A full-capacity Seed School in Winnipeg set the stage for July’s Annual Meeting in Saskatoon, where industry leaders will come together to shape the future of Canada’s seed sector.

In February, I had the opportunity to attend Seed School 2026 in Winnipeg — and I’ll be honest, I may have learned as much as anyone in the room.

We capped this year’s class at 28 participants and were thrilled to reach capacity. We paired classroom sessions with tours of the CGC technical areas (labs, mill, bakery) to better understand how breeders are bringing end use traits together with agronomic traits to offer better seed to farmers and buyers of Canadian grain. We toured a seed lab, seed treatment plant and a seed grower’s innovative farm. 

That diversity made the conversations richer. People weren’t just learning from the program content; they were learning from each other. Sitting in on those discussions and hearing the questions, insights, and “aha” moments was one of the highlights for me.

For those unfamiliar, Seed School — developed in partnership with Cereals Canada — is designed to walk participants through the Canadian seed system from end to end. 

Many participants commented on the sheer depth and breadth of the system — the licensing, the regulatory oversight, the quality assurance processes, and the coordination required across multiple organizations. There was a genuine “wow” factor as people saw how all the pieces fit together to uphold the integrity of Canada’s seed system.

I’m relatively new to Seeds Canada, having joined the team in July of last year. Today, my partner and I farm just shy of 5,000 acres in Saskatchewan. I came into this role with strong insight into the farming side of seed but less exposure to the regulatory and structural intricacies behind the scenes. Seed School helped connect those dots for me. It reinforced how critical a strong, coordinated system is. 

Help Us Grow Together in Saskatoon

We’re now turning our attention to our 2026 Annual Meeting, taking place July 6-8 in Saskatoon, Sask., at the downtown conference centre. This year’s theme is “Growing Together, Emerging Stronger.” It reflects exactly what we experienced at Seed School — the power of bringing different perspectives together and engaging in meaningful dialogue that moves us forward.

We’re planning a robust program that will include panel discussions, fireside chat-style conversations, and dedicated time for our member committees to meet in person. We’re hoping to have some producer representation in the audience too, taking advantage of being in the centre of western Canadian farm country. We’re also looking forward to welcoming our new CEO, Dan Wright, to his first annual meeting with Seeds Canada. 

Registration is expected to open mid- to late March, and we’ll be sharing more details soon.

If Seed School reminded us of the strength of our system, the AGM is where we come together to shape its future. I hope you’ll join us in Saskatoon as we continue growing together — and emerging stronger. Visit the Seeds Canada website to register.