Saskatchewan
CROPS FORUM
Where Saskatchewan agriculture gets ahead of what’s next.
Two days of commission AGM’s, expert speakers and networking — built for Saskatchewan producers and the industry that supports them.
General Information
LOCATION
Western Development Museum, Saskatoon, SK
DATE
January 12-13, 2027
COST
Registered producers: FREE
General Admission: $125
Where are markets headed? What’s changing in policy? What’s next for your farm?
Get answers and engage in dialogue at the Saskatchewan Crops Forum. Two days of big-picture thinking, practical ideas and conversation with the people shaping Saskatchewan crop production. It’s built for producers and the industry that supports them.
Why attend?
Look ahead. Hear from an economist, a political insider, a futurist and an astronaut. Each one gives you a different angle on the same question: what’s coming for your operation, and how do you get ready for it?
Get straight to the substance. The agenda has no panels. Each session is a single speaker with something to say, and both days start at 9 AM.
Have your say. Your barley, oats, oilseeds, pulse and wheat commissions hold their annual meetings at the Forum. You can vote, ask questions and see where your levy dollars go.
Talk to the whole value chain. Farmers, researchers, agronomists, industry and government all share the same room. Between sessions, you’re one coffee away from the person you’ve been meaning to reach.
AGENDA
Day 1 - January 12
Registration & Hot Breakfast
8:00 A.M.
On Success, Failure, Resilience & Pushing the Limits: Dr. Shawna Pandya
9:00 A.M.
Dr. Shawna Pandya is the first named female commercial Canadian astronaut, and will be flying to space with the Virgin Galactic Delta class of spacecraft with the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences (IIAS) in 2027. She is also an emergency and aeromedical transport physician, aquanaut, Director of IIAS’ Space Medicine Group and Executive Director of the IIAS Flight Opportunities Program. Dr. Pandya was on the first crew to test a commercial spacesuit in zero-gravity in 2015. She earned her aquanaut designation on the 2019 NEPTUNE (Nautical Experiments in Physiology, Technology and Underwater Exploration) mission, and completed a second aquanaut mission, NEP2NE, in May 2023, for a total of 11 days, 10 nights underwater. Her work has been profiled by Nature Careers and the Royal Canadian Mint.
Networking Break
Sponsored by Nutrien
10:00 A.M.
10:30 A.M.
Voting is open to registered wheat producers. To qualify as a registered producer, you must have grown and sold wheat in Saskatchewan within the last 2 years and not requested a levy refund in the previous year.
Sask Wheat’s Annual General Meeting
Announcement: Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture
11:45 A.M.
Lunch
Sponsored by Bunge
12:00 P.M.
Saskatchewan Pulse Growers’ Annual General Meeting
1:00 P.M.
Voting is open to registered pulse producers. To qualify as a registered producer, you must have grown and sold pulses in Saskatchewan in the last 3 years.
Networking Break
Sponsored by SaskCrops
2:15 P.M.
CWRC/CBRC Breeding Innovation
2:45 P.M.
3:00 P.M.
Jesse Hirsh is a futurist farmer who runs the Academy of the Impossible, a fibre-connected research farm in rural Eastern Ontario that explores agriculture, media, technology and culture. His current work focuses on automated media, the governance and ethics of artificial intelligence, and data protection and privacy. He holds a master's degree in algorithmic media from Toronto Metropolitan University and is a co-founder of the Eco Punks, a trans-disciplinary agency that helps clients navigate an unpredictable world. Known for his infectious energy, he draws audiences into the conversation.
The Programmable Farm: What AI Can Do in Your Fields and Who It Works For: Jesse Hirsh
Reception & Entertainment on Boomtown Street
Sponsored by BASF
4:00 P.M.
5:30 P.M.
Bar Closes
Day 2 - January 13
8:00 A.M.
Registration & Hot Breakfast
Crosscurrents Intensify: Geopolitics, Trade, and Global Pressures Shaping Canada’s Economy: Pedro Antunes
9:00 A.M.
Pedro Antunes is Chief Economist at Signal49 Research (formerly The Conference Board of Canada), where he guides the forecast team and the reports and economic indicators covering Canada, its provinces and its sectors. He began his career at the Bank of Canada in 1987 and has worked on forecasting and policy analysis projects in Tunisia, Morocco, Jordan and Ukraine. His recent research examines Canada's productivity challenge, immigration and inequality, and the country's emissions path. He has testified before parliamentary and senate committees and holds an M.A. in Economics from Queen's University.
10:00 A.M.
Networking Break
10:30 A.M.
SaskOilseeds’ Annual General Meeting
Voting is open to registered producers. To qualify as a registered producer, you must have grown and sold canola and/or flax in Saskatchewan within the last 2 years and not requested a levy refund in the previous year.
