The Extensionists

What is the best way to get information to farmers? According to Jolanda Jansen, you should leave out the facts and you shouldn’t tell them what to do. Instead, ask questions. In the 21st episode, and season 2 premier of The Extensionists, co-hosts Jay Whetter and Toban Dyck sit down with Jolanda, a communications consultant and co-owner of St Anna Advies, to talk about her work. She delves into why you should start by asking a question and how you can take your conversations from an eight to a nine.Jolanda shares what she has learned about communications from her days as a ski instructor in Switzerland and why there are deeper emotions tied to the choices we make. Website: https://theextensionists.comX: https://x.com/thextensionistsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/104093329/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563563092114Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theextensionists/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheExtensionistsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theextensionistsBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theextensionists.bsky.social The Extensionists - Conversations with Great Thinkers in Agriculture is a Burr Forest Group production with new episodes airing every other week on Tuesdays. Hosts Toban Dyck and Jay Whetter have in-depth conversations with industry experts, researchers, innovators, and farmers about the latest developments in agriculture and their implications. With a focus on making complex agricultural topics accessible and engaging, The Extensionists bridges the gap between research and farming by connecting the agricultural community to great ideas and thinkers.The Extensionists is produced and edited by Abby Wall, coordinated by Ashley Robinson, and designed by Michelle Houlden.

How did a guy with a degree in dairy genetics end up working for the P.E.I. Potato Board? Ryan Barrett, after a job working in communications with Jersey Canada, found himself back on the island being hired by the P.E.I. Potato Board for his extension background. Over the years, his role morphed into its current form as the Board’s research and agronomist specialist. For Ryan, it has always been about doing work for farmers and connecting with them.In the 20th episode, and season 1 finale of The Extensionists, co-hosts Jay Whetter and Toban Dyck sit down with Ryan to discuss why he didn’t become a veterinarian and how he is still involved in the dairy industry despite working with the Potato Board. He shares how important potatoes are to P.E.I. and discusses his research and extension work with the industry. Ryan talks about how he balances having researchers and fellow growers speak at grower meetings, and if he uses comedy in his extension work. Listen to learn more about the world of potatoes and life in P.E.I. Website: https://theextensionists.comX: https://x.com/thextensionistsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/104093329/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563563092114Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theextensionists/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheExtensionistsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theextensionistsBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theextensionists.bsky.social The Extensionists - Conversations with Great Thinkers in Agriculture is a Burr Forest Group production with new episodes airing every other week on Tuesdays. Hosts Toban Dyck and Jay Whetter have in-depth conversations with industry experts, researchers, innovators, and farmers about the latest developments in agriculture and their implications. With a focus on making complex agricultural topics accessible and engaging, The Extensionists bridges the gap between research and farming by connecting the agricultural community to great ideas and thinkers.The Extensionists is produced and edited by Abby Wall, coordinated by Ashley Robinson, and directed by Ryan Santschi.

John Burns didn’t start out as a farmer. He grew up on one, though. But when he finished high school he was shoed away and encouraged to attend university, which is where he discovered his love of science. This launched him into a career teaching science. After some time - no longer able to resist the call, he started farming in his spare time, always approaching it as a science.Over the years, John has worked with his family to build Windy Poplars Farms near Kandahar, Sask. Through it all, he has used his scientist mind to fastidiously grow crops and care for the land. In the 19th episode, John shares the work he has done over the years on his farm and the role extension services have played in his operation. John talks about everything from how important data collection is to farm management to why you should have regular meetings and do succession planning.Listen to learn more about John and his career as a farmer. Website: https://theextensionists.comX: https://x.com/thextensionistsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/104093329/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563563092114Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theextensionists/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheExtensionistsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theextensionistsBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theextensionists.bsky.social The Extensionists - Conversations with Great Thinkers in Agriculture is a Burr Forest Group production with new episodes airing every other week on Tuesdays. Hosts Toban Dyck and Jay Whetter have in-depth conversations with industry experts, researchers, innovators, and farmers about the latest developments in agriculture and their implications. With a focus on making complex agricultural topics accessible and engaging, The Extensionists bridges the gap between research and farming by connecting the agricultural community to great ideas and thinkers.The Extensionists is produced and edited by Abby Wall, coordinated by Ashley Robinson, and directed by Ryan Santschi.

