This article appeared in the Fall 2015 issue of Pulse Crop News.

Allison Ammeter, APG Chair

As this issue goes to press, zone meetings are coming up throughout Alberta. I would like to encourage you to not just attend the one in your area, but also to ask questions, introduce yourself to your local advisory group, and generally participate in the discussions.

From a personal standpoint, getting involved in a commission – first as a delegate/advisor, then as a director – has been one of the more rewarding volunteer opportunities I have experienced (and my husband would say the same from an Alberta Barley point of view). Volunteer to sit on the eight-person delegate committee within your zone, and you will be able to get a much better feel for how APG operates and the value we provide to producers. We’d love to welcome you! Check page 14 for details on meetings in each of APG’s five zones.

Beyond the key APG goals of supporting research, marketing, and extension, opportunities have arisen to collaborate with the provincial government to shape a farm safety plan. Though most farmers do not want any more regulation, we all support having safe farms and safe farming practices. We are hopeful that in our advisory role with the other crop and livestock commissions, we are able to help shape legislation that is valuable, but not restrictive or intrusive. Please let the government (and us) hear your opinions on this issue!

In the big pulse picture, we are on the cusp of the launch of International Year of Pulses 2016! Declared by the United Nations in December 2013, it will be formally launched in November and will be kicked off with an event named “Little Beans, Big Opportunities” at New York Academy of Sciences in New York City. Nationally, we will be kicking off our Canadian campaign with a media launch in Toronto on January 6, 2016. A pulse exhibit, designed by the Canadian Agriculture and Food Museum, will be travelling across Canada during 2016 – make sure you see it when it is in your area! For more information on these, or any of the other exciting IYP2016 events, check out iyp2016.org.

Farming is fraught with many challenges, as anybody that has been through the 2015 growing season will tell you. Having said that, we have an exciting future, and we are declaring just that in the brand and tagline being launched internationally for pulses in conjunction with IYP2016: Pulses, the Future of Food. Look for the new logo on every consumer product containing pulses that you purchase in the coming years! I am truly excited to be a part of such a growing, changing, innovative industry by growing pulses on our farm and eating pulses in our daily diet!