Saskatoon Farm & Food Tour 2023

Farm & Food Care Saskatchewan is a coalition linking thousands of livestock, crop and horticulture producers, government, individuals and businesses with a common goal to help people understand food and farming. Farm & Food Care Saskatchewan believes that getting to know farmers and ranchers is getting to know food.

Canadian Food Focus is a gathering place to tell our Canadian food and farming stories. We will explore how food is grown and raised, share recipes and provide useful advice to help you make confident food choices.

Clinton Monchuk grew up on a mixed dairy, beef and grain family farm outside of Lanigan, Saskatchewan. He received his Bachelor of Science in Agriculture majoring in Agricultural Economics from the University of Saskatchewan in 2000 and a Masters of Business Administration in Agriculture from the University of Guelph in 2002.

After completing his master’s degree, Clinton conducted research and taught at the Universidad de Guadalajara, in Guadalajara, Mexico. Following his interest in the livestock industry, Clinton worked with the Western Beef Development Centre as a Beef Economist. He then accepted an Economic Fellowship position with the National Farmers Union in Washington, DC working on trade-related aspects of policy development for American farmers and ranchers. This experience allowed him to become the Director of Trade Policy for the Canadian Federation of Agriculture in Ottawa.

In 2007, Clinton and his wife Laura moved to Saskatoon where he became the Chief Executive Officer for the Chicken Farmers of Saskatchewan and Saskatchewan Hatching Egg Producers. In 2016, Clinton accepted the role of Executive Director with Farm & Food Care Saskatchewan to promote farming, ranching and agri-food to consumers.

Clinton understands the value of increasing public trust in agriculture and actively promotes engagement between the agriculture industry and consumers. Clinton, Laura and their children Jackson and Katelyn, continue to be active partners on their family grain farm in Saskatchewan and cattle ranch in Oklahoma.

Penny Eaton is a farm girl turned communications specialist who works to answer consumer questions about farming and food production. At Farm & Food Care Saskatchewan, Penny manages stakeholder relations, coordinates events and communications projects and oversees funding requests and reporting.

Before joining FFC SK, Penny established her own consulting firm, providing writing and communications services to a wide base of clients. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Saskatchewan and is originally from a farm near Rosetown, Saskatchewan. She’s a proud Riders fan and probably takes Halloween a little too seriously.

Dorothy is a passionate advocate of Canadian food and farming. She holds degrees in home economics and education from the University of Saskatchewan, leveraging her background to promote greater consumer understanding of Canadian food and farming, as well as fostering positive relationships between consumers and farmers.

For over 25 years, Dorothy has organized farm tours for food influencers, such as dietitians, journalists, chefs, and food writers. These tours, which began with Canola Camp in Saskatchewan, have expanded across the country.

Dorothy has also been instrumental in developing a range of agrifood marketing strategies, including CanolaInfo, Saskatchewan Bounty, HealthyFlax, Spread the Mustard, Pick Pork, and the Saskatchewan component of the International Year of the Pulse campaign. In addition to her marketing work, Dorothy served as the Executive Director of Cuisine Canada and the Greenhouse Growers of Saskatchewan. She has written a food column for The Western Producer, edited the Growing Saskatchewan magazine, and co-authored the Discover the Pulse Potential cookbook.  

Dorothy believes that food is a powerful connector and the most intimate way that consumers come to understand agriculture. As the Managing Director of Canadian Food Focus with Farm & Food Care Saskatchewan, she spearheads Canadian Food Focus, a public trust initiative and marketing strategy that includes a consumer-friendly website. This project won a national Canadian AgriFood Marketers Alliance Award for Best Website Directed at the Public in 2022. Currently, Dorothy co-chairs the National Consumer Engagement Working Group for AAFC. In 2023, Dorothy was inducted into the Saskatchewan Agriculture Hall of Fame.  

Angela grew up on a mixed grain and beef cattle farm near Lloydminster, Saskatchewan. Throughout her career, she has worked with several agriculture groups such as CanolaInfo, SaskMustard, HealthyFlax, Sask Pork, and SaskTurkey on their social media and communications programming. Currently, she is our Digital Media and Communication Specialist for Farm & Food Care Saskatchewan as well as for our national program, Canadian Food Focus.