How do you respond to emergencies? How do you get the correct information out to producers if there's a disease outbreak or natural disaster? On the eighteenth episode, Jenelle Hamblin, director, swine health with Manitoba Pork, joins co-hosts Jay Whetter and Toban Dyck to offer invaluable insights on communications during tense, urgent situations. Jenelle helps pork producers through moments of crisis during disease outbreaks. She makes sure they get the information they need, whether it’s via email, a town hall, or text messages. She also shares how she got into this work from her experiences working with the province of Manitoba during the 2011 flood to growing up on a cattle farm in Fisher Branch, MB.Listen to learn more about Jenelle and the world of crisis communications extension work. Website: https://theextensionists.comX: https://x.com/thextensionistsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/104093329/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563563092114Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theextensionists/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheExtensionistsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theextensionistsBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theextensionists.bsky.social The Extensionists - Conversations with Great Thinkers in Agriculture is a Burr Forest Group production with new episodes airing every other week on Tuesdays. Hosts Toban Dyck and Jay Whetter have in-depth conversations with industry experts, researchers, innovators, and farmers about the latest developments in agriculture and their implications. With a focus on making complex agricultural topics accessible and engaging, The Extensionists bridges the gap between research and farming by connecting the agricultural community to great ideas and thinkers.The Extensionists is produced and edited by Abby Wall, coordinated by Ashley Robinson, and directed by Ryan Santschi.

How did a farm boy from Manitoba end up in Silicon Valley? In the 14th episode, The Extensionists co-hosts Jay Whetter and Toban Dyck sit down with Scott Day, an agronomist and director with Fall Line Capital. Scott and Jay go way back, having grown up on the farms surrounding Dand, MB.In this episode, Scott shares the story of how he went from working in extension for the Manitoba government to working in farm real estate investment and ag tech in San Francisco. He shares the stories of his travels over the years and how those connections lead to his current work. Listen to learn more about Scott and his work at Fall Line Capital, along with the stories of the time he was mistaken for Donny Osmond and his run-in with Catherine Zeta Jones. Website: https://theextensionists.comX: https://x.com/thextensionistsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/104093329/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563563092114Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theextensionists/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheExtensionistsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theextensionistsBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theextensionists.bsky.social The Extensionists - Conversations with Great Thinkers in Agriculture is a Burr Forest Group production with new episodes airing every other week on Tuesdays. Hosts Toban Dyck and Jay Whetter have in-depth conversations with industry experts, researchers, innovators, and farmers about the latest developments in agriculture and their implications. With a focus on making complex agricultural topics accessible and engaging, The Extensionists bridges the gap between research and farming by connecting the agricultural community to great ideas and thinkers.The Extensionists is produced and edited by Abby Wall, coordinated by Ashley Robinson, and directed by Ryan Santschi.

How do you connect with farmers and nurture leadership in the industry? At the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) in the UK, Mark Campbell and his colleagues run a multitude of extension programs to support UK farmers. Mark is the knowledge exchange manager for one of them - AHDB’s AgriLeader Program. In the sixteenth episode, Mark  joins co-hosts Jay Whetter and Toban Dyck to share what AgriLeader is and some of his tactics for reaching farmers across the UK. The three also dive into the intricate world of growing and maintaining football (soccer) turf. Mark shares how a childhood obsession with cows led to his career working in the agriculture industry and how he worked his way up from a general farm labourer to now supporting farm leaders across the UK.Listen to learn more about the program and Mark’s novel extension methods. Website: https://theextensionists.comX: https://x.com/thextensionistsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/104093329/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563563092114Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theextensionists/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheExtensionistsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theextensionistsBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theextensionists.bsky.social The Extensionists - Conversations with Great Thinkers in Agriculture is a Burr Forest Group production with new episodes airing every other week on Tuesdays. Hosts Toban Dyck and Jay Whetter have in-depth conversations with industry experts, researchers, innovators, and farmers about the latest developments in agriculture and their implications. With a focus on making complex agricultural topics accessible and engaging, The Extensionists bridges the gap between research and farming by connecting the agricultural community to great ideas and thinkers.The Extensionists is produced and edited by Abby Wall, coordinated by Ashley Robinson, and directed by Ryan Santschi.

