Nexeed Inc – Equipment solutions for Canadian grain & seed processors. Your Local Cimbria Dealer. Equipment sales, color sorters, spare parts, training, or plant design contact Nexeed to learn more. 204 982 3531 NEXEED.CA WHEN HE FIRST started out with Alberta Agriculture, it was in a forage special- ist position. He worked in pasture, hay, silage management along with forage seed production. But as government departments went through changes, he got a little more specialized in his job. About 12 years ago he started working in forage seed specifically, and in an industry that’s faced chal- lenges over the years, he sees things as being on an upswing. “Most of the provinces now have a forage seed commission in place, and they’re great to work with. There is also some stability in funding to carry out research trials, coordinate research, extension activity and things like that. From my point of view, that’s huge because it gives you a stable environment to work in,” he says. “The forage seed industry is really small compared to a lot of the other commodity-type crops. One area that I spend a lot of time in is minor use regis- trations of herbicides and weed control studies in grass and legume seed crops. Herbicide companies really don’t conduct this type of work. The market is too small. We’ve seen improvements in seed quality and improved seed yields because of that type of work.” Find Your Niche “I think we might see a more stable level of forage seed acres and maybe not the swings we have been seeing in the past number of years. Farms are growing so large that the large farmers are pretty much sticking with their annual crops: canola, wheat, peas. They’re not really going to take the time or the effort for the most part to grow forage seed crops. I think that gives some of the smaller farms a nice opportunity to grow more of a high- value crop that fits in quite well even with their annual traditional cropping systems.” Don’t be Afraid to Specialize “I think growers will become very focused and special- ized in growing forage seed crops. I think at the end of the day any work I do or any work in the industry is always about improving the quality of the forage seed we grow, getting good, stable yields, and obviously higher yields, too.” …inspiring new business models. Calvin Yoder Forage Seed Crops Agrologist Alberta Agriculture and Forestry Spirit River, Alta. 34 GERMINATION.CA JANUARY 2019