It All Starts with a Seed

Northern Alberta Seed Cleaning Co-ops do their Part to Boost Crop Yields

Grimshaw Co-op Seed Cleaning Plant and Frontier Seed Cleaning Co-op in La Crete

Seed Cleaning is a vital component in Alberta’s Agriculture sector. With 67 local seed cleaning co-ops in communities across Alberta, these organizations play a critical role in keeping crop yields high, reducing weed infestations and optimizing equipment performance.

According to Farm Credit Canada, “Seed cleaning is performed to decrease bulk for shipping, remove seeds with imperfections and remove any other unwanted seeds or diseases.”

The Alberta Seed Processors Organization oversees the 67 farmer-owned seed co-ops and helps to educate and support their members on seed cleaning, testing and other services.

Grimshaw Co-op Seed Cleaning Plant

A lifetime resident of the Peace Region, Kelly Diebert is the manager of the Grimshaw Co-op Seed Cleaning Plant. He is grateful for the chance to be involved in this integral agricultural business for the past seven years.

“I was introduced to the wonderful world of seed cleaning, and after a short training period, I took over management and operation of the seed cleaning plant and have been there ever since,” said Diebert.

The co-op in Grimshaw has been in operation since 1961, and its role is to clean seeds like wheat, barley, oats and peas for area farmers in preparation for planting.

The co-op also facilitates testing of seed for disease and fungal contaminants that could impact future crops as well as testing for germination and vigor so farmers can trust their seed to perform efficiently.

Grimshaw Co-op Seed Cleaning Plant Manager Kelly Diebert

“We assist the MD of Peace in their Fusarium monitoring program as part of our seed testing protocol. Fusarium is a plant disease that reduces yields in cereal crops,” said Diebert.

The co-op is governed by an elected board of directors, but Diebert is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the equipment in the seed plant. On most occasions, Diebert is the only one operating the plant, which means having a strategy to alleviate busy seasons and to shorten the wait time for local producers.

“We encourage farmers to bring in their seed samples early to miss the April rush,” said Diebert.

Frontier Seed Co-op in La Crete

Further north, Frontier Seed Cleaning Co-op has been in operation on the outskirts of La Crete since 1980. General Manager Ken Wiebe has been in his role since 2011 and has overseen a lot of growth and expansion during his time with the co-op.

“I grew up in the area, but I was living in Edmonton and running a trucking company when this job opportunity came up,” said Wiebe. “I didn’t have seed cleaning experience, but my background in agriculture made me a good fit.”

Over the years Frontier has grown its presence in the region, serving both conventional farmers and an increasing number of organic farmers.

“I started the operation as a solo employee with one seasonal employee,” said Wiebe. “I have seen a lot of changes in my time here.”

Frontier now has Wiebe as the manager, as well as two full-time operators and a part-time administrator on the team.

In 2023, Frontier underwent a massive renovation and doubled their processing capacity—upgrading the technology and offering farmers more efficient processing of their seed.

“Our co-op is independently run with 300 shareholders, who are all farmers in the Mackenzie County region,” said Wiebe.

The new upgrades that came with the renovation also made organic farming in the area more viable with seed cleaning for market sales. This is significant as the concentration of organic farmers in Mackenzie County is steadily increasing.

According to Canadian Organic Growers, “In a small nook in Northern Alberta, there is a huge community of organic farmers who support, learn and build each other up to continue creating their community of practice.”

This is a big part of the way Frontier is growing alongside the demand from farmers. Organic farming often comes with higher needs for seed sorting and cleaning, and Frontier is meeting the farmers where they need them with their eyes on future growth.

“Our biggest area of focus is still cleaning seed for farmers in the spring to get them ready for planting, but we’ve also seen a big rise in market cleaning for organic farmers in our area,” said Wiebe.

Frontier Seed Cleaning Co-op has become a vital part of their community, and are looking forward to expanding within this fast paced agricultural industry.

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By Kelly Pippin | Photography by Tyrell Parenteau (Grimshaw) and Andrew O'Rourke (La Crete)