The world of agriculture technology moves fast. Alison Sunstrum, managing partner of NYA Ventures, has been working in ag tech for decades and is now mentoring the next generation of inventors. In the fifteenth episode of The Extensionists, co-hosts Jay Whetter and Toban Dyck, sit down with Alison to discuss all the intricacies of ag tech from funding to the things that are changing the future of agriculture.Alison discusses what is needed to bring innovations to market and the role farmers can play in supporting this. She shares what new technologies there are and the impact they could have on how you farm. Should you be using ChatGPT? Alison has the answers. Listen to learn more about ag tech and the role it could play on your farm in the future. Website: https://theextensionists.comX: https://x.com/thextensionistsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/104093329/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563563092114Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theextensionists/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheExtensionistsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theextensionistsBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theextensionists.bsky.social The Extensionists - Conversations with Great Thinkers in Agriculture is a Burr Forest Group production with new episodes airing every other week on Tuesdays. Hosts Toban Dyck and Jay Whetter have in-depth conversations with industry experts, researchers, innovators, and farmers about the latest developments in agriculture and their implications. With a focus on making complex agricultural topics accessible and engaging, The Extensionists bridges the gap between research and farming by connecting the agricultural community to great ideas and thinkers.The Extensionists is produced and edited by Abby Wall, coordinated by Ashley Robinson, and directed by Ryan Santschi.

In our fourteenth episode of The Extensionists, Diljeet Brar takes us back to his family farm in India, sharing the story of his family’s hundreds of years of farming and how the value his parents placed on education pushed him into the world of agricultural extension. Co-hosts Toban Dyck and Jay Whetter speak with Diljeet about his fascinating, creative, and refreshingly novel approaches to the discipline. Diljeet, the former extension coordinator with Manitoba Agriculture, talks about the role his performing arts background has played in his agricultural extension work. Diljeet views ag extension, in part, as a performance, having used theatre as a tool to extend ag education in the past. Listen to learn more about the opportunities for agricultural extension, including expanding 4-H into urban areas. Website: https://theextensionists.comX: https://x.com/thextensionistsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/104093329/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563563092114Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theextensionists/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheExtensionistsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theextensionistsBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theextensionists.bsky.social The Extensionists - Conversations with Great Thinkers in Agriculture is a Burr Forest Group production with new episodes airing every other week on Tuesdays. Hosts Toban Dyck and Jay Whetter have in-depth conversations with industry experts, researchers, innovators, and farmers about the latest developments in agriculture and their implications. With a focus on making complex agricultural topics accessible and engaging, The Extensionists bridges the gap between research and farming by connecting the agricultural community to great ideas and thinkers.The Extensionists is produced and edited by Abby Wall, coordinated by Ashley Robinson, and directed by Ryan Santschi.

