vice, 2^nd Vice, and Director.

Carl and his family have been producing and processing pedigreed seed on their multi-generational 1854 family farm in Southwestern Ontario since 1956. They have various crops, from cereals to white beans and clover seed. A graduate of the University of Guelph, Carl is a CSGA-Accredited Plot Grower and holds his 50-year Long Service Award. Carl’s Board experience includes the Ontario Pulse Committee, past President of the Ontario Seed Growers Association, the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association, and many others.

Marc-Antoine runs Ferme céréalière Paquet based in Sainte-Florence, Bas-Saint-Laurent, as a fourth-generation farmer. He has always had a passion for agricultural production and obtained his college diploma (DEC) in Management and operation of an agricultural business – animal component from the Cégep de Lévis-Lauzon in 2016.

Founded by his great-grandfather, who was a dairy farmer, Ferme céréalière Paquet now diversifies its activities to include cereal and seed screening. The company has closely followed variety trials, and the development of niche cereal markets adapted to the region such as organic quinoa.

With his spouse, Danielle and his son, Maxime Richard operates the field crop and dairy farm “Ferme Coulée Douce Inc.” in Ste-Martine, QC. The farm produces oats, wheat, fall rye and soybeans. A CSGA member for 39 years, Richard is a CSGA-Accredited Plot Grower and holds his 35-year Long Service Award. He has been President and Director of his Holstein Canada club and a municipal councillor.

Jonathan and his sons run Nyborg Farms Ltd., which produces both commercial cereal grains and pedigreed seed. Most of their crops are high-generation pedigreed seed oats (covered and naked) and barley. Jonathan has three children and three grandchildren. He is a CSGA Robertson Associate recipient, a CSGA-Accredited Plot Grower and holds his 25-year Long Service Award. Current President of the CSGA Maritime Branch, Jonathan was also CSGA’s President from 2018-2020 and Past President from 2020-2022. He has also served as Captain of the Drummond Fire Department.

For over 50 years, Dr. Harvey has been an integral part of Canadian agriculture as a breeder, academic and public servant, and an internationally renowned expert and leader in his field, particularly in plant breeding. A breeder or co-breeder of over 60 varieties of barley, Bryan received his Honorary Degree from the University of Saskatchewan and was inducted into the Agricultural Hall of Fame in 2020.

Brenna is a Professional Agrologist from the Peace River Region of British Columbia. She has been working for the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food as a Regional Agrologist since November 2020. While her current position allows her to cover many different sectors within Agriculture, her speciality is grain and oilseed agronomy.

Having grown up on the family farm in Lamont County, Krista believes in agriculture and its importance now and for the future. She has a passion for applying technical and scientific findings to policy to empower farms to make the best decisions possible. Krista has worked on and with the Agricultural Pest Act, Weed Act, ASB Act, Bee Act, and others. She is currently Alberta’s Chief Provincial Plant Health Officer.

Sara grew up on a grain farm in northeastern Saskatchewan and has experience in pedigree seed inspection, agronomy, and crop research. She is the Provincial Specialist, Cereal Crops for the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture in Regina, SK.

Chami is a Research and Development Specialist (Ag Genetics) at Government of Manitoba.

Joanna is the Cereal Specialist with OMAFRA. Before, Joanna worked as a Research Analyst at OMAFRA for ministry-funded research and innovation programs and with the Agricultural Adaptation Council, where she managed a wide range of funded research projects.

Damien is an agronomist and sector expert on grains, forage plants and cannabis at the Ministère de l’Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l’Alimentation du Québec. He is a Board member with the Centre de recherche sur les grains (CÉROM) and the Quebec seed producers, including Quebec Reference Center for Agriculture and Agri-Food (CRAAQ) committees.

Peter manages a sixth-generation small mixed-family farm in Limestone, New Brunswick. He is a Crop Development Specialist with the Cereal & Oilseeds New Brunswick Department of Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries working on cereal and oilseed variety evaluations for New Brunswick.

Amy is involved in the agricultural community provincially, domestically and internationally. She works with many commodity groups and advises producers regarding sustainable soil management practices. Skilled in many aspects of agricultural-related training for groups and individuals, Amy has a broad foundation of experience in livestock and agronomy.

Steven was raised on a mixed farming operation in Middleton, PEI. He is a partner in a family farm that grows corn, soybeans, wheat and canola in central PEI. A graduate of Nova Scotia Agriculture College (Dalhousie University) with a BSc Agriculture, Steven is now a Cereal and Oilseed Development Officer with PEI Department of Agriculture and Land.