Angela, her husband Andrew and their two daughters Molly and Claire, live and work on their multigenerational mixed grain farm near Lloydminster. They are also active in their local 4-H Beef Club.

Pamela MacDonald lived on a mixed farm in Saskatchewan as a young child and has fond memories of being on the farm. Her love of the outdoors started on the farm and led her to study Environmental Sciences in college. Although she currently lives outside of Saskatoon, over the years she has lived in small towns across Saskatchewan and has many family members that farm throughout the province.

Pamela is the Project Coordinator for Farm and Food Care Saskatchewan, providing support and guidance to the Farm and Food Care Saskatchewan staff. She has over 15 years of experience in the swine industry working both in the barn and in the office as well as working for a swine veterinarian practice.

Pamela is married, with two grown sons and enjoys spending time with friends and family at the lake. She loves gardening, landscaping, hiking and long walks with her dog.

Shawn and his cousins manage a fifth-generation farm near Delisle that encompasses 12,000 acres of grain land, a 700-head Red Angus/Charolais cow-calf operation, and a 40,000-layer poultry operation.

“I am extremely proud of the quality of the products that are grown on our farm,” Shawn says. “I enjoy the amazing technological advances in agriculture and the everyday changes that occur. I look forward to the opportunity to pass on our farm to the sixth generation.” His favourite piece of farm equipment? “I spend most of my spring and summer in our sprayer, so that has to be it.”

Shawn feels building public trust in food and farming is crucial for primary producers. “We want to ensure we have the freedom to operate and manage our farm operations for current and future generations. Consumers need to have confidence that producers are acting sustainably and humanely for the land and animals they manage. We want to ensure a viable food system where everyone has an abundance of choice in food they consume and producers have viable sustainable businesses for years to come.”

Frank is the creative person behind ChickenSask on the Chicken Farmers of Saskatchewan social media platforms. Frank loves food and helping farmers in the #digitalage. Frank has more than 5 years’ experience in content creation and as a Social Media Manager. Frank works as the Marketing Operations Manager and the Producer Programs Manger for the Chicken Farmers of Saskatchewan.

Frank has a degree Hotel and Restaurant Management with specialization in Culinary Arts. Prior to joining CFS, he worked in the aviation and hotel industry.

Frank gets his creative ideas from exploring Saskatchewan. He is a travelling man and loves to explore new places and experience the beauty, food, and people of different places and cultures.

Nicole grew up in Cupar, Saskatchewan. She received her Bachelor of Arts Honours in International Studies from the University of Regina, along with a Certificate in Economics. Her work with the Public Trust Unit in the Ministry of Agriculture, focuses on building public trust in modern food production by engaging industry, supporting youth and consumer education initiatives, and working with federal and provincial partners to align programming and better amplify the stories of modern agriculture.

Nicole has been with the ministry for over four years, and previously worked in labour market development, connecting with farmers and agri-businesses about their labour market needs. Nicole joined the Farm & Food Care Board of Directors in 2022.

Nicole and her husband, Jeff, own a farm in Southey, Saskatchewan that has been in the family for over 100 years.

Tiffany Martinka represents Chicken Farmers of Saskatchewan on the FFC SK Board. She and her family operate a grain and broiler chicken farm in northeast Saskatchewan. Tiffany grew up with grain and cattle, earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Agriculture and worked in the industry for 10 years before focusing full-time on her family and their own farm. The thing she likes best about being in agriculture? “We have the best people in this industry. They are hard-working, caring, and innovative.” And nothing beats a combine ride!

Tiffany feels it’s important to reach consumers to talk about how food is produced. “As the years go by, we are losing the connection to our food and how it’s grown. People no longer have family to visit on the farm.”

Anthony and his family own and operate Nienhuis Family Farm located just west of Warman, SK. The family has been at that location just over 5 years, and they milk 110 cows in a newly-renovated, two-robot free-stall dairy. The Nienhuis family also tends about 500 acres with a mix of corn, oats and barley for the purpose of silage for their dairy cows.

