Wall said that in recent meetings, Nutrien’s leading executives agreed to increase corporate office positions in Saskatchewan by 15 percent, to 300.

Saskatchewan is home to all of Nutrien’s operating potash mines, and the provincial government sets royalties and taxes on production. The location of top executives has long been politically sensitive as many were once based in Chicago.

Nutrien is the biggest global fertilizer producer by capacity, and has the largest U.S. network of farm retail stores.

Nutrien committed that its chief executive “and/or” its executive chair and president of potash operations will live in Saskatchewan, Wall said in a statement.

That promise is already satisfied, as Nutrien CEO Chuck Magro lives in Calgary, Alberta, where Agrium was based, while Executive Chairman Jochen Tilk lives in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

Magro will continue to live in Calgary, but also plans to buy a home in Saskatoon, Nutrien spokesman Richard Downey said.

A spokeswoman for Wall, Karen Hill, said Saskatchewan did not make any new commitments to Nutrien in return. Wall will resign as premier in about a month, after his Saskatchewan Party picks a new leader on Jan. 27.

Nutrien shares dipped slightly in Toronto, but rose modestly in New York.

The post Fertilizer producer Nutrien to keep Saskatchewan base, says Wall appeared first on Canadian Cattlemen.

Bill Thomas, the recently retired director of the field services at Perennia Food and Agriculture Inc. in Nova Scotia, is the 2017 recipient of the Canadian Forage and Grassland Association Leadership Award. During his 30 years of extension service he implemented educational forage production programs at the former Nova Scotia Agricultural College, now part of Dalhousie University, and his work as a lecturer at Dalhousie continues in the forage and soil management and livestock production courses. At the same time, he developed policies on nutrient management, beef development and agricultural awareness. He is a member of the Nova Scotia Institute of Agrology, Agrology Institute of Canada and the Canadian Society of Agronomy, and has served on several forage and crop and research committees. In 2011, he was named a Fellow of the Canadian Society of Agronomy, the society’s most distinguished award. The CFGA award is sponsored by New Holland Canada.

Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall presented the province’s chief veterinary officer Dr. Betty Althouse with the Premier’s Award for Excellence in the Public Service in a ceremony last month. Althouse was named chief veterinary officer and manager of the provincial animal health unit in 2012 following a 12-year career with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Other civil servants nominate the recipients for this award, but an independent committee makes the final selections.

James Laws has been appointed to the board of directors of Farm Credit Canada for a three-year term. He served as the executive director of the Canadian Meat Council from 2004 to 2016 and was the executive director of the Canadian Farm Business Management Council prior to that. After leaving the meat council he worked as a volunteer advisor for Winrock International in Senegal, West Africa, and the Canadian Executive Services Organization in Tanzania, East Africa.

Annemarie Pedersen is the new executive director of Alberta Farm Animal Care (AFAC). Pedersen has worked in agricultural communications for over a decade, and has been running her own communications consulting business for the past three years. Before that she was the industry relations director with Canada Beef.

Four students were awarded the prestigious Bill Kehler Memorial Scholarships in the dirt at the 44th Canadian Finals Rodeo in Edmonton on November 11. The $2,500 scholarships are awarded to students pursuing an education in broadcasting or agriculture. The winners are:

• Kashley Seitz of High River, Alta., studying animal sciences technology at the faculty of agricultural sciences, South Plains College, Texas.
• Kelsey Jetter of Etzikom, Alta., studying plant and soil services at the faculty of agricultural sciences, Lethbridge College.
• Makenna Moore of Foothills, Alta., studying public relations at the faculty of communications studies, Mount Royal University.
• Patten Frankhanel of New Norway, Alta., studying animal sciences technology at the faculty of agricultural sciences, Lakeland College.

The scholarship was established in 2003 by the Edmonton Rodeo Cowboy’s Benevolent Foundation and Northlands to honour the memory of Bill Kehler who was known as the voice of Canadian Finals Rodeo.

4-H Canada and CN have announced the 2017 4-H Canada Leadership Awards of Distinction (L.E.A.D.) recipients. The four winners demonstrate the personal development, community impact and leadership embodied in 4-H Canada’s four leadership development pillars. The recipients are: Sara Kate Smith (B.C.) L.E.A.D recipient for the community engagement and communications pillar, Evan Krebs (Ont.) L.E.A.D recipient for the science and technology pillar,
Sadie-Jane Hickson (Ont.) L.E.A.D. recipient for the environment and healthy living pillar, and Thian Carmen (N.S.) for the sustainable agriculture and food security pillar.

B.C. producers have until February 15, 2018 to get rebates of up to $3,500 on the purchase and installation of livestock tag readers. The federal/provincial program covers 70 per cent of the cost of hand-held or panel readers, the installation of related software and training up the maximum. Applications are available online at www2.gov.bc.ca. Search for the Livestock Tag Reader Rebate Program.

Saskatchewan agriculture minister Lyle Stewart kicked off Canadian West­ern Agribition last month by announcing the renewal of the show’s provincial grant of $50,000 per year for the next four years. The money supports the work done by the CWA in promoting Saskatchewan’s agriculture industry.

Alberta Beef Producers had 25 new or renewed delegates at their annual meeting in Calgary earlier this month following elections during 25 meetings in nine zones across the province that wrapped up last month. The 25 who were elected, acclaimed or appointed are: Brad Osadczuk, Jenner; Kevin Stopanski, Jenner; Kody Traxel, Seven Persons; Sheila Hillmer, Del Bonita; Tyler Sawley, Nanton; Kayla Weston, Fort MacLeod; Tim Smith, Coronation; Nicole Viste, Hanna; Jesse Williams, Hanna; Charlie Christie, Trochu; Cathy Sharp, Lacombe; Stuart Somerville, Endiang; Cam McLerie, Red Deer; Ralph Buhler, Armena; Kolton Kasur, Bashaw; Tim Sekura, Rocky Rapids; Colin Campbell; Bon Accord; Ken Stanley, Westlock; Blair Anderson, Minburn; Gordon Graves, Iron River; Melanie Wowk, Beauvallon; Lorrie Beck, Teepee Creek; Linda Messner, Berwyn; Mike Nadeau, Beaverlodge and John MacArthur, Fairview.

