b'though I havent been able to [com- happened before, so that means thating are in the works in the form of municate] with them like I used towe have a lot more influence on anwebinars. These webinars will focus under CSAAC, they havent beeninternational level to work with ouron seed testing content, providing forgotten about, says Erickson. partners. analysts with the tools and informa-For Monica Garcia, seed qual- This international reach is some- tion they need to remain at the top of ity testing lab manager at Cortevathing that members of CSAACtheir craft and enhance their profes-Agriscience, there is a clear line ofyearned for, yet were not able tosional development.communication between members andreach with the funds and capabili- How much are we really pushing outside organizations, which she seesties that oftentimes hinder smallerfor innovation and technology and as a great benefit of the amalgamation. organizations. While the internationalmaking our lives as analysts easier? Its very easy to start a conver- collaborations are an enormous moveIf every solution, or every idea that it sation when you are a member ofin the right direction, the internalbrings, makes things easier and more Seeds Canada. Theres close con- connections that have been madeaccessible, I love that. Its a great tact between Seeds Canada and thethrough the formation of Seedsinitiative, says Garcia on the member Canadian Food Inspection AgencyCanada shouldnt be overlooked,portal and future workshops.(CFIA), which makes our conversa- according to Bartel. Seed analysts will soon be able tions pretty easy. Its a very goodThe amount of knowledge thatto see the benefits with the upcom-two-way flow of conversation. WhenI gain from just talking to othering professional development con-we need something, have a questionSeeds Canada members or being ontent, both virtual and in-person. or want to change something, wecommittee meetings that I usuallyOne webinar has already been have support from Seeds Canada,wouldnt have access to as a seedannounced.she says in an interview. analyst has been absolutely invalu- When CSAAC originally voted on able to me, he shares. It opens thethe amalgamation, this was part of Seeds Canada Provides an Internationaldoor to a better understanding acrossthe package that analysts wanted out Voice for Analysts the board, and what other sectionsof thisjust having more training Another significant benefit offeredof the industry do. That way, we canopportunities for analysts. Being able to the analysts, through being a parthopefully find better compromisesto get more professional develop-of a larger organization like Seedsbetween all the partners that arement, and even elevate the quality Canada, comes in the form of theinvolved and make the Canadianof that professional development, is integration into new spaces thatseed sector the leading voice, notextremely important to seed ana-CSAAC alone would not have had theonly within Canada, but globally. lysts, says Bartel.opportunity to do. Because of SeedsHe believes that the wait will be Canada, Canadian seed analysts areTraining Opportunities are on themore than worth it, as these benefits now represented as an organizationHorizon begin to come to fruition through the for the first time at the InternationalOne of the most exciting initiativesorganization.Seed Testing Association (ISTA) andSeeds Canada has in the pipeline forEverybody at Seeds Canadacontinue to be at the Association ofanalysts is webinar training oppor- be it the staff or the volunteers that Official Seed Analysts (AOSA) andtunities and a new member portal.run this organizationhave put an the Society of Commercial SeedWith the member portal, Seedsabsolutely enormous amount of work Technologists (SCST), for example. Canada can send direct communica- into creating this organization and The analysts now have a chancetions to the analysts, sharing impor- how it runs today. It has been grow-to be a little more present on antant content with them promptlying and growing. Obviously, with international stagemay it be in theand efficiently. In addition, for thean organization that is amalgamated U.S., or may it be completely inter- continuing education (CE) program,from several different organizations, nationally. I was very thrilled when IErickson plans to update the cur- there is a lot of structure that comes heard that Seeds Canada was invitedrent program. The member portalwith those legacy organizations that to the ISTA executive committeewill be used to track CE points andhave to fit into the new one. This is meeting this year, says Janek Bartel,all current points will be transferredto be expectedbut Im confident laboratory manager at SGS Canadainto it, making it easier for analyststhat Seeds Canada will continue to and Seeds Canada Seed Testingto submit and track points, sheincrease the number and quality of and Quality Assurance Committeeexplains. benefits available to seed analysts, member, in an interview. Its neverMore programming and train- adds Bartel. 16GERMINATION.CAMARCH 2023'