b'What role does diversity and inclusivity play into have a room full of all the layers of Seeds Canada? management of the corporations and the The great thing about bringing together allcompanies and the people that you want these organizations is the depth of char- to talk to. Thats what Im looking forward acter and abilities that were going to haveto the most, and thats what Ive seen in Eric McLean from all four organizations to be able tothe past when weve had combined meet-Seeds Canada tackle the issues. And were not going toings of the growers and seed trade.Vice-President/J.S. Henry have to rely on the talent pool from just & Son Owner one as we have in the past.What made you want to be on the board?After a brief three years in theIt goes back about five or six years ago, I feed business, Eric began hisHow do you envision working with growers,was finishing off my presidency and going career at JS Henry & Son.not just seed growers, but growers in general,into my past presidency of the Manitoba The business has grown fromfarmer customers? How do you envision work- Seed Growers Association. I was one of 3,000 acres and processinging with them to advocate for policy objectivesthe people to put up my hand and say 150,000 bushels annually, tonationally? we need to work more closely with the a 6,500-acre stock seed farmWere trying to improve and increaseCanadian Seed Trade Association and that contracts around 20,000the ability of our members to be able toformally work toward an amalgamation. acres and processes 750,000market their seed products. One of theFor me its kind of a put-up-or-shut-up bushels annually. Seeds Canada legacy organizations haskind of mentality, to be blunt. Im in this a lobbying wing that was trying to makeall the way. I think it comes from when I sure that we have open market access.went away to university when I was a kid. I am a member of the Canadian SeedI sat in those rooms with the same people Growers Association, but CSGA has nothat are managing seed companies now. mandate to lobby on behalf of seed grow- Theyre all aggies, and they all inherently ers. But seed growers are always talkingwanted to be a part of the industry. From about business, what were going to growmy perspective, theres not much differen-next year, how were going to grow it, howtiation between them and me. much to grow, how to market it. Thats the big unifying factor herewere still going to be able to have all these different people looking at things from a perspec-tive of trade, seed health, intellectual prop-erty and quality assurance and operationalI SEE THOSE CHANGES COMING efficiency.QUICKER THAN SOME DO.What are the benefits of having all those people around the table?These are the things that are going to keep carrying us forward as seed growers. If youre a grower whos trying to branch out,How does regulatory modernization factor youre going to be trying to find somebodyinto this for you?whos going to sell that extra bit of seedA big reason for this merger in the first for you, maybe a marketing contact inplace is to buffer ourselves against the the East versus the West. Or maybe its anwhims of changes in government. If fund-overseas connection, or maybe you wanting gets cut for something, whos going to bounce your ideas off of the CEO ofto take up the responsibility? I see those one of the companies youve been tryingchanges coming quicker than some do. We to work with. A lot of the time when youknow that in a post-COVID environment, go to regional meetings, you usually dealtheres not going to be money for a lot of with a regional rep, and ideas only flowthe programs that we know and love. With so far up the chain. When you come toSeeds Canada, the right people are in the a Seeds Canada meeting, youre goingroom to figure out solutions to that.MARCH 2021 GERMINATION.CA 45'