The Northern Seed Trade Association Annual Meeting included a tour of 4D Farms, showing the use of leaf cutter bees for pollination of alfalfa fields. (NSTA photo)

Winnipeg, MB (July 29, 2019)- The Northern Seed Trade Association held its Annual Meeting July 24-26 in Winnipeg, MB.

The meeting started July 24 with golfing sponsored by Imperial Seed and a welcome reception sponsored by BrettYoung.

Speakers on July 25 included Canadian Minister of Agriculture Ralph Eichler, along with educational speakers Dale Overton of Eco Tea and Clayton Robins, Nuffield Scholar, Soil Health & Cover Crops. Megan Kemp of Zeghers Canada spoke during the luncheon.

The afternoon tours included an alfalfa seed production field tour, solar power presentation and egg farm tour, and Imperial Seed tour plant and plots.

Eric and Sandra Dyck of 4D Farms hosted the field tour. They spoke about their use of leaf cutter bees for pollination of alfalfa fields, state-of-the-art egg farm, and solar power array that powers 4D Farms and puts energy back into the grid.

John Morgan of Truax spoke while the group drove by one of their native plots on the way to the Imperial Seed plant and plot tour and Integrity Seeds lab tour.

Additionally, the NSTA attendees and speakers enjoyed a banquet dinner sponsored by Green Thumb Commodities. The entertainment for the evening was a comedy show featuring Winnipeg comedians Benji Rothman and Mike Green.

Speakers on July 26 included Claudio Feulner, Canadian Seed Trade Association (CSTA) manager, regulatory affairs and trade, and Charles Tweed of Tweedia.

Feulner updated the group about CSTA's activities. Tweed spoke about "Making the Most of Social Media."

NSTA President Kurt Shmon and his wife, Betty, hosted the meeting. Betty planned a spouse tour July 25 that included visits to a food lab gourmet cooking class and the Assiniboine Park Zoo and gardens in Winnipeg.

For photos from the meeting, see NSTA's Facebook page.

NSTA’s next Annual Meeting is being planned for July 2020 in Grand Forks, ND.

Board Members

The 2019-2020 NSTA board includes:

  • Ross Rivard, Rivard's Turf & Forage Inc., Grand Forks, ND - President
  • Mike Fritz, Stock Seed Farms, Murdock, NE - 1st Vice President
  • Jim Girardin, Arrow Sed Co., Inc., Broken Arrow, NE - 2nd Vice President
  • Joel Rey, BrettYoung Seeds, Winnipeg, MB - 3rd Vice President
  • Nathan Klint, Nofarm Seeds, Inc., Roseau, MN - Treasurer
  • Kurt Shmon, Imperial Seed, Winnipeg, MB - Past President
  • Liz Foust - Executive Director

Written by Chris Lusvardi, Seed Today editor

4D Farms uses a solar power array that powers the farm and puts energy back into the grid. (NSTA photos)


4D Farms uses leaf cutter bees for pollination of alfalfa fields.


The Imperial Seed plant in Winnipeg, MB.


Claudio Feulner, Canadian Seed Trade Association (CSTA) manager, regulatory affairs and trade.


Charles Tweed of Tweedia.


The 2019-2020 NSTA board. Pictured are Joel Rey, Jim Girardin, Mike Fritz, Liz Foust, Ross Rivard, and Kurt Shmon.