Lunch
Sponsored by Canadian Canola Growers Association
11:30 A.M.
12:30 P.M.
SaskBarley’s Annual General Meeting
Voting is open to registered barley producers. To qualify as a registered producer, you must have grown and sold barley in Saskatchewan within the last 2 years and not requested a levy refund in the previous year.
The Honourable James Moore is a public policy adviser at global firm Edelman and a corporate director. During a 15-year career as a Member of Parliament, he served as Canada's Minister of Industry and Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, and was the senior regional minister for British Columbia. Today he is a political analyst for CTV News and a regular on national media, and he serves on the board of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research. He holds a master's degree from the University of Saskatchewan.
Politics & Policy - A Roadmap for the Year Ahead: The Honourable James Moore
1:30 P.M.
How We’re Keeping Agriculture in the Classroom: Sara Shymko, Agriculture in the Classroom Saskatchewan
2:30 P.M.
Networking Break
3:00 P.M.
3:30 P.M.
SaskOats’ AGM, Market Outlook and Pig Spleen Weather Forecast
Voting is open to registered oat producers. A registered producer is anyone who has had a Saskatchewan Oat Development Commission levy deducted, and not refunded, since Aug. 1, 2024.
Reception in Room
Sponsored by SaskOats
5:00 P.M.
5:30 P.M.
Bar Closes
SPEAKERS
DAY 1
DR. SHAWNA PANDYA
Dr. Shawna Pandya is the first named female commercial Canadian astronaut, and will be flying to space with the Virgin Galactic Delta class of spacecraft with the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences (IIAS) as early as late 2026. She is also an emergency and aeromedical transport physician, aquanaut, Director of IIAS’ Space Medicine Group, Executive Director of the IIAS Flight Opportunities Program, and Chief of Space Medicine at the Advanced Spacelife Research Institute. She is an Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of Alberta within the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, and a lecturer in "Technology and the Future of Medicine" there. Dr. Pandya was on the first crew to test a commercial spacesuit in zero gravity in 2015. She earned her aquanaut designation on the 2019 NEPTUNE (Nautical Experiments in Physiology, Technology and Underwater Exploration) mission, and completed a second aquanaut mission, NEP2NE, in May 2023, for a total of 11 days, 10 nights underwater. She served as the medical lead and co-PI of the 2023 IIAS-01 suborbital research flight, as well as a PI and/or co-I for Ax-2, Polaris Dawn and Blue Origin payloads. Her publications include a paper on medical guidelines for commercial suborbital spaceflight, and book chapters on space technologies that have benefitted terrestrial medicine, psychological resilience in long-duration spaceflight, reproduction and sexuality in long-duration spaceflight, the future of space medicine, and emergency medical procedures in spaceflight. Her work is permanently exhibited at the Ontario Science Center alongside Dr. Roberta Bondar, the first Canadian woman in space. In 2019, Dr. Pandya was named a Fellow International of the Explorers' Club, and in 2022, she was named to the Explorers' Club's “50 Explorers Changing the World." In 2024, she was recognized for her contributions by the Women’s Space Awards in the Medicine and Health category, and inducted as a full member of the International Astronautical Federation’s Human Spaceflight Committee. In 2025, Dr. Pandya was named as a Karman Fellow and a finalist as “Playmaker of the Year,” at the inaugural Global Space Awards for her work in co-founding and building the world’s first suborbital research astronautics program. She also serves as part of the XPRIZE Brain Trust, and as a mentor with the Creative Destruction Lab. Her work has been profiled by Nature Careers and the Royal Canadian Mint. Dr. Pandya is a skydiver, diver, martial artist and pilot in training.
JESSE HIRSH
Jesse Hirsh is a futurist farmer who brings an outsider’s perspective and literal critical distance, operating from his farm in rural Eastern Ontario. Yet this is no ordinary farm. Wired up with high speed fiber optic Internet, the Academy of the Impossible engages in a wide range of research regarding agriculture, media, technology, and culture.
He has a Masters degree from Toronto Metropolitan University in algorithmic media, and his current work focuses on the rise of automated media, as well as the governance and ethics of artificial intelligence, data protection, and privacy.
Jesse is also a co-founder of the Eco Punks, a trans-disciplinary agency that analyzes the ecosystems and communities that our clients operate in, helping us identify opportunities resulting from, as well as responses to the ever changing challenges that are imposed on us by an increasingly unpredictable and unstable reality.
Jesse has an infectious energy that lifts spirits and enables creative critical thinking. He’s always learning, sharing, and helping others to do the same.
