This article appeared in the Fall 2014 issue of Pulse Crop News.

Leanne Fischbuch, Executive Director

The new crop year is upon us now and we are beginning to learn how the single largest pulse crop for Alberta is making its way through the harvest. This year, pulse acres seeded were over 1.5 million acres; this is a far cry from 25 years ago when we were looking at only 69,326 acres.

Dry conditions in the north have provided an opportunity to advance the harvest while sporadic showers in the central and south have slowed progression and snow has not helped the harvest situation. Certainly most pulses should be harvested by the time you receive this publication. The last ones for this year will be the faba bean and soybean acres. We are hearing about quality characteristics that are mostly average, and Alberta Pulse Growers is not expecting the banner yields that were seen from last year’s record harvest.

Besides learning how the harvest is progressing, we are pleased to announce that the Alberta Pulse Growers regulatory review was completed by July 2014 and the changes to the regulations have been approved and published. The link to the new regulations can be found at http://pulse.ab.ca/about/marketing-account. Many of the changes were simple, such as changing titles from Commissioner to Director and President to Chair. However, the most significant change was in the zone boundaries. Please review the Chair’s Report message on the facing page for more details on zone boundaries and take a look at the map on page 18.

In addition to planning to attend the zone meetings this fall, I invite all growers to think about nominating someone who deserves the Alberta Pulse Growers Industry Innovator Award. APG is looking for nominees for the award which will be given out for the first time in January 2015 at our Annual General Meeting. The award has been commissioned to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the organization and recognize the extra efforts that individuals have made to contribute to the development of the industry. The deadline for nominations is October 31, 2014. You can find out more details about the award on page 10 in this issue.

The new crop year is also our new fiscal year. Our organization will be undertaking a significant strategic planning process in 2014-15. In 2010, APG provincial representatives underwent the last planning process that developed our vision, mission, goals and objectives which we pursued the past four years. As part of good governance, it is important for us to revisit our strategy and confirm or alter our direction as needed.

Since 2010, there have been many things that have changed in the industry. By the time that we complete the strategic planning process in June 2015, it will be five years since our last plan. We have a lot of opportunities on our horizon and as farms get larger and pulse acres increase, APG needs to be ready to address these changes. Planning is already underway for the International Year of Pulses in 2016. This will also be a significant opportunity for our organization as we celebrate the healthy, nutritious and sustainable crop that we grow.

As part of the strategic planning process we will be in touch with our membership shortly after harvest with a request to complete a membership survey. APG needs to hear from our membership as part of this process. When you receive your survey, please complete it and have a voice that will help us to plan for the future.

If you have comments regarding the activities of the Alberta Pulse Growers Commission, please contact your Zone Directors or Advisors directly, or contact the Alberta Pulse Growers office toll free at 1-877-550-9398. We are also available by email at office@pulse.ab.ca, through the website at www.pulse.ab.ca or on Twitter @AlbertaPulse. For now, however, I hope that you have a safe and successful harvest and we look forward to visiting with you this fall at the trade shows and zone meetings.