John Guelly
Past Chair of Alberta Canola and Principal Partner of JJ Farms
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John Guelly is a 3rd generation canola, wheat and malt barley farmer from Westlock, AB, where he was born & raised.
John is a Professional Engineer (B.Sc in Ag Engineering from the University of Alberta (1990) and has previously worked in manufacturing while farming but now works winters consulting while operating the family farm. He currently serves as a Director with the Westlock Cleaning Coop and was appointed by the Government of Alberta in 2022 to the Alberta Agricultural Products Marketing Council.
His passion is agriculture and specifically canola. He enjoys on farm research and trials, advocating for #westcdnag, most sports, as well as interacting on Twitter as @WheatGeerJJ.
Past Chair of Alberta Canola and Principal Partner of JJ Farms
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John Guelly is a 3rd generation canola, wheat and malt barley farmer from Westlock, AB, where he was born & raised.
John is a Professional Engineer (B.Sc in Ag Engineering from the University of Alberta (1990) and has previously worked in manufacturing while farming but now works winters consulting while operating the family farm. He currently serves as a Director with the Westlock Cleaning Coop and was appointed by the Government of Alberta in 2022 to the Alberta Agricultural Products Marketing Council.
His passion is agriculture and specifically canola. He enjoys on farm research and trials, advocating for #westcdnag, most sports, as well as interacting on Twitter as @WheatGeerJJ.
Michael Harding
Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation
Crop Health Assurance Lead
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Dr. Michael Harding is the Crop Health Assurance Lead for Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation. He received his BSc in Biology from the University of Lethbridge in 1996, and his PhD in Plant Pathology from the University of Arizona in 2004. Dr. Harding leads crop disease monitoring and surveillance in Alberta and assists with crop health diagnostics.
Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation
Crop Health Assurance Lead
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Dr. Michael Harding is the Crop Health Assurance Lead for Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation. He received his BSc in Biology from the University of Lethbridge in 1996, and his PhD in Plant Pathology from the University of Arizona in 2004. Dr. Harding leads crop disease monitoring and surveillance in Alberta and assists with crop health diagnostics.
Keisha Hollman
University of Alberta
Masters Student
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Keisha Hollman is currently a graduate student at the University of Alberta under the supervision of Dr. Stephen Strelkov and Dr. Sheau-Fang Hwang. Her thesis focuses on characterizing the virulence of new clubroot pathotypes in Canada. Prior to returning to school in 2017, she was the Crop Production and Pest Technician for Strathcona County Agriculture, where she focused on crop scouting, clubroot management plan development, and hosting information seminars for farmers and industry partners. She is currently a sessional instructor at the University of Alberta for the Integrated Crop Production course and hopes to finish her graduate degree this spring.
University of Alberta
Masters Student
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Keisha Hollman is currently a graduate student at the University of Alberta under the supervision of Dr. Stephen Strelkov and Dr. Sheau-Fang Hwang. Her thesis focuses on characterizing the virulence of new clubroot pathotypes in Canada. Prior to returning to school in 2017, she was the Crop Production and Pest Technician for Strathcona County Agriculture, where she focused on crop scouting, clubroot management plan development, and hosting information seminars for farmers and industry partners. She is currently a sessional instructor at the University of Alberta for the Integrated Crop Production course and hopes to finish her graduate degree this spring.
Sheila Kaus
Big Lakes County
Agriculture Fieldman
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After growing up on the family farm, Sheila discovered the wonderful world of Municipal Agricultural Service Boards in 1998 as just a fresh faced kid working for her home ASB. There she developed a keen dislike of common tansy, which served her well. In 2009, she enrolled in Olds College Land and Water Resource program and graduated in 2011, landing a job as a municipal Conservation and Extension Coordinator. In 2016, she decided she needed some agricultural street cred and became a certified crop advisor. Sheila was hired as the Agricultural Fieldman of Big Lakes County in April, 2017.
