Seed Grower Profile IF you were asked to name a good career for a people person, you might not blurt out “seed grower”; but then, you’re not Ron Markert. As a third generation grower with 40 years in the business, Markert has donned many different hats in the industry and worn them all well. “My dad was a grower and I thought I would give it a try,” said Markert. “Four decades later I still love it, largely because of the great people.” The Seeds of Success On his 5,000-acre farm near Vulcan, Markert grows wheat, barley, canola and peas. In 1990 he moved his dad’s processing plant onto his farm and set about making changes, increasing the capacity and installing a colour sorter. Today, the seed part of the business is his main focus. Yet while it’s a lot of work, he has always made time to do his part for the industry as a whole. A prime example was his work on the Alberta Seed Growers (ASG) board. Starting in 1999, he served for 12 years in a number of roles including director, vice- president and president. “It’s so important to have such an organization that looks after all industry members and represents their interests. If you don’t have representation like that, the government or other seed industry players can make changes and you don’t have a say. The ASG is a voice for the industry, and without it our voices wouldn’t be heard.” Passing the Test Those voices spoke loudly in 2012 when the Alberta government proposed an end to funding for the Regional Variety Testing (RVT) program. Since the program was having financial problems, the Alberta government wanted industry to run it, saying it was the seed industry that received the benefit. The ASG argued that everyone in the province would benefit because of the increased revenue farmers received through the choice of better varieties. The seed growers proposed the government fund the co-coordinator of the program so that role would be viewed as third party and unbiased. The rest of the RVT program would be funded by stakeholders that have interests in variety testing. After some determined lobbying, the government agreed. That was a highlight for Markert, as was his chairing of the committee that hosted Seed Man Still Growing Strong Vulcan-based Ron Markert helps industry live long and prosper. the Canadian Seed Growers Association (CSGA) convention in Calgary, also in 2012. It was his last year on the ASG board, and after taking a year off, he stepped up to the national level. “You have to think differently on the [national] CSGA board as you’re not just working for Alberta, you’re representing the entire country. Instead of interpreting the rules, we’re actually making them.” That’s the case with the Circular 6 Committee on which Markert sits, which deals with rules and regulations governing how we grow seed in Canada. It has been a real eye-opener for him on dealing with the whole seed industry and learning what you can and can’t do in that arena. While discussions sometimes get heated, he appreciates the mutual respect and recognition of common goals. “We disagree, but at the end of the day we go for dinner and we’re all friends again.” An Awarding Experience That ability to work with others may have lead to the BMO Farm Family Award in 2016 for Markert and his clan. The annual award honours outstanding families who best represent values of the family farm within their rural community, and 18 www.seed.ab.ca | Advancing Seed in Alberta