Anthony serves the dairy industry as a director on the Board of SaskMilk. He is also a director on the Western Milk Pool, which represents the regional interests and common policies of the four western provinces, as well as on the Board of Dairy Innovation West, a new dairy concentration facility being built near Red Deer, Alberta. In addition, Anthony chairs Intervalley Water Inc., a water utility serving rural water users north of Saskatoon.

Along with the dairy business, Anthony also owns and operates three retail lumberyards, an RTM housing company and a construction company mostly building larger agricultural operations throughout Saskatchewan.

Anthony and his wife Corien have six children that are involved in dairy 4-H and in helping out on the farm and the construction businesses.

Becky currently lives with her husband in the Okanagan region of British Columbia, but was raised as the 7th generation on a mixed livestock farm outside of Guelph, Ontario.

After attending the University of Guelph for a Bachelor of Applied Science, she pursued a teaching degree, followed by a Masters of Education with a concurrent diploma in Environmental and Sustainability Education. She has worked in agriculture communications for over 10 years, including previous roles with AgScape, Agriculture in the Classroom Canada, and the BC Agriculture Council. Becky is currently Communications Manager at CropLife Canada.

In 2015, she was awarded a Nuffield Canada Scholarship. Her research report is titled “Inspiring Gen Z to Pursue Careers in Agriculture and Food”. Becky enjoys giving back to the agriculture industry and is the current chair for the Canadian Agri-Business Education Foundation, a member of Agriculture in the Classroom Canada’s Board Advisory Committee, and a mentor with the UBC Faculty of Land and Food Systems.

Outside of work, Becky enjoys gardening in her backyard, and exploring the beauty of Canada’s landscape while kayaking, hiking, camping, and skiing.

Jenna works to seek, track and analyze research relevant to the beef industry and disseminate the information into key messages for stakeholders. Her duties also include providing scientific support and assisting in projects to connect positively with consumers and the public. With the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, Jenna is writing the National Beef Sustainability Assessment report and supporting other projects. Jenna will soon be defending her master’s thesis at the University of Saskatchewan in the Department of Animal and Poultry Science and has a wide background in animal research, public outreach, and technical support.

Justine Akman is the Director General of the Sectoral and Supply Chain Directorate at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada where she is responsible for policy development related to a wide range of farm-to-fork issues, including livestock, supply management, and grain policy. Justine previously held positions as Director General of Strategic Policy at the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), and Director of Immigration Policy at Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Before entering government Justine worked as a journalist and in the non-profit sector. Justine comes from rural Manitoba and is very pleased to be reconnecting with her prairie roots in this position.

Sophie Beecher is the Director General in the Sustainable Development Policy Directorate at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Her team develops and influences agricultural policies that affect Canada’s food systems and support sector sustainability with a focus on environmental and social outcomes as well as competitiveness. Her team provides strategic policy analysis and advice while identifying emerging issues for the sector and Canada’s food systems. Some key initiatives as they relate to agriculture include: Canada’s Sustainable Agriculture Strategy, Greenhouse gas emissions, including fertilizer and methane emissions, Bioeconomy, Food policy, including Food Loss and Waste Reduction, Biodiversity and Environmental Adaptation and Resilience. She started her career in the public service as Counsel for the Department of Justice. Prior to moving to Agriculture, Sophie worked in National Security and Intelligence policy.

Alain Bélair is a Centre Vice-Principal of a Vocational School with the English Montreal School Board in Montreal specializing in Professional Cooking, Pastry making and Food and Beverage.

As of the age of 9, Alain has wanted to own his own restaurant. Through a life of travel and adventure, due to his parent’s work, he was exposed to many different countries, cultures, and different types of food. This fueled his passion and interest in food and cooking. Food was always and still is a daily focal point for him.

He worked as a waiter as of the age of 14. Worked for catering companies while completing his Bachelor of Arts in History. Alain studied at the Stratford Chef School from 1996 to 1998. He worked in the food industry until 2007. During that time, he opened his own restaurant in Wakefield, Québec called Restaurant Bélair sur la Rivière. After a few years he sold it and returned to university to become a qualified teacher. He taught in high schools in Ottawa and then after a move to Montreal in 2011, started teaching professional cooking at St. Pius X Career Centre. After several years of teaching, he transitioned to Centre Vice-Principal overseeing the culinary programs.

