KPPA hires new general manager

May 17, 2023

The Keystone Potato Producers Association board has a new general manager.

Susan Ainsworth is replacing Dan Sawatzky effective September 1, 2023.

Sawatzky will be working with Ainsworth over the next few months which will help with a smoother transition.

He says her past experience and exposure within the potato industry make her a perfect choice.

Ainsworth has worked in various roles within the potato industry in Manitoba over the past 26 years and has experience at numerous levels including retail, government, post-secondary education, industry and on-farm.

She has a bachelor of science in agriculture from the University of Manitoba and recently completed a master’s in business administration from the Shannon School of Business at Cape Breton University.

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Video: WEBINAR: Protecting Sm1: New Research on Wheat Midge Resistance with Dr. Tyler Wist

Watch Dr. Tyler Wist, Research Scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Saskatoon as he shared insights into his funded wheat research project under the Sustainable Canadian Agriculture Partnership. This funded research targets wheat midge and its parasitoids across the western Canadian Prairies. Funding from a previous CAP resulted in the discovery of a mechanism behind oviposition deterrence (preventing insects from laying eggs) in several wheat varieties. Through ongoing surveying, Dr. Wist and his team are determining what factors impact where wheat midge lay eggs and what varieties have better genetic response to wheat midge pressure. Dr. Wist shared how his research will dig into continued breeding initiatives, and what additional control methods are being produced beyond the Sm1 gene.

•Funding Partners:

•Sustainable Canadian Agriculture Partnership

•Government of Canada

•Alberta Grains

•Canadian Field Crop Research Alliance

•Manitoba Crop Alliance

•Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission

•Western Grains Research Foundation