Here’s a sample review that highlights his style in 2024: He was phenomenally well prepared, and took the time to attend a few of our conference sessions in the morning to get to know more about our industry and the impacts of AI. Jesse’s style is somewhat unconventional, but extremely engaging and thought provoking. He made a strong connection with our audience and had their full attention, generating a great question and answer period after his talk.
DAY 2
PEDRO ANTUNES
Pedro Antunes is the Chief Economist at Signal49 Research (formerly The Conference Board of Canada) where he provides insights and general direction for economic products, which include reports and economic indicators about Canada, its regions, and sectors. He provides professional testimony before parliamentary and senate committees along with media appearances in both English and French. Pedro is widely sought to speak to industry leaders and decision-makers on a wide range of issues and topics impacting Canadians.
Pedro started his professional career in 1987 with the Canadian forecast team at the Bank of Canada, joining Signal49 in 1992 as part of the provincial forecast team. Over time, he had responsibility for the economic analysis of different provinces and sectors. He also worked on several international projects to help decision-makers in Tunisia, Morocco, Jordan, and Ukraine develop appropriate forecasting and policy analysis tools. Among other topics, Pedro has researched the impact of Canada’s demographic change on labour markets, the fiscal sustainability of health care, productivity, and long-term economic growth.
Pedro’s recent work has taken him on a deep dive into Canada’s productivity problem, shedding light on the fact that Canada’s productivity “emergency” is concentrated in a few key industries. His other research has helped separate fact from fiction on immigration and inequality. Pedro recently contributed to a major financed research project that quantifies the most probable path for Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions under the federal government’s Emissions Reduction Plan.
Pedro guides our forecast team in producing the highest quality and most trusted forecasts. From model development to making critical calls about downturns, he has been instrumental in building Signal49’s reputation as the go-to organization for understanding how change impacts our economy across provinces and territories.
Mr. Antunes is fluent in both official languages. He is married with one son and enjoys hikes with his dog and playing soccer. He holds an M.A. (Economics) from Queen's University and a B.A. from Bishop’s University.
HONOURABLE JAMES MOORE
James Moore is a public policy adviser at the global firm Edelman and a corporate director. He previously served as Canada's Minister of Industry, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, Secretary of State for the Asia Pacific Gateway and Minister for the 2010 Olympics over a five-term, 15-year career as a Member of Parliament. He was the senior regional minister for the province of British Columbia and is the youngest cabinet minister and Member of Parliament in B.C.'s history. He is a political analyst for CTV News and frequently appears on CBC/Radio-Canada, BNN Bloomberg, Global TV and is a regular on “The Bridge” podcast with Peter Mansbridge. He served as national vice-chair of the Canadian Cancer Society, was a member of the NAFTA Council for the Government of Canada and was the sixth chancellor of the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC). He is also on the boards of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR). Fluently bilingual in French and English, he holds a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Northern BC and a master of arts from the University of Saskatchewan.
Frequently Asked Questions
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A registered producer is a farmer who qualifies to vote at a commission’s annual general meeting. Each commission sets its own criteria:
SaskBarley: You’ve grown and sold barley in Saskatchewan within the last 2 years and haven’t requested a levy refund in the previous year.
Sask Wheat: You’ve grown and sold wheat in Saskatchewan within the last 2 years and haven’t requested a levy refund in the previous year.
SaskOilseeds: You’ve grown and sold canola and/or flax in Saskatchewan within the last 2 years and haven’t requested a levy refund in the previous year.
Saskatchewan Pulse Growers: You’ve grown and sold pulses in Saskatchewan within the last 3 years.
SaskOats: You’ve had a Saskatchewan Oat Development Commission levy deducted, and not refunded, since August 1, 2024.
Registered producers attend for free.
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If you’re not sure, contact the office of the commission you are wondering about.
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No. You only need to be registered with the commissions whose annual general meetings (AGMs) you want to vote at. For example, if you grow barley and canola, you can vote at the SaskBarley and SaskOilseeds AGMs.
When you sign up, select that you’re attending as a registered producer for each of those commissions. You’ll then receive a voter registration package for each meeting.
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Saskatchewan crop producers, agronomists, researchers, and anyone in industry, government or non-profit organizations that works with Saskatchewan agriculture.
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Registration is free for producers registered with one of the five crop commissions (SaskBarley, Sask Wheat, SaskOilseeds, Saskatchewan Pulse Growers and SaskOats). For industry, it’s $125.
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No. The registration price is the same all the way through.
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Yes. Meals are included with your registration.
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Yes. You can register to attend only your commission’s annual meeting.
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Yes. A virtual option is available for viewing only. Voting and questions are available to in-person attendees only.
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Serra McSymytz, Communications Manager, SaskBarley
smcsymytz@saskbarley.com
Your Hosts
The Saskatchewan Crop Organizations
Thank you to our sponsors!
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