The Smaller Potato Became the Answer "One of the more powerful blessings I experienced was the blissful ignorance I had of the potato industry. Because of this I believed there was nothing I couldn’t do, nothing I couldn’t change." By Catalina Margulis Twenty-five years ago, Angela Santiago fell in love with potatoes and wanted to make delicious, healthy food. Now she is the successful [...]
A force to be reckoned with in the wine industry “The biggest challenge of managing a business is managing the people. Even though it’s easier to do it yourself, team members can bring something new to the table. Give people the room, allow people to make mistakes.” By Phil Norton Viticulture is Latin for wine-growing, and when you say it like that it’s clearly [...]
Get your ducks in a row! “The willingness to work together and ability to be open is critical to our success,” Debbie Conzelmann says. “None of us on our own would be as incredible as we are together.” By Catalina Margulis Although Debbi Conzelmann and her three sisters were born and raised on their family farm in Stouffville, Ontario, they did not intentionally plan [...]
Redefining success, Growing things she loves Vicki Emlaw knows what success means — growing heirloom tomatoes and working barefoot in the soil. She went to the top of her game and to the bottom to find it. Now she runs a gardening operation that pays and makes her happy — on her terms. By Phil Norton It’s near the end of the Ontario winter, [...]
From Columbia to Shaunavon – A high octane connection. By Catalina Margulis In a very small town called Shaunavon in Saskatchewan, a young woman dared to dream. After 14 years of cooking and waiting tables in restaurants, Kelsey Dawn Hedstrom finally decided to open her own eatery, the first of its kind in her town. This is where she grew up and has lived [...]
Making connections that matter Marketing and communications professional Jenn Norrie on the value of mentorship and building your network in creating your ideal career By Piper Whelan When Jenn Norrie shares how she built her rewarding career, her involvement in a specific extracurricular activity plays a supporting role early in her story. While studying agricultural economics and marketing at the University of Saskatchewan, Norrie [...]
Take Charge of Your Career with Confidence Two hiring managers share what to know when pursuing your dream career, no matter the stage of the game By Piper Whelan Jenny Ose When Jenny Ose interviews applicants for a position with John Deere, she finds many haven’t thought about their career beyond the job they’ve applying for. “For some people, they think it’s [...]
Liquid Gold - Koopmans Mountain Maple Being the best in the business certainly requires dedication to perfection, yet it doesn't take away from Carrie Koopmans’ main priority. By Phil Norton For Carrie Koopmans the road to success isn't paved with gold. In fact, the side road through their family's farm is a bumpy, muddy lane where you better have four-wheel drive just after snow-melt. [...]
Waking up and doing what you love By Myrna Stark Leader | Photo Credit: Sarah McAtee Until 2019, Janel Delage’s life resembled an agricultural Hallmark movie. As a youngster actively involved in farm life on her parent’s grain farm at Ridgedale, Sask., she had the confidence to follow her goals. “My parents said, ‘You can do whatever you want to do,’ and really meant [...]
Bringing her experience to the table Rancher Cherie Copithorne-Barnes discusses the diverse opportunities that have shaped her perspectives when taking on leadership roles By Piper Whelan When Cherie Copithorne-Barnes first served on an industry organization board in her early 20s, she already possessed a wealth of knowledge in working through difficult situations. After going through the ordeal of being publicly sued by neighbours over range [...]