The post Forage and Grassland Association presents award for leadership appeared first on Canadian Cattlemen.

Alanna Koch, who farms with her husband at Edenwold, Sask., about 40 km northeast of Regina, announced her candidacy Monday for the leadership of the province’s governing Saskatchewan Party.

Koch was the province’s deputy minister of agriculture from 2007 up until July last year, when she replaced Doug Moen as deputy minister to the premier and cabinet secretary.

Wall on Monday announced Koch is taking an unpaid leave of absence from that post and Kent Campbell, deputy minister for intergovernmental affairs, will take over for Koch on an interim basis.

Koch has been a prominent figure in Prairie ag policy for over 25 years, having served as executive director of the pro-deregulation Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association (1992-2000) and as a board member (2003-07) for Winnipeg grain handler Agricore United before its merger into Viterra.

While at Viterra, Koch also served as president (2005-07) of the Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance, a trade group representing stakeholders in export-dependent agrifood sectors.

Koch’s resume in Saskatchewan public policy dates back to Grant Devine’s Progressive Conservative government, in which she served stints as assistant principal secretary to the premier (1990-91) and as chief of staff for various cabinet ministers.

Koch, who was inducted into the Saskatchewan Agriculture Hall of Fame in 2011, also served previously as a director for the George Morris Centre at the University of Guelph and for AVAC Ltd., a not-for-profit investment firm backing agricultural start-ups.

“What sets me apart is the sheer breadth and depth of my experience. I’m a mother. I’m a farmer. I have stood up for farmers and the agriculture industry. I’ve helped open doors so our farmers can sell their beef, wheat and canola all over the world,” Koch said in a release Monday.

Wall, the MLA for Swift Current and premier since 2007, announced Aug. 10 he would step down as premier and party leader after the party chooses a new leader, who would then become premier. The party has scheduled its leadership convention for Jan. 27, 2018 in Saskatoon.

Koch’s release said she would “seek to build on the foundation of the Wall government’s policies.”

Other declared candidates for the party leadership so far include Regina MLA Tina Beaudry-Mellor, Saskatoon MLAs Ken Cheveldayoff and Gord Wyant and Meadow Lake MLA Jeremy Harrison, all of whom have served as ministers in Wall’s cabinet. — AGCanada.com Network

The post Koch to seek Saskatchewan Party leadership appeared first on Canadian Cattlemen.

Premier Brad Wall on Tuesday named Warren Kaeding, the MLA for Melville-Saltcoats since April, as legislative secretary to the minister of agriculture, for irrigation expansion.

Kaeding was previously a business development rep for canola producer financing firm Input Capital and served as executive director for the Saskatchewan Farm Stewardship Association. He also ran Wagon Wheel Seed Corp. for 25 years, until 2011, and worked as a territory manager for Hoechst for 10 years, until 1996.

Kaeding’s appointment, one of eight new legislative secretary posts, comes as part of a shuffle of Wall’s cabinet, although Agriculture Minister Lyle Stewart and three other ministers keep their current portfolios.

Among other portfolios of interest to farmers, Rosthern-Shellbrook MLA Scott Moe becomes environment minister and minister responsible for SaskWater and the Saskatchewan Water Security Agency, a portfolio he previously handled for about a year in 2014-15.

In those portfolios, Moe replaces Battlefords MLA Herb Cox, who announced Aug. 12 he had asked to leave cabinet in this shuffle, as he begins stem cell treatment for cancer. Cox will continue in his role as MLA.

Carrot River Valley MLA Fred Bradshaw was named Tuesday serve as a legislative secretary to Moe, with responsibility for forestry and wildfire management.

Wall’s shuffle cuts the size of his cabinet by one member to 17 ministers, a move he said will save taxpayers about $450,000 a year.

Legislative secretaries serve as assistants to ministers, often on specific files. While Saskatchewan cabinet ministers receive additional allowances of $48,969 per year, on top of their basic MLA indemnity of $96,183, secretaries’ additional allowances run at $14,311 per year. — AGCanada.com Network

The post Saskatchewan adds new secretary for farm irrigation appeared first on Canadian Cattlemen.

Doug Moen, who’s leaving his post as deputy minister to Premier Brad Wall at the end of June, on Friday announced Rick Burton as the province’s new deputy minister of agriculture, effective July 1.

As the province’s top bureaucrat for agriculture, Burton replaces Alanna Koch, who in turn replaces Moen on July 1 as deputy minister to the premier.

Burton was the ag ministry’s assistant deputy minister (ADM) for regulatory and innovation from April 2008 to October 2013, and has since served as ADM for policy.

Raised on a family farm at Kipling, Sask., about 140 km north of Estevan, Burton has a BSA in ag economics from the University of Saskatchewan and an MBA from the University of Regina, and has worked for the ag ministry for over 25 years.

His previous roles in the ministry included stints as director for the Crop Development branch and director of the Policy branch.

Koch, who in July will be the first woman to serve as Saskatchewan’s top public servant, was appointed deputy ag minister in 2007.

Koch had previously served as president of the Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance and as executive director of the Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association. She and her husband farm near Edenwold, 45 km northeast of Regina. — AGCanada.com Network

The post Saskatchewan names new deputy ag minister appeared first on Canadian Cattlemen.