In the thirteenth episode of The Extensionists, co-hosts Toban Dyck and Jay Whetter speak with farmer and retired Manitoba Pulse & Soybean Growers Executive Director Francois Labelle. Francois has had a long and illustrious career in the agriculture industry from working as a grain merchant at Continental Grain travelling the world to running a strawberry u-pick farm — he has done a little bit of everything. The farmer and retired Manitoba Pulse & Soybean Growers executive director shares the part he played in the growth of the Canadian pulse industry and how that translated into his later work as the executive director of the Manitoba Pulse & Soybean Growers. He gives insights on the first Canadian pulse export markets such as Trinidad and the Caribbean. The three talk about everything from Francois’ Hollywood famous mini donkeys to the importance of on-farm research trials. Listen to this episode to learn more.Website: https://theextensionists.comX: https://x.com/thextensionistsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/104093329/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563563092114Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theextensionists/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheExtensionistsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theextensionistsBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theextensionists.bsky.social The Extensionists - Conversations with Great Thinkers in Agriculture is a Burr Forest Group production with new episodes airing every other week on Tuesdays. Hosts Toban Dyck and Jay Whetter have in-depth conversations with industry experts, researchers, innovators, and farmers about the latest developments in agriculture and their implications. With a focus on making complex agricultural topics accessible and engaging, The Extensionists bridges the gap between research and farming by connecting the agricultural community to great ideas and thinkers.The Extensionists is produced and edited by Abby Wall, coordinated by Ashley Robinson, and directed by Ryan Santschi.

David Sauchyn uses tree-ring research to connect with climate change skeptics. And if that alone isn’t interesting enough, he also has other strategies in his toolkit. In the twelfth episode of The Extensionists, co-hosts Toban Dyck and Jay Whetter speak with David, who is the director of the Prairie Adaptation Research Collaborative (PARC) and a professor of geography and environmental studies at the University of Regina. They talk about Dave’s love of hockey and how he is a scientific fan of the Edmonton Oilers. They also discuss his time living in a cabin in the Rocky Mountains and how it led to his career in climate change research.Listen to this episode to learn how David decodes the impact of climate change on the Canadian Prairies, including myth busting if summer is actually getting hotter.Website: https://theextensionists.comX: https://x.com/thextensionistsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/104093329/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563563092114Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theextensionists/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheExtensionistsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theextensionistsBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theextensionists.bsky.social The Extensionists - Conversations with Great Thinkers in Agriculture is a Burr Forest Group production with new episodes airing every other week on Tuesdays. Hosts Toban Dyck and Jay Whetter have in-depth conversations with industry experts, researchers, innovators, and farmers about the latest developments in agriculture and their implications. With a focus on making complex agricultural topics accessible and engaging, The Extensionists bridges the gap between research and farming by connecting the agricultural community to great ideas and thinkers.The Extensionists is produced and edited by Abby Wall, coordinated by Ashley Robinson, and directed by Ryan Santschi.

In the eleventh episode of The Extensionists, co-hosts Toban Dyck and Jay Whetter speak with Justice Acoose, communications specialist with the National Circle for Indigenous Agriculture and Food. In this in-depth conversation, Jay and Toban learn about everything from video game streaming to how the agriculture sector can move towards reconciliation.  Justice shares how she’s working to get more youth involved in agriculture and the importance of community involvement. She talks about her own experience finding her roots and connecting with her Indigenous ancestry. Listen to this episode to learn more about Justice and the work she is doing for Indigenous people in agriculture. Map sharing Indigenous lands mentioned by Justice during the episode: https://native-land.ca Website: https://theextensionists.comX: https://x.com/thextensionistsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/104093329/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563563092114Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theextensionists/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheExtensionistsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theextensionistsBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theextensionists.bsky.social The Extensionists - Conversations with Great Thinkers in Agriculture is a Burr Forest Group production with new episodes airing every other week on Tuesdays. Hosts Toban Dyck and Jay Whetter have in-depth conversations with industry experts, researchers, innovators, and farmers about the latest developments in agriculture and their implications. With a focus on making complex agricultural topics accessible and engaging, The Extensionists bridges the gap between research and farming by connecting the agricultural community to great ideas and thinkers.The Extensionists is produced and edited by Abby Wall, coordinated by Ashley Robinson, and directed by Ryan Santschi.

