Panelist Bios
Founder of RealAgriculture, Shaun Haney manages one of the leading industry ag media companies for Canadian farmers and ranchers. RealAgriculture provides the latest in ag policy, agronomics, current events and farm management from their website, radio shows, and podcast streams. Shaun is the host of RealAg Radio which is broadcast across North America on Rural Radio Channel 147 on SiriusXM daily at 4:30 PM Eastern, and also makes regular appearances on RFD-TV, Agritalk and US Farm Report. Together with Justin Funk of Agri Studies, Shaun helms RealAgristudies, a market insights partnership formed in 2019.
Benzon Lorenzana oversees the cereals and pulses breeding activities for Limagrain in the US and Canada. He brings 14+ years of research management and leadership experience first as a corn breeder and then as director of AgReliant Genetics’ breeding technologies team (native traits discovery, molecular marker lab, and biostatistics), GM trait integration team, and corn inbred line breeding team. Benzon holds master’s and PhD degrees in Applied Plant Sciences, specialization in Plant Breeding and Molecular Genetics, from the University of Minnesota.
Brent Derkatch joined CANTERRA SEEDS in 2001 and assumed the role of President and CEO in 2023, overseeing the company’s diverse seed portfolio. Hailing from a farming background in Russell, MB, Brent has actively contributed to the seed industry, holding leadership positions in associations and currently serving on the boards of Agriculture in the Classroom – Manitoba and CropLife Canada. He graduated from the Olds College Seed and Grain Technology Program and holds a Certificate in Management from the University of Manitoba.
Brad Blackwell joined the Saskatchewan Pulse Growers (SPG) Board in 2017. He operates a family farm at Dinsmore where they grow 8,000 acres of lentils, chickpeas, soybeans, flax, and wheat. Pulse crops account for approximately 33% of their acres. Brad is Chair of SPG’s Research & Development Committee and sits on the Steering Committee for SPG’s Limagrain breeding collaboration. He also sits on SPG’s Nominations Committee, and represents SPG on the Grain Growers of Canada Board and the Grain Commission Pulse Sub Committee.
Thank you to Saskatchewan Pulse Growers for submitting the article and photos.
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