In Canada’s North, growers aren’t chasing scale—they’re searching for the right genetics. As 
climate change reshapes agriculture, that mindset is attracting new attention. By Marc Zienkiewicz
Fish. Both she and Vangal addressed 
delegates attending the Canadian Seed 
Growers’ Association annual meeting in 
Whitehorse in July.
That emphasis on genetics reflects a 
reality northern producers know well: 
management can only compensate so 
much if the variety isn’t suited to the 
environment.
A Different Definition of Innovation
The conversation in Whitehorse high­
lighted a version of agricultural inno­
vation that looks very different from 
precision agriculture or autonomous 
Yukon Agricultural Association Executive Director Hanna Fish and president Cain Vangal 
addressed attendees of the Canadian Seed Growers’ Association meeting in Whitehorse.
machinery. Innovation in the North 
often begins with identifying plant 
material from regions with similar 
climates.
Vangal points to growers looking 
to places such as Siberia and Norway 
for ideas, while also experimenting 
with greenhouse production, irriga­
tion strategies and production systems 
adapted specifically to northern 
conditions. 
“It’s identifying other areas that 
are similar,” Vangal says. “Seeing 
where your problems are similar and 
doing something totally different.” 
IN OUR INDUSTRY,  bigger is usually 
better. Bigger farms. Bigger yields. 
Bigger equipment. 
The Yukon doesn’t have that 
luxury.
With growing seasons that can 
last as little as 60 days and less than 
two per cent of the territory suitable 
for conventional farming, success 
depends less on acres than on finding 
crops and genetics that can survive 
where few others can. 
“We’re not limited by what we 
can grow here,” Yukon Agricultural 
Association President Cain Vangal 
says. “We’re limited by the scale at 
which we can do it.” 
That distinction has become 
increasingly important as climate 
variability forces breeders and seed 
developers to think differently about 
adaptation.
Throughout the Yukon, produc­
ers spend years identifying varieties 
capable of thriving in northern condi­
tions. One potato producer eventu­
ally settled on a Siberian variety after 
testing numerous alternatives. Others 
rely on cold-tolerant genetics, careful 
seed selection and maturity timing to 
ensure crops finish before early frosts 
arrive. 
“Seed selection is a critical ele­
ment when deciding which crops 
to grow,” says Yukon Agricultural 
Association executive director Hanna 
HOW DO FARMERS THRIVE IN ONE OF CANADA’S 
TOUGHEST ENVIRONMENTS? GENETICS
18   SEEDWORLD.COM/CANADA   SEPTEMBER 2026

View this content as a flipbook by clicking here.