Big Lakes County
Agriculture Fieldman
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After growing up on the family farm, Sheila discovered the wonderful world of Municipal Agricultural Service Boards in 1998 as just a fresh faced kid working for her home ASB. There she developed a keen dislike of common tansy, which served her well. In 2009, she enrolled in Olds College Land and Water Resource program and graduated in 2011, landing a job as a municipal Conservation and Extension Coordinator. In 2016, she decided she needed some agricultural street cred and became a certified crop advisor. Sheila was hired as the Agricultural Fieldman of Big Lakes County in April, 2017.
Dan Orchard
Canola Council of Canada
Agronomy Specialist
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Dan joined the Council in March 2011. As a Bachelor of Science graduate from the University of Alberta, Dan combines his education and more than 20 year’s field experience to assist the Canola Council of Canada and the Crop Production Team. Dan’s scouting led to the first detection of clubroot in Alberta in 2003, and has since taken on the role of clubroot leader for the agronomy team and is a withstanding member of the Clubroot Steering Group. Dan covers the North Central Alberta Region, and when not doing agronomy he enjoys camping and playing guitar.
Canola Council of Canada
Agronomy Specialist
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Dan joined the Council in March 2011. As a Bachelor of Science graduate from the University of Alberta, Dan combines his education and more than 20 year’s field experience to assist the Canola Council of Canada and the Crop Production Team. Dan’s scouting led to the first detection of clubroot in Alberta in 2003, and has since taken on the role of clubroot leader for the agronomy team and is a withstanding member of the Clubroot Steering Group. Dan covers the North Central Alberta Region, and when not doing agronomy he enjoys camping and playing guitar.
Gregory Sekulic
Canola Council of Canada
Agronomy Specialist
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Gregory Sekulic has been an agronomy specialist with the Canola Council of Canada since spring 2011. Prior to that, Gregory spent 10 years in the Edmonton area as a field agronomist, working with progressive growers in the Black and Dark Grey soil zones. Gregory obtained his BSc in Agriculture, Crop & Horticutural Science, from the U of A in 2001. Throughout his career, Gregory has been an advocate for soil and water conservation, as well as sustainable agricultural production with a special interest in beneficial insect ecology. For the last seven years, Gregory has led the Canola Council’s efforts towards pollinator protection and promoting biodiversity in canola cropping systems.
Canola Council of Canada
Agronomy Specialist
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Gregory Sekulic has been an agronomy specialist with the Canola Council of Canada since spring 2011. Prior to that, Gregory spent 10 years in the Edmonton area as a field agronomist, working with progressive growers in the Black and Dark Grey soil zones. Gregory obtained his BSc in Agriculture, Crop & Horticutural Science, from the U of A in 2001. Throughout his career, Gregory has been an advocate for soil and water conservation, as well as sustainable agricultural production with a special interest in beneficial insect ecology. For the last seven years, Gregory has led the Canola Council’s efforts towards pollinator protection and promoting biodiversity in canola cropping systems.
Ward Toma
Alberta Canola
General Manager
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Ward joined Alberta Canola as the General Manager in 1999 and oversees the implementation of services and programs in grower relations and extension, public engagement and education, government and industry affairs, and research.
Alberta Canola
General Manager
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Ward joined Alberta Canola as the General Manager in 1999 and oversees the implementation of services and programs in grower relations and extension, public engagement and education, government and industry affairs, and research.
Aaron Van Beers
Leduc County
Manager of Agricultural Services
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Aaron Van Beers is a Southern Alberta farm kid who loves playing in the dirt. Since graduating from the University of Lethbridge in 1997, he has worked for a seed company, a fertilizer retail, and is currently with Leduc County as the Manager of Agricultural Services. He has been primarily responsible for the Clubroot Inspection Program at Leduc County since 2009. He spends his summers in Devon with his wife and three kids and the winters in various hockey rinks around the Province
Leduc County
Manager of Agricultural Services
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Aaron Van Beers is a Southern Alberta farm kid who loves playing in the dirt. Since graduating from the University of Lethbridge in 1997, he has worked for a seed company, a fertilizer retail, and is currently with Leduc County as the Manager of Agricultural Services. He has been primarily responsible for the Clubroot Inspection Program at Leduc County since 2009. He spends his summers in Devon with his wife and three kids and the winters in various hockey rinks around the Province