In the tenth episode of The Extensionists, co-hosts Toban Dyck and Jay Whetter speak with Manitoba Pulse & Soybean Growers Executive Director Daryl Domitruk. In this wide-ranging interview, the three of them get to the heart of what agriculture extension is and how it seems to have fallen by the wayside these days. Or has it… Daryl shares how extension is a two-way street and to do it right you need to take the time to listen and understand before you present. He also discusses how extension can help farmers handle the ever growing list of expectations being placed (and sometimes imposed) on them. Listen to this episode to learn more about Daryl and what the future of research extension could be. Website: https://theextensionists.comX: https://x.com/thextensionistsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/104093329/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563563092114Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theextensionists/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheExtensionistsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theextensionistsThe Extensionists - Conversations with Great Thinkers in Agriculture is a Burr Forest Group production with new episodes airing every other week on Tuesdays. Hosts Toban Dyck and Jay Whetter have in-depth conversations with industry experts, researchers, innovators, and farmers about the latest developments in agriculture and their implications. With a focus on making complex agricultural topics accessible and engaging, The Extensionists bridges the gap between research and farming by connecting the agricultural community to great ideas and thinkers.The Extensionists is produced and edited by Abby Wall, coordinated by Ashley Robinson, and directed by Ryan Santschi.

In the ninth episode of The Extensionists, co-hosts Toban Dyck and Jay Whetter speak with Beef Cattle Research Council Extension and Communications Director Tracy Herbert. Stemming from a lifetime of exposure and genuine interest, Tracy’s knowledge of cattle and everything related is comprehensive and comfortable. She grew up on a mixed cattle and grain farm in Saskatchewan, and her parents were involved in the development of the Speckle Park cattle breed. During this episode Tracy talks about how the Canadian Beef Knowledge Technology Transfer Network was created and the research extension gap that it fills for producers. Tracy also shares how she found her way back to working in the ag industry after studying psychology (and communications) in university. Listen to this episode to learn more about Tracy and the work that she is doing to help the Canadian beef industry. Website: https://theextensionists.comX: https://x.com/thextensionistsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/104093329/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563563092114Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theextensionists/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheExtensionistsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theextensionistsThe Extensionists - Conversations with Great Thinkers in Agriculture is a Burr Forest Group production with new episodes airing every other week on Tuesdays. Hosts Toban Dyck and Jay Whetter have in-depth conversations with industry experts, researchers, innovators, and farmers about the latest developments in agriculture and their implications. With a focus on making complex agricultural topics accessible and engaging, The Extensionists bridges the gap between research and farming by connecting the agricultural community to great ideas and thinkers.The Extensionists is produced and edited by Abby Wall, coordinated by Ashley Robinson, and directed by Ryan Santschi.

In the eighth episode of The Extensionists, co-hosts Toban Dyck and Jay Whetter chat with Jeff Schoenau, professor of soil fertility and the Saskatchewan Agriculture Ministry chair in soil nutrient management at the University of Saskatchewan. Jeff - otherwise known as Dr. Dirt - is passionate about soil health. In this wide-ranging interview, he divulges his inspiration for studying soil sciences and talks about what has kept him in the industry over the years.What can you do about phosphorus and calcium in your soil? Dr. Dirt has the answers. Jeff will instill in you a love of nutrient management and you’ll also come away with tips on how to keep a crowd engaged when speaking. Listen to this episode to learn more about the world of soil science and what Jeff gets up to on his family farm near Central Butte, Sask. Listen wherever you get your podcasts, and don’t forget to share, rate, and leave a comment to help grow our audience.Website: https://theextensionists.comX: https://x.com/thextensionistsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/104093329/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563563092114Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theextensionists/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheExtensionistsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theextensionistsThe Extensionists - Conversations with Great Thinkers in Agriculture is a Burr Forest Group production with new episodes airing every other week on Tuesdays. Hosts Toban Dyck and Jay Whetter have in-depth conversations with industry experts, researchers, innovators, and farmers about the latest developments in agriculture and their implications. With a focus on making complex agricultural topics accessible and engaging, The Extensionists bridges the gap between research and farming by connecting the agricultural community to great ideas and thinkers.The Extensionists is produced and edited by Abby Wall, coordinated by Ashley Robinson, and directed by Ryan Santschi.

