Deadline for Alta. wheat and barley farmers to vote on merger approaching

Oct 26, 2022

Farmers have until Nov. 1 at noon to cast a vote

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

Alberta wheat and barley farmers only have about one week left to vote on a potential merger.

“There’s still time to cast your vote and make your voice heard as to whether or not you support the Alberta Wheat Commission (AWC) and Alberta Barley amalgamating into a single crop commission,” the organizations said in a joint statement.

Barley and wheat producers have until Nov. 1 at noon to vote.

Voting can be completed online or by phone.

Farmers who haven’t received a letter and PIN allowing them to cast a ballot should call 1-844-807-5762 or send an email to plebiscites2022@mnp.ca.

Voting is open to farmers who have paid a levy on wheat or barley sales from Jan. 1, 2020, to April 30, 2022.

A farmer who produces both crops can vote twice – one for each crop organization.

If both votes result in support of amalgamation, new regulations will be created for the changes to take effect.

Both crop commissions, the Alberta Agricultural Products Marketing Council and the provincial government must approve the changes.

If either of the crop commissions vote against amalgamation, the current structure will not change.

The journey towards amalgamation between the two crop organizations began in 2017.

In September of that year, Tom Steve, general manager of AWC, became interim general manager of Alberta Barley for a four-month trial period to determine if amalgamation is viable.

This decision came after board members recognized multiple areas of overlap between AWC and Alberta Barley.

In November 2018 at the AWC meeting in Strathmore, members passed a resolution calling for Alberta Barley to explore a formal merger.

In October and November 2021, 71 per cent of polled barley and wheat farmers voted in favour of the idea of amalgamation.

In December 2021 and January 2022, respectively, both crop organizations passed a motion to conduct a plebiscite about a merger.

Video: From Conventional to Regenerative: Will Groeneveld’s Journey Back to the Land

"You realize you've got a pretty finite number of years to do this. If you ever want to try something new, you better do it."

That mindset helped Will Groeneveld take a bold turn on his Alberta grain farm. A lifelong farmer, Will had never heard of regenerative agriculture until 2018, when he attended a seminar by Kevin Elmy that shifted his worldview. What began as curiosity quickly turned into a deep exploration of how biology—not just chemistry—shapes the health of our soils, crops and ecosystems.

In this video, Will candidly reflects on his family’s farming history, how the operation evolved from a traditional mixed farm to grain-only, and how the desire to improve the land pushed him to invite livestock back into the rotation—without owning a single cow.

Today, through creative partnerships and a commitment to the five principles of regenerative agriculture, Will is reintroducing diversity, building soil health and extending living roots in the ground for as much of the year as possible. Whether it’s through intercropping, zero tillage (which he’s practiced since the 1980s) or managing forage for visiting cattle, Will’s approach is a testament to continuous learning and a willingness to challenge old norms.

Will is a participant in the Regenerative Agriculture Lab (RAL), a social innovation process bringing together producers, researchers, retailers and others to co-create a resilient regenerative agriculture system in Alberta. His story highlights both the potential and humility required to farm with nature, not against it.