Alberta pulse growers recruits advisors

Melissa Strle
Times Reporter

 

The Alberta Pulse Growers Commission (APG) is inviting pulse producers to apply and let their names stand for advisor positions within various Alberta zones in a move to help further grow awareness of the pulse industry within Alberta.
According to Allison Ammeter, chairman of the Alberta Pulse Growers Commission, some of the positions may just be up for re-election and some will be looking for new people.
“We always have a rotation of advisors within each of our five zones,” she noted. “It’s different in each zone. The idea is that you have terms and we always want to have new voices coming on.”
Pulses include peas, beans, chickpeas and lentils. They are grown around the world and are high in protein and fibre and low in fat. Pulses are known as a super food that helps to manage heart health, diabetes and weight control.
To be eligible to apply for an advisor position, pulse producers have to have sold pulses in their name within the last two years provincially.
Within each zone, there are two directors and up to eight advisors at any given time. The advisors and directors run zone-specific business in addition to helping to direct the provincial board.
Ammeter herself was a director in Strathmore’s zone two and was up for re-election as an advisor at the zone two meeting in Strathmore on Nov. 23. Zone two runs as far south as Vulcan and north as far as Wetaskiwin, around the Rimbey area.
Ammeter started as an advisor in zone two approximately four years ago and became a director shortly thereafter.
Strathmore’s zone two has recently been working on some plot work.
“It’s been really good to be able to doing things specific to our local area,” said Ammeter.
The commission makes it a point to try to tap into the advisor’s knowledge, understanding and ideas. Therefore, sometimes the commission asks advisors to sit on different committees such as the research or marketing committees.
Meetings are more geared towards interacting and networking.
“We want to direct the funds from the commission in a way that benefits farmers as much as possible,” said Ammeter. “We want to hear from the farmers, and the advisors are very much our way of doing that.”
The commission uses a large amount of its funds for research and continually looks at ways to research in different areas including agronomics and marketing.
“We use a lot of our funds to promote pulses so consumers know how to use them, farmers know how to grow them better and that becomes a circle,” said Ammeter.
Increased consumer awareness increases demand and prompts farmers to produce more.
“It’s a very good thing,” said Ammeter.
The Alberta Pulse Growers Commission encourages farmers to get involved by volunteering with the commission, or they can come out and hear what the speakers have to say during upcoming zone two meetings.
“The commission exists to serve farmers, so that is our entire reason for being,” said Ammeter.