The Extensionists

Episode 37 – Patti Durand

How do you navigate the unspoken expectations, deep-seated fears, and intergenerational tensions that make farm succession planning so difficult? In this episode of The Extensionists, Jay Whetter and Toban Dyck are joined by Patti Durand, author and facilitator with Brightrack Consulting, to explore the challenges and opportunities in family farm transition. Drawing on her experiences with over 400 families, Patti explains why "intention is not a plan" and how the paralysis of inaction can impact multi-million dollar operations. She shares actionable communication tools—like embracing "the pause" and pre-scripting tough talks—to help families move away from a narrative of fear and toward an empowering process of finding growth and vision for the future. Tune into the full conversation for insights on how families can build a clear path forward for their family farm transition. Website: https://theextensionists.com [https://theextensionists.com/] X: https://x.com/thextensionists [https://x.com/thextensionists] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/104093329/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/104093329/] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563563092114 [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563563092114] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theextensionists/ [https://www.instagram.com/theextensionists/] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheExtensionists [https://www.youtube.com/@TheExtensionists] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theextensionists [https://www.tiktok.com/@theextensionists] Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theextensionists.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/theextensionists.bsky.social] The Extensionists - Conversations with Great Thinkers in Agriculture is a Burr Forest Group production with new episodes airing every other week on Tuesdays. Hosts Toban Dyck and Jay Whetter have in-depth conversations with industry experts, researchers, innovators, and farmers about the latest developments in agriculture and their implications. With a focus on making complex agricultural topics accessible and engaging, The Extensionists bridges the gap between research and farming by connecting the agricultural community to great ideas and thinkers. The Extensionists is produced and edited by Abby Wall, researched by Ashley Robinson, and marketed by Michelle McMullen.

Episode 36 – Owen Roberts

What do 33 years in agricultural communications, a role as senior communications advisor for Grain Farmers of Ontario, and a 26-year run as the lead guitarist for the country rock band "The GMOs" all have in common? In this episode of The Extensionists, we sit down with Owen Roberts, senior advisor of strategic communications for Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO) and former International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) president, to discuss his diverse career and the vital lessons he's learned about connecting research to the public. We explore the critical need for simplicity and transparency when communicating agricultural research to all audiences—from farmers to urban consumers—and how to clearly explain the connection between ag research and what ends up on our dinner plates. Owen shares his unique perspective on why Canada is lacking in formal ag extension programs compared to the U.S., and the opportunity we have to mentor the next generation of ag journalists. Owen believes there’s an opportunity for Canada to rethink how it does extension. “I do think there’s an opportunity. One of those opportunities that I found, when I worked at the University of Guelph for 33 years, was to look outside traditional ways of doing things, but maybe not radically different. One of the things we did was involve students in extension.” Plus, hear about Owen’s long-running side gig as the lead guitarist for the country rock band, "The GMOs," which is celebrating its 26th anniversary this year! Tune into the full conversation for more great insights on agricultural communications and innovation. Website: https://theextensionists.com [https://theextensionists.com/] X: https://x.com/thextensionists [https://x.com/thextensionists] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/104093329/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/104093329/] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563563092114 [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563563092114] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theextensionists/ [https://www.instagram.com/theextensionists/] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheExtensionists [https://www.youtube.com/@TheExtensionists] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theextensionists [https://www.tiktok.com/@theextensionists] Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theextensionists.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/theextensionists.bsky.social] The Extensionists - Conversations with Great Thinkers in Agriculture is a Burr Forest Group production with new episodes airing every other week on Tuesdays. Hosts Toban Dyck and Jay Whetter have in-depth conversations with industry experts, researchers, innovators, and farmers about the latest developments in agriculture and their implications. With a focus on making complex agricultural topics accessible and engaging, The Extensionists bridges the gap between research and farming by connecting the agricultural community to great ideas and thinkers. The Extensionists is produced and edited by Abby Wall, researched by Ashley Robinson, and marketed by Michelle McMullen.

Episode 35 – Lauren Benoit

How do we get extension right by bridging the gap between researchers and farmers? In Episode 35 of The Extensionists, hosts Jay Whetter and Toban Dyck welcome Lauren Benoit, a 2024 Nuffield Scholar and PhD student at the University of Saskatchewan, for a discussion focused on strengthening public-private partnerships for the benefit of the entire agricultural value chain. Lauren shares key findings from her Nuffield research on agricultural systems, drawing on lessons from the Netherlands and Australia regarding public and private collaboration on research and extension. She highlights the challenge of maintaining two-way feedback when extension is privatized and stresses the opportunity for collaboration between researchers, growers, and the value chain to ensure research is reliable and applicable to farm needs. Lauren emphasizes, effective engagement is crucial: “If you are showing up to an agronomy day, the whole experience for everyone is going to be better if you ask questions and if you actually engage with the presentation,” she says. “But, just having growers understand that their input and feedback helps make the system better, too.” Website: https://theextensionists.com [https://theextensionists.com/] X: https://x.com/thextensionists [https://x.com/thextensionists] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/104093329/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/104093329/] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563563092114 [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563563092114] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theextensionists/ [https://www.instagram.com/theextensionists/] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheExtensionists [https://www.youtube.com/@TheExtensionists] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theextensionists [https://www.tiktok.com/@theextensionists] Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theextensionists.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/theextensionists.bsky.social] The Extensionists - Conversations with Great Thinkers in Agriculture is a Burr Forest Group production with new episodes airing every other week on Tuesdays. Hosts Toban Dyck and Jay Whetter have in-depth conversations with industry experts, researchers, innovators, and farmers about the latest developments in agriculture and their implications. With a focus on making complex agricultural topics accessible and engaging, The Extensionists bridges the gap between research and farming by connecting the agricultural community to great ideas and thinkers. The Extensionists is produced and edited by Abby Wall, researched by Ashley Robinson, marketed by Michelle McMullen, and designed by Michelle Houlden.

