Program & Speakers
day 1
March 26
Conference: Ballroom A
Trade Show: Ballroom B
While we do our best to bring you the program as advertised, program and speakers are subject to change.
9:00am-9:50AM - Registration & Trade Show
Come early, get registered, and visit our great exhibitors before the show gets started.
Take look at our exhibitors list.
9:50am-10:00AM - Welcome addresses
Will Oddie, SaskOrganics President
Address on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture
10:00Am-11:00AM - Keynote: Building on 35 years of organic research and education: The future of Organics
11:00Am-11:55AM - Into the future: applying novel technologies to organic farming
Andrew Hammermeister, PhD, P.Ag, Associate Professor and Director of the Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada
11:55Am-12:00PM - Announcements
Pre-lunch announcements and sponsor acknowledgements
12:00PM-1:30PM - LUNCH & trade show
Enjoy a conference meal and network, then head over to the trade show!
1:30pm-2:25PM - Livestock and Our Road to Regeneration
2:25pm-3:20pm - Developing and optimizing a bioformulation for the control of Canada thistle
John Stavrinides, PhD, Professor, Biology Department Head, University of Regina
SESSION SUMMARY COMING SOON
3:20pm-4:00pm - An introduction to One School One Farm Shelterbelt Project
4:00PM-4:30pm - REfreshment & TRade Show Break
Grab a coffee or tea and network before the Annual Meeting
4:30pm-5:30pm- SaskOrganics Annual Meeting
AGENDA & INFO COMING SOON
5:30PM-6:30PM - Cocktails, trade show, networking
Enjoy a beverage, visit the trade show, and network with fellow attendees.
ORGANIC BANQUET
March 26,
Ballroom A
Tickets sold separately from conference passes.
6:00PM - Banquet Registration
If you are just joining us, come early to get registered, enjoy a cocktail & some networking before evening program gets started.
6:30PM - Organic Banquet Meal
7:15pm - Welcome
SaskOrganics
7:20pm - 7:30PM - Awards & Acknowledgements
SaskOrganics Awards & Other Acknowledgements
7:30PM- Banquet guest speakers- Exploring Saskatchewan's Natural Wonders
8:30Pm- Announcements & Closing Remarks
Banquet Closes at 9:00pm
Day 2
March 27
Conference: Ballroom A
Trade Show: Ballroom B
While we do our best to bring you the program as advertised, program and speakers are subject to change.
8:00AM-8:30AM - Registration & Trade Show
Come early, get registered, and visit our great exhibitors before the show gets started.
Take look at our exhibitors list.
8:30AM-9:30AM - Evaluating options to close the loop: Management of Phosphorus in organic production systems using recycled sources
Henry Wilson, PhD, BSc, Research Scientist, AAFC, Brandon Research and Development Centre, Manitoba
9:30AM-10:20am - From Field to Policy: Advancing Farmer-Led Organic Seed Policy Solutions
10:20Am-10:50AM - Refreshment Break & Trade Show
Refill your coffee or tea and visit an exhibitor or two before the next session.
10:50AM-12:00pm - Organic producers next door: Knowledge sharing across the Prairies
Andy Wagman, Organic Producer, Medicine Hat, Alberta
Scott Beaton, Organic Producer, Jackfish Creek Farm, Stonewall, Manitoba
12:00PM-1:40pm - Lunch & trade Show
Enjoy a conference meal and network, then head over to the trade show!
1:40pm-2:10pm - Organic Market opportunities in the Indo-Pacific region
Yi Zeng, Senior Director, Asia and Global Commodities, Saskatchewan Trade & Export Partnership (STEP)
2:10pm-3:00pm - Bio-ferments for fertility and disease
3:00pm-4:00pm - Beyond Production: Exploring Agritourism Possibilities
4:00pm - Conclusion & closing remarks
Conference End
Martin Entz, Phd
Senior Scholar, Department of Plant Science, University of Manitoba
Session 1: Keynote, March 26
Building on 35 years of organic research and education: The future of organics
Martin Entz received his PhD from the University of Saskatchewan and then spent over 30 years as professor at the University of Manitoba. His goal is to discover new ways of farming ecologically, and to empower farmers with knowledge and other tools required to design sustainable farming systems adapted to where they live.