With the holiday season upon us, The Extensionists hosts Toban Dyck and Jay Whetter decided to take a break from interviewing the great thinkers of agriculture and instead share a reimagined Christmas poem with you, our dear listeners. So curl up by the fireplace and listen to The Extensionists version of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas. Happy holidays to your and yours from the team here at The Extensionists and tune in on Jan. 7 for our first episode of the New Year!Website: https://theextensionists.comX: https://x.com/thextensionistsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/104093329/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563563092114Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theextensionists/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheExtensionistsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theextensionistsThe Extensionists - Conversations with Great Thinkers in Agriculture is a Burr Forest Group production with new episodes airing every other week on Tuesdays. Hosts Toban Dyck and Jay Whetter have in-depth conversations with industry experts, researchers, innovators, and farmers about the latest developments in agriculture and their implications. With a focus on making complex agricultural topics accessible and engaging, The Extensionists bridges the gap between research and farming by connecting the agricultural community to great ideas and thinkers.The Extensionists is produced and edited by Abby Wall, coordinated by Ashley Robinson, and directed by Ryan Santschi.

In the sixth episode of The Extensionists, co-hosts Toban Dyck and Jay Whetter chat with  University of Manitoba professor and soil scientist Afua Mante. Afua’s fervor and perspective on soil breathe new life into a topic foundational to a successful ag sector. In this episode, Afua likens soil structure to the frame of a house with many rooms. Like in a house, compact rooms are hard to work in, and in general, we protect our homes with roofs and deadbolts. For Afua, the same can be said of soils: compaction compromises productivity, and farmers benefit from protecting their soil houses and the many important rooms within. Listen and learn about how farmers can protect the integrity of their soil houses, as well as hear more about Afua’s passion for ag extension and the journey that brought her to Manitoba. Also, Afua campaigned for higher education standards as a youth and her telling of that story will make you smile. Website: https://theextensionists.comX: https://x.com/thextensionistsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/104093329/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563563092114Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theextensionists/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheExtensionistsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theextensionistsThe Extensionists - Conversations with Great Thinkers in Agriculture is a Burr Forest Group production with new episodes airing every other week on Tuesdays. Hosts Toban Dyck and Jay Whetter have in-depth conversations with industry experts, researchers, innovators, and farmers about the latest developments in agriculture and their implications. With a focus on making complex agricultural topics accessible and engaging, The Extensionists bridges the gap between research and farming by connecting the agricultural community to great ideas and thinkers.The Extensionists is produced and edited by Abby Wall, coordinated by Ashley Robinson, and directed by Ryan Santschi.

In the fifth episode of The Extensionists, co-hosts Toban Dyck and Jay Whetter chat with AAFC Lacombe research scientist Breanne Tidemann. Breanne is a self proclaimed weed nerd and creator of #WeedIDWednesday, an extension tool that uses social media to make weed education and identification more accessible. In this episode, Breanne shares all about what weeds she battles in Lacombe, including Kochia. Breanne also shares just how crafty weeds can be and how they ‘punk’ us by always finding a way to adapt through generations and overcome herbicides. So settle in and get ready to decorate your kochia Christmas tree while listening to this engaging conversation. Website: https://theextensionists.comX: https://x.com/thextensionistsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/104093329/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563563092114Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theextensionists/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheExtensionistsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theextensionistsThe Extensionists - Conversations with Great Thinkers in Agriculture is a Burr Forest Group production with new episodes airing every other week on Tuesdays. Hosts Toban Dyck and Jay Whetter have in-depth conversations with industry experts, researchers, innovators, and farmers about the latest developments in agriculture and their implications. With a focus on making complex agricultural topics accessible and engaging, The Extensionists bridges the gap between research and farming by connecting the agricultural community to great ideas and thinkers.The Extensionists is produced and edited by Abby Wall, coordinated by Ashley Robinson, and directed by Ryan Santschi.

