b'Wes Woods retired in the summer of 2021, after making a career of mentoring and connecting agricultural sales reps across the province of Saskatchewan. For close to 20 years, he served as the Saskatchewan marketing rep for SeCan.Woods worked the first half of his career for Westco Fertilizer, promoting direct seeding and coaching fertilizer retailers on business and marketing. Over that time, he honed his agronomic knowledge and completed Certified Crop Advisor certification. Over his career he has been a wealth of knowledge for soil fertil-ity for all that work with him, says Lauren Wensley, northern Saskatchewan marketing rep for SeCan. In his role for SeCan, Woods tirelessly promoted SeCan vari-eties, coached and mentored new staff and seed growers and championed pedigreed seed across the province.When it was go time, Wes was all in whether it was plot tours, trade shows, meals in the field for SeCan members at harvest, or driving truck to deliver stock seed to members during the busy spring rush, Wensley says. To say Wes was connected in the industry is an understate-mentat seed industry meetings he knew everyone in the room, Michael Patten their spouse and all their kids. Wes also knew every back road, Age: 65|Location: Alberta rural hotel and restaurant in the province.For Woods, it was all about ensuring a Known for: Being a motivator SeCan was a positive place to be for both employees and customers.Michael Patten has mentored many peopleThe workplace is a lot in the ag industryso many that it wouldhealthier when people work be tough to list them all, but farmers, seedtogether and share informa-growers and seed processing personneltion and strategies and ideas number among them.with others, rather than In the 12 years I have known Michaelkeeping things to them-he has been a mentor to me personally byselves, he says.giving me a job at the Lougheed Co-op Seed Cleaning Plant starting out as the broom boy at the plant. He was great at both training and keeping a person moti- Wes Woodsvated while at work, pushing me to aimAge: 67higher by getting both my seed grader and pesticide applicator licenses, says JeremyLocation: SaskatchewanSimpson, who now serves as manager atKnown for: Knowing the seed cleaning plant in Lougheed, Alta.the lay of the land He has a willingness to help and give literallypeople a chance to grow by sharing his knowledge and giving them the tools and opportunities that they need to succeed.Patten, who retired in 2019 but still helps out at the Lougheed plant, says to succeed in seed cleaning, you have to have a pas-sion for it.Its not always about money; you have to look at the overall value that the job brings you. It allows you a lot of free time during the off season to do things that you dont normally do in a nine-to-five job, he says. SEPTEMBER 2022GERMINATION.CA 17'