Martin has worked on 4 continents and currently leads research East Africa. He teaches courses in organic agriculture and regularly gets students involved in the research. In 1992, he started the Glenlea Long-Term Rotation Study – Canada’s oldest organic vs conventional farming systems experiment. Since 2023, he has held the Jarislowsky Chair in Natural Systems Agriculture for Climate Solutions.
Andrew Hammermeister, PhD, P.Ag
Associate Professor and Director of the Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada, Dalhousie University
Session 2: March 26
Into the future: applying novel technologies to organic farming
Dr. Andy Hammermeister has worked with the Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada (Dalhousie University) for over 20 years to support the growth of organic agriculture. He is the Science Director for Canada's national Organic Science Cluster, has been a voting member of the National Organic Standards Technical Committee, Board Member of Organic Nova Scotia, and of course he teaches organic courses and conducts organic research. Andy has brought the international voice and principles of the organic movement to his work and advocacy. Although he lives in Nova Scotia, Andy's roots and heart remain in Saskatchewan and prairie agriculture.
Gary Richards
Producer, Bangor SK
Session 3: March 26
Garry and his wife Lynn returned to Garry's family's grain farm in 2000. They became a mixed farm in 2002, began using Holistic Management in 2003, and farmed with a focus on Regenerative Agriculture starting in 2007. In 2024, they stopped grain farming and became a ranch, always with an eye on healthier people and relationships, healthier profits, and a healthier ecosystem. Their journey includes raising children, a farm succession, raising cattle, AMP grazing, conventional grain production, cover cropping, organic grain farming, and intercropping.
John Stavrinides, PhD
Professor, Biology Department Head, University of Regina
Session 4: March 26
Developing and optimizing a bioformulation for the control of Canada thistle
John received his PhD from the University of Toronto in 2007, and is currently a Professor of microbiology in the Department of Biology at the University of Regina. His current research focuses on the use of microbes to address challenges in agriculture and human health. John is presently supported by over $850,000 in grants, and has supervised 18 graduate student and 139 undergraduate student research projects. He enjoys long, barefoot walks in organic fields that are free of Canada thistle.
Elizabeth Bekolay, BsC
Executive Director, One School One Farm Shelterbelt Project
Session 5: March 26
Elizabeth Bekolay is a biologist, author, and the Executive Director of the One School One Farm Shelterbelt Project, a community-led initiative that reconnects people with the land through relationship building and ecological immersion. Her work bridges science, education, and community action to support biodiversity, climate resilience, and regenerative prairie landscapes.
Robin & Arlene Karpan
Writers, Photographers, Authors, Publishers, Saskatoon, SK
Organic Banquet-Guest Speaker
Robin and Arlene Karpan are writers, photographers, book authors, and publishers based in Saskatoon. They also operate a small farm in the beautiful Thickwood Hills. Their work has appeared in over 100 publications around the world and has earned them several national and international awards, including 10 Saskatchewan Tourism Awards of Excellence. Robin and Arlene are advocates for the natural environment and enjoy hiking, camping, canoeing our northern rivers, and exploring Saskatchewan’s backroads.
Henry Wilson, PhD, BsC
Research Scientist, AAFC, Brandon Research and Development Centre
Session 1: March 27
Dr. Wilson grew up on a mixed organic farm near Kenton, Manitoba. His education took him on a path from Brandon University (B.Sc.) to Trent University (Ph.D.) to Yale University (postdoctoral fellow) before starting his current position as a Research Scientist at the Brandon Research and Development Centre with Agriculture and Agri-food Canada where he has been employed for the past 15 years. His research is focused on finding ways to produce food effectively while also maintaining healthy rural soils, ecosystems, and good water quality.
Sarah Preston
Regional Program Manager (Prairies) | The Bauta Family Initiative on Canadian Seed Security, a program of SeedChange
Session 2: March 27
From Field to Policy: Advancing Farmer-Led Organic Seed Policy Solutions
Sarah Preston is the Prairie Regional Program Manager with The Bauta Family Initiative on Canadian Seed Security. A lifelong plant nerd, her path has included farm apprenticeships, running a CSA market garden and small apiary, and several years of coordinating sustainable agriculture programs across the Prairies. Based near Edmonton, AB, Sarah brings experience in regional food systems, organic and regenerative practices, and farmer-focused programming, along with a background in food security, permaculture design, and community engagement. She’s excited to support Prairie farmers in all things seeds.
