The Water Security Agency Offering Free Workshops, Helping Farmers Plan Agricultural Drainage Projects in a Changing Climate

Dec 28, 2021

The Water Security Agency (WSA), with the support of Natural Resources Canada, is offering free online workshops called AgH2Onward to introduce farmers and ranchers to the Agricultural Water Management program in Saskatchewan, the process and benefits of drainage approvals, and innovative techniques to best manage water on their land.

The free workshops are being offered until April 2022 and include two half-day sessions.

The agriculture industry is the backbone of our provincial economy. Being able to manage water effectively has made significant contributions to our province and can be an important economic tool for farmers and ranchers.

The agricultural community faces the added challenge of adapting to a changing climate. WSA believes there are important opportunities to respond to that challenge - helping producers plan agricultural drainage projects that are adapted and resilient to weather extremes, such as floods and droughts, while increasing productivity.

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Video: Finding a Balance of Innovation and Regulation - Dr. Peter Facchini

Regulations help markets and industry exist on level playing fields, keeping consumers safe and innovation from going too far. However, incredibly strict regulations can stunt innovation and cause entire industries to wither away. Dr. Peter James Facchini brings his perspective on how existing regulations have slowed the advancement of medical developments within Canada. Given the international concern of opium poppy’s illicit potential, Health Canada must abide by this global policy. But with modern technology pushing the development of many pharmaceuticals to being grown via fermentation, is it time to reconsider the rules?

Dr. Peter James Facchini leads research into the metabolic biochemistry in opium poppy at the University of Calgary. For more than 30 years, his work has contributed to the increased availability of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthetic genes to assist in the creation of morphine for pharmaceutical use. Dr. Facchini completed his B.Sc. and Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at the University of Toronto before completing Postdoctoral Fellowships in Biochemistry at the University of Kentucky in 1992 & Université de Montréal in 1995.