In the fourth episode of The Extensionists, co-hosts Toban Dyck and Jay Whetter chat with former high school teacher and current University of Calgary associate professor Paul Galpern. Paul’s love of insects is contagious, and he thinks farmers should embrace the “messy” parts of the vocation. He makes a convincing, impassioned case.In this episode, Paul talks about his involvement with the Prairie Precision Sustainability Network, which works with farmers to identify and share data related to the low-yielding areas in their fields. The Network enables farmers to strategically add “mess” to these unproductive regions to improve economic and ecological outcomes on their farms. The Prairie Precision Sustainability Network which Paul is part of: https://www.prairiepsn.ca/Website: https://theextensionists.comX: https://x.com/thextensionistsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/104093329/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563563092114Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theextensionists/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheExtensionistsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theextensionistsThe Extensionists - Conversations with Great Thinkers in Agriculture is a Burr Forest Group production with new episodes airing every other week on Tuesdays. Hosts Toban Dyck and Jay Whetter have in-depth conversations with industry experts, researchers, innovators, and farmers about the latest developments in agriculture and their implications. With a focus on making complex agricultural topics accessible and engaging, The Extensionists bridges the gap between research and farming by connecting the agricultural community to great ideas and thinkers.The Extensionists is produced and edited by Abby Wall, coordinated by Ashley Robinson, and directed by Ryan Santschi.

In the third episode of The Extensionists, co-hosts Toban Dyck and Jay Whetter chat with one of the “fathers of canola” Keith Downey. Back in the ‘60s and ‘70s, while working with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Saskatoon, Keith was instrumental in creating the crop we now know as canola – Canada’s most valuable crop.In this episode, Keith talks about the science, policy and the business team effort to develop the canola industry ecosystem, and how oilseed processor J. Gordon Ross saved the day. Keith, Toban and Jay also discuss what it would take to bring another canola-like revolution to the Canadian agriculture landscape.Website: https://theextensionists.comX: https://x.com/thextensionistsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/104093329/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563563092114Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theextensionists/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheExtensionistsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theextensionistsThe Extensionists - Conversations with Great Thinkers in Agriculture is a Burr Forest Group production with new episodes airing every other week on Tuesdays. Hosts Toban Dyck and Jay Whetter have in-depth conversations with industry experts, researchers, innovators, and farmers about the latest developments in agriculture and their implications. With a focus on making complex agricultural topics accessible and engaging, The Extensionists bridges the gap between research and farming by connecting the agricultural community to great ideas and thinkers.The Extensionists is produced and edited by Abby Wall, coordinated by Ashley Robinson, and directed by Ryan Santschi.

In this second episode of The Extensionists, co-hosts Toban Dyck and Jay Whetter sit down with Marla Riekman, soil management specialist with Manitoba Agriculture. Marla is passionate about all things soil, but her journey to becoming a soil expert wasn’t always a straight line. From her nerdy high school days immersed in science and music, to her brief flirtation with entomology, Marla eventually found her calling in soil science—although, as she says, she never would have believed it back then.Marla talks about the evolving conversation around soil health, what it’s like to work with farmers, and even shares a few laughs along the way (we spend some time talking about burritos). It’s an engaging conversation full of insight and humour that you won’t want to miss!Thank you to our sponsor SaskOilSeeds!Website: https://theextensionists.comX: https://x.com/thextensionistsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/104093329/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563563092114Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theextensionists/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheExtensionistsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theextensionistsThe Extensionists - Conversations with Great Thinkers in Agriculture is a Burr Forest Group production with new episodes airing every other week. Hosts Toban Dyck and Jay Whetter have in-depth conversations with industry experts, researchers, innovators, and farmers about the latest developments in agriculture and their implications. With a focus on making complex agricultural topics accessible and engaging, The Extensionists bridges the gap between research and farming by connecting the agricultural community to great ideas and thinkers.The Extensionists is produced and edited by Abby Wall, coordinated by Ashley Robinson, and directed by Ryan Santschi.