Alain has always believed that food is a great way for people to connect, share one’s culture, history, and life, as well as some good laughs.

Ray has been working in the curriculum unit with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Education since August 2022. Some of his projects include the translation, vetting and implementation of several Saskatchewan middle years and high school courses such as Agriculture Production, Food Studies, Commercial Cooking and Entrepreneurship. Prior to this experience, Ray was a vice-principal at École St. Anne School in Prince Albert for a period of 4 years and taught for 21 years in the Francophone school division where he taught all grades and all subjects with a particular focus in the sciences and applied and practical arts in the village of Vonda and later in Prince Albert.

Ray has a strong connection to the land. Growing up in Debden, a small community-based in the parkland of Saskatchewan, he understands the importance of agriculture, environmental stewardship, and food security. He loves gardening, fishing, hunting, and most other outdoor activities. He enjoys meeting new people and is looking forward to the Farm & Food Tour.

At a ripe young age raised by my Italian grandparents, I witnessed and assisted in the slaughtering of rabbits, chickens and other wild game in my garage at home. Where this would have scared most children; I was totally impressed. My love and passion for food began here. My journey in a professional kitchen was at 14 years old when I got my first job working a banquet in a high-end reception hall. I knew then and there; this would be the career path I would choose. I went on to study, compete and work in Belgium, France and Switzerland where I won three gold medals. My professional career has been spread over the last 32 years in high-end steak and seafood restaurants, private golf courses, and catering to large corporations and local celebrities. For the last 9 years I have been a chef instructor at the Culinary Institute I graduated from. I have also, for the last 8 years become a celebrity chef myself judging culinary competitions and appearing on many local food networks as well as radio and podcast appearances. Additionally, I have extended my repertoire to coaching and leading my culinary students to compete against schools across Canada. Currently; as well as teaching, I am also a food consultant and have opened and structured many new restaurants here in Montreal keeping the fire alive in me. My passion and love for food keeps growing through several vacations and inspiring food trips.

Francesco Del Bianco is the Director General, Business Risk Management Programs Directorate, at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

In partnership with the provinces, he is responsible for the design of $1 billion annually in grants and contributions to support agriculture producers; the administration of $3 billion annually in interest free and interest bearing advances; and, the oversight of $30 billion annually in insurance liabilities. Prior to joining the department, he held various executive positions in the federal government. As a member of Industry Canada’s Automotive Industry Crisis Response Team, he was recognized with a Public Service Award of Excellence in the category of Exemplary Contribution under Extraordinary Circumstances. Francesco holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Western Ontario and a Master of Science in Administration from the École des Hautes Études Commerciales.

Lily is a biochemist turned advertising sales rep turned food blogger. She started her food blog, Little Sweet Baker in 2014 while on maternity leave and went full-time in 2017. In 2021, she took over Food Bloggers of Canada, an online community of over 3,800 Canadian food bloggers.

Her recipes have been featured in Better Homes and Gardens, The Huffington Post, Breakfast Television, and Delish. She has partnered with several large companies such as Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Bob’s Red Mill, and Williams Sonoma.

She is passionate about the Canadian food culture and loves to showcase all the wonderful food creations and talent Canada has to offer.

Currently, I am the Principal of Lanigan Elementary School. I received my Bachelor of Education from the University of Saskatchewan in 1993 and my Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Regina in 2006.

During my early years, I lived on our family farm. Our farm during these years was a mixed farm operation and later, we downsized to solely grain farming. My high school spring and fall years often led to time away from the classroom to work on the farm during two of my favourite times of the year: seeding and harvest!

In 1979 I moved off the farm and started my family. I have two wonderful daughters/sons-in-law and four amazing grandchildren.

I have a passion for agriculture and farm life and I returned to live on my family homestead in 2003. I currently own four horses and a blue heeler named Sarge!

Being an advocate for all areas of agriculture, our school has had the opportunity to extend the students’ learning through the Little Green Sprouts and the Little Green Thumbs program. I am looking forward to spending time on the tour and learning new ways to incorporate agriculture in the school setting and extend student learning into larger agriculture settings.