Episode 34 – Cees Leeuwis

Do traditional extension methods still work? On Episode 34 of The Extensionists, hosts Jay Whetter and Toban Dyck meet with Cees Leeuwis, professor of collaborative research, communication and change at the Knowledge Technology and Innovation Group at Wageningen University, to examine traditional extension models and opportunities for system changes. They discuss the transition from traditional, one-way "knowledge transfer" to a collaborative "two-way street" approach. Cees explores the evolution of the Dutch term for extension, voorlichting, which literally means "holding a light in front of someone". He argues this paternalistic model—where scientists are in the light and farmers are in the dark—is outdated and often fails to produce relevant results. The discussion also dives into the current agricultural landscape in the Netherlands, specifically the impact of strict nitrogen regulations and the shift toward privatized extension services. Cees highlights the urgent need for "process facilitators" to repair damaged relationships between the government and producers. Thank you to our episode sponsor, Manitoba Pulse & Soybean Growers. Website: https://theextensionists.com [https://theextensionists.com/] X: https://x.com/thextensionists [https://x.com/thextensionists] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/104093329/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/104093329/] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563563092114 [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563563092114] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theextensionists/ [https://www.instagram.com/theextensionists/] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheExtensionists [https://www.youtube.com/@TheExtensionists] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theextensionists [https://www.tiktok.com/@theextensionists] Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theextensionists.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/theextensionists.bsky.social] The Extensionists - Conversations with Great Thinkers in Agriculture is a Burr Forest Group production with new episodes airing every other week on Tuesdays. Hosts Toban Dyck and Jay Whetter have in-depth conversations with industry experts, researchers, innovators, and farmers about the latest developments in agriculture and their implications. With a focus on making complex agricultural topics accessible and engaging, The Extensionists bridges the gap between research and farming by connecting the agricultural community to great ideas and thinkers. The Extensionists is produced and edited by Abby Wall, researched by Ashley Robinson, marketed by Michelle McMullen, and designed by Michelle Houlden.

Episode 33 – Steve Larocque

In the 33rd episode of The Extensionists, co-hosts Jay Whetter and Toban Dyck chat with Steve Larocque, the owner and president of Beyond Agronomy, to discuss controlled traffic farming and Nuffield Canada. Steve shares how he grew up in the Ottawa Valley in farm country. After school, he moved out to Alberta thinking he would work on the oilfield, but instead found himself entering the ag world through a job at the Alberta Wheat Pool. He later founded his own agronomy company Beyond Agronomy to fulfill a need he saw. His ag journey later led him to apply to be a Nuffield Scholar in 2008. Steve learned about the scholarship after reading a book that inspired him to apply. His study topic was on precision ag leading him to discover and focus on controlled traffic farming. He later became an advocate for it. Toban questions if he should do it on his own farm. The three talk about what Nuffield Canada is and the impact it has had on Canadian agriculture. Steve shares what we can learn about ag extension from it and the opportunities for Canadian farmers with it. The three also discuss peer to peer learning and why it’s an important extension tool. Website: https://theextensionists.com [https://theextensionists.com/] X: https://x.com/thextensionists [https://x.com/thextensionists] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/104093329/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/104093329/] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563563092114 [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563563092114] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theextensionists/ [https://www.instagram.com/theextensionists/] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheExtensionists [https://www.youtube.com/@TheExtensionists] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theextensionists [https://www.tiktok.com/@theextensionists] Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theextensionists.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/theextensionists.bsky.social] The Extensionists - Conversations with Great Thinkers in Agriculture is a Burr Forest Group production with new episodes airing every other week on Tuesdays. Hosts Toban Dyck and Jay Whetter have in-depth conversations with industry experts, researchers, innovators, and farmers about the latest developments in agriculture and their implications. With a focus on making complex agricultural topics accessible and engaging, The Extensionists bridges the gap between research and farming by connecting the agricultural community to great ideas and thinkers. The Extensionists is produced and edited by Abby Wall, coordinated by Ashley Robinson, and designed by Michelle Houlden.