Aabir Dey
Director, Canadian Field Program, The Bauta Family Initiative on Canadian Seed Security
Session 2: March 27
From Field to Policy: Advancing Farmer-Led Organic Seed Policy Solutions
Aabir developed his passion for seeds while he was completing his Sustainable Farming Certificate at Everdale, a teaching farm in Hillsburgh, Ontario, and supporting research trials for Seeds of Diversity's collection of over 3,000 different Canadian seed varieties. After completing a Master of Environmental Studies at York University, researching organic seed systems in Ontario, Aabir joined the The Bauta Family Initiative on Canadian Seed Security, as Regional Program Coordinator for Ontario. Aabir has co-authored publications on Canada’s seed system including the Canadian Organic Seed Sector Environmental Scan, the Discussion Paper on Seed Policy in Canada, and Canadian Organic and Ecological Plant Breeding Priorities for Vegetable Crops. He has been instrumental in shaping and leading the training, research, and policy programs developed for The Bauta Family Seed Initiative. Aabir loves working in the field with seed producers and farmers all over Canada, and is thrilled to continue to steward The Bauta Family Seed Initiative at a national level into the future.
Andy Wagman
Organic Producer, Medicine Hat, Alberta
Session 3: March 27
Organic producers next door: Knowledge sharing across the Prairies
Andy, an ROC-certified farmer near Medicine Hat, has been producing organically since the 1990s. His farm includes irrigation, dryland, grazing, intercropping, cover crops, and on-farm grain separation. He raises cattle year-round using low-intervention methods, maintains pollinator habitats, and has experience using a weed zapper for invasive plant control.
Scott Beaton
Organic Producer, Jackfish Creek Farm, Stonewall, Manitoba
Session 3: March 27
Organic producers next door: Knowledge sharing across the Prairies
Scott Beaton runs a first generation farm near Stonewall; Between the Big Lakes in MB with his wife Jenny and 2 kids. Their farm is a section of certified organic grains coupled with a grass finished cow calf direct to consumer beef operation. Scott is enthusiastic about maintaining some conservation areas, as part of the farm, and uses the beef herd to manage the farmland, encouraging use of cover crops, perennials in rotation, and plants to improve soil with the goal of leaving the farm better for the next generation. He got an agronomy degree from the University of MB, and thinks of the farm as an agri-ecosystem with significant contributions from "less managed areas"
Yi Zeng
Senior Director, Asia and Global Commodities, Saskatchewan Trade & Export Partnership (STEP)
Session 4: March 27
Yi Zeng was born and raised in the South of China. With ten years of experience in banking and human resource management in China, Yi moved to Saskatchewan in 2003 to further pursue his education. Two years later, he attained his Masters degree in Human Resource Management from the University of Regina. In October 2009, Yi joined Saskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership (STEP) started from a Trade Specialist position, focusing on the Asia and Africa markets. Since 2013, Yi has held responsibilities as director to assist Saskatchewan exporters on developing Asia markets including China, Japan, Mongolia, South Korea, and ASEAN regions. Yi is a Certified International Trade Professional (CITP) in Canada and currently serves as Senior Director, Asia and Global Commodities, at STEP, which is the official trade promotional organization for the Province of Saskatchewan.
Rob Beattie
Producer, Kyle, Saskatchewan
Session 5: March 27
Rob Beattie farms near Kyle, Saskatchewan, and brings more than 30 years of experience as a contract engineer and farmer, along with 25 years in the telecommunications industry. In 2020, he founded the Carbon Farm Group, a network of seven farms—including one organic operation—collectively managing over 25,000 acres using regenerative and organic practices.
Joe Buttigieg
Owner/Operator, Fenek Farms
Session 6: March 27
Joe Buttigieg is the owner and operator of Fenek Farms, a diversified livestock and agritourism farm near Regina, Saskatchewan. Fenek Farms blends sheep, cattle, poultry, and alpacas with hands-on public programming such as farm tours, educational workshops, farm camps, and mobile petting zoos. Joe is also a professor at the University of Regina (Biology/Neurosciences), bringing a strong education and mentorship focus to his farming work. His interests include agritourism , sustainable farm diversification, and connecting the public with real farm life.
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