Patrick trained in London, Ont and is a proud alumni of Fanshawe College (Cook II Apprentice, Class of 1992), where he has also worked as a Professor in the Culinary Management program since 1999. After working in a wide variety of food service establishments, Patrick pursued his goal of teaching in order to help the next generation of Chefs. Accomplishments include obtaining his Certified Chef de Cuisine designation and the Fanshawe Presidents Distinguished Faculty Award. Patrick has a passion for sharing his knowledge of food and cooking and highlighting the importance of supporting local farmers, producers and industry in the classes he teaches. Patrick also enjoys coaching and mentoring the many students involved in a variety of culinary competitions over the years and welcomes the opportunity to connect with Chefs and student competitors from other Colleges. Having participated in other Farm & Food Care Tours and events over the years, Patrick is looking forward to this year’s tour in Saskatchewan.

Chef Keith Hoare has been involved in the food service industry for over 35 years, including teaching for the past 16 years at Thistletown Collegiate Institute. Chef Keith has won various teaching and industry awards including the Toronto Star Teacher of the Year Award, Restaurants Canada National Leadership Award in 2020 and most recently, the Culinary Federation of Canada’s Chef of the Year for 2022.

Since March 2020, Keith has led a team of chefs and community partners to create over 50,000 meals for shelters and food banks to rescue and redistribute tons of food to those in need. He also started an in-school food bank for students.

Keith created an annual food festival event in the school’s organic garden with leading Toronto chefs and culinary colleges to help raise funds for international travel. He has raised over $500,000 for school projects including international culinary trips for his students to Italy, Spain and France. He is also responsible for resurrecting Thistletown’s football program in 2008.

Keith engages his students in events to support local charities, including Youth Without Shelter, Anishnawbe Toronto Health Centre and Ernestine’s Women’s Shelter.

Keith won the TV competition Chopped Canada in 2015 and donated the $10,000 prize to his students’ trip to Spain and France.

Allison de Huber grew up in small town SK with the best of “town kid” & “farm kid” life. Her family operated a mixed cattle and grain farm, now solely grain. She grew up helping with chores & volunteering in the community. Allison attended the U of S and received a B.A. and B.Ed. She has worked as a teacher in Kenaston, SK for 9 years now, both with the local school, but primarily the Distance Learning Centre. She is always interested in learning about developing Ag technologies from her farm-family K-2 students or her own family back home. Her hobbies include travel, drama & the arts, puzzles, curling, and telling stories to the way too many houseplants that live with her and partner Jonathan.

Sylvia Kong is a home economist, food stylist, recipe developer and cookbook author.

She is passionate about cooking and eating and is always trying out new recipes. Sylvia lives in Calgary with her family.

Crystal MacGregor is an innovator, registered dietitian, and lifelong learner, dedicated to inspiring healthy minds and nourishing bodies. With over two decades of expertise, working throughout Canada Crystal has become a trailblazer in the field of dietetics, making a profound impact across various sectors.

Crystal’s impressive career includes leadership roles at Epicure, where she served as the VP of Product Development, spearheading the development of their Good Food Real Fast movement, over 40 season launches, and the renowned Epic Life program, transforming the lives of over 20,000 individuals. Her media experience as a nutrition expert spans over 100 TV spots, with appearances on prominent shows such as CTV Regina’s Morning Live, Global Regina’s Morning Show, CTV Vancouver Morning Show, CTV Vancouver Island, Compass, CBC, #FoodieFriday, Global Montreal Morning Show, and Kingston’s WS Daily.

Currently, Crystal serves as the Director of Communications & Marketing at Food Island Partnership, passionately collaborating to showcase Prince Edward Island as Canada’s Food Island and drive economic growth in her beloved home province. She has organized cooking classes for the Canada Games, showcasing local products and reaching 2.4M consumers as well as a PEI Potato media campaign reaching over 4.7M consumers. Crystal’s team recently won the Food & Beverage Atlantic Storyteller of the Year award and the Culinary Federation Associate Member award.

As the founder of Crystal MacGregor Consulting, Crystal’s entrepreneurial spirit shines through her work in empowering food businesses through product development, recipe creation, and media services. She also contributes her expertise as a member of Canada Beef’s Nutrition Expert Advisory Committee.

