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Agriculture Roundup for Tuesday December 22, 2020

Dec 22, 2020 | 11:12 AM

MELFORT, Sask. – The Western Grains Research Foundation has made a donation to the University of Alberta Breton Plots.

The foundation will provide $284,000 to purchase a plot combine, front-wheel assist tractor and build equipment storage.

Foundation Executive Director Garth Patterson said to fund world class crop production research there needs to be the capacity to carry out that research.

The University of Alberta Breton Plots have been operating for 90 years and are one of longest running crop rotation trials in North America.

The federal agriculture minister announced two appointments to the Canadian Grain Commission (CGC).

Marie-Claude Bibeau named Doug Chorney as chief commissioner and Patty Rosher as assistant chief commissioner.

Chorney has been an active player in the grain industry for 24 years and was appointed assistant chief commissioner of CGC in 2017. He has been the acting chief commissioner since June 2020. The term for his appointment is three years.

Patty Rosher has held various leadership and advisory positions over her 25-year career in the agriculture sector, most recently as general manager of the Keystone Agricultural Producers. The term of her appointment is four years, effective immediately.

Viterra will be sending a special gift to STARS.

The STARS calendar campaign raised $42,000 supported by Viterra’s customers.

Roughly 1,000 calendars were sold at grain handling and marketing facilities across the Prairies on behalf of the non-profit air ambulance organization.

The charity shares its mission stories of rescue and recovery through patients’ eyes. With bases across Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Alberta, funds raised through calendar sales help keep STARS in the sky.

The calendar campaign is in its 28th year, and while it has always been a significant source of revenue for STARS, it is particularly important this year, when so many fundraisers have been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

alice.mcfarlane@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @AliceMcF