Every facet of the seed industry represents different things to different people. We look at what the forage sector means to six people who love it. Fourth up is…
Terry Ewacha. He started with Pickseed in 1984. Upon graduation from the University of Manitoba, he was hired as a field rep and moved up to production manager and eventually to his current position of executive vice-president of wholesale and western operations.
For Ewacha, a big challenge facing the forage sector isn’t always commodity prices or other factors that are actively controlled by humans, but rather something that humanity is grappling with that is a lot more difficult to get a handle on.
“Climate change is dictating what crops/varieties can be grown consistently. As far as supplying our customers the right products at the right time, certainly that is something we strive for but can’t always achieve due to external forces beyond our control. But at the same time, we’ve got to adapt and adjust our plans to ensure that we have the best products to cover the ever-changing needs of our customers. The logistics of that are huge,” he says.
But alas, it’s human beings who will ultimately decide the ending of the climate change story, and Ewacha worries that the industry is having a tough time attracting new blood to help do that.
Network, Network, Network
According to Ewacha, you have to leverage your experience to see where the trends are going in order to guide your business.
“What will the marketplace want? Having a global network is essential to knowing that. Modern technology allows DLF to bring new products to the market at a greater rate, but there’s no substitute for having those long-standing trusted relationships.”
Create the Right Team
“People on your team have got to have a desire and passion to win and an ability to contribute to the team as a whole. I am very fortunate in that the vast majority of the people on our staff have 10 years’ or more experience and definitely contribute to our success globally.”
For more forage seed influencers go here.