Crystal holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Science, with a Major in Nutrition from the University of Prince Edward Island, where she also completed her dietetic internship. Her passion for cooking, the transformative power of exercise, and her dedication to staying informed on the latest agrifood, health, and wellness trends through continuous research fuel her drive.

Crystal MacGregor is a true advocate for good food, health, and wellness, leveraging her vast experience and expertise to inspire positive change in individuals and communities alike. With a deep love for food, Crystal MacGregor believes that every recipe tells a captivating story. To her, it’s a love story that encompasses the journey of who made it, the inspiration behind trying something new, the meticulous process of growing and preparing the ingredients, and the magic moments that occur when the dish is shared with loved ones. Crystal’s passion for food goes beyond mere sustenance—it’s a profound connection that weaves together people, traditions, and experiences, creating a tapestry of culinary delight and heartfelt connections.

Culinary Instructor at Pius X Career Centre, Chef at Le Challenger Conference and Reception Hall, Culinary Competition Coach for Taste Canada and The Skills Quebec Trade and Technology Olympiades.

I have been teaching Professional Cooking since 2013 at Pius X Career Centre. Since 2016 I have been working at Le Challenger reception hall, helping out a chef friend on the weekends. Since the pandemic, I helped bring in a new kitchen team to Le Challenger and became Chef/Consultant to the owners.

I enjoy cooking at a high level and am passionate about food. The product of Italian immigrant parents, this passion comes about naturally. Food is family.

I’ve been in kitchens for over 30 years and transitioning to teaching has been amazing. Teaching the next generation of cooks and chefs is something I take seriously and I strive to instill my passion for culinary by example.

Siva Swaminathan is the Executive Chair and one of the founding members of the Diabetes Canada South Asian Diabetes Chapter in Toronto.

After being in the IT field for 12 years, she decided to pursue her dream of being a chef by attending the George Brown Culinary program, where she worked with many Canadian top chefs. She apprenticed in Germany and Switzerland for two years and now operates Chezsiva Cooking School, which offers a variety of cooking classes and services. She was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes 16 years ago and has been using her culinary skills to develop low GI, healthy meal plans for people with diabetes.

Siva has been a volunteer with Diabetes Canada since 2006 where she organizes and presents information sessions on diabetes prevention and management for the South Asian and type 1 community. Siva has also been the driving force behind several diabetes expos for the South Asian community and played a key role in developing culturally relevant patient literature. She works with many non-profit organizations on healthy eating for diabetes and fitness and advocacy. She has walked 1000 km across Northern Spain walking the Camino Santiago. Siva has won a number of awards for her work within the diabetes community and is now working on her next dream, which is authoring a cookbook.

Amy is a nutrition counsellor & educator, author, professional speaker, media dietitian, and the founder of Libra Nutrition. She loves teaching and has a heart full of compassion and empathy for helping others. She is an innovative, supportive nutrition educator with a calm confidence and demeanor to help her clients and patients tackle complex medical issues and practical everyday meal planning.

She leads a team of over a dozen student volunteers at any time in a variety of nutrition education projects for the community, grocery industry, and non-profit sector. She has published over 500 nutrition-related articles in multiple Asian magazines and national newspapers. She co-authored Dietitians at Home, a cookbook for the whole family with easy and nutritious Asian-inspired recipes and is currently writing her second book.

She is a regular Chinese TV and radio talk show guest expert on nutrition for programs such as OMNI Television and AM1470 in Vancouver, Canada. She has proudly served as the spokesperson for the Dietitians of Canada National Nutrition Month campaigns in British Columbia for close to a decade. Amy is a recipient of the Leadership Award by the Dietitians of Canada in 2015 and was recognized as one of the Top 10 dietitians by Today’s Dietitian magazine in 2023. Over the past decade, she conducted over 200 community workshops and touched the lives of over 100,000 people who have attended. She passionately continues to expand her skills as a virtual presenter offering online nutrition workshops for community partners and institutions including the University of British Columbia, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, S.U.C.C.E.S.S (a settlement organization for immigrants), Dietitians of Canada Consulting Network, CRC Health Centre, R.C.M.P., and non-profit organizations.