About the Agri-Food Council
The Agri-Food Council is an independent board that supervises and monitors all agri-food agencies in Saskatchewan. Council members are appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council, and are accountable to the Minister of Agriculture. The Council's role differs depending on agency mandates.
Responsibilities of the Agri-Food Council
The specific responsibilities of the Agri-Food Council include:
- Provide advice to the Minister.
- Review all reports submitted to Council pursuant to the Act and its associated regulations.
- Conduct analyses of policies, programs and decisions made or proposed by an agency.
- Monitor the financial activities of agencies.
- Report annually on the operational and financial performance of each agency.
- Ensure accountability, legislative compliance and effective dispute resolution of all agencies.
- Approve agency orders.
- Monitor the use of supply management powers.
- Assist producer groups in establishing new agencies.
- Supervise votes on the establishment of development and marketing agencies.
Participate as a signatory to federal-provincial agricultural marketing agreements.
Promote the growth and development of industries affected by monitoring the impact of agency strategic plans on the rate of growth and development of the industry.
Meet the Agri-Food Council
Joan Heath, Chair, and her husband, have operated Aidra Farms near Radisson since 1991. Joan has a BHEc from the University of Manitoba and grew up near Dauphin on a cattle farm. Joan worked in the agriculture industry in all three prairie provinces from 1984 to 2007 in various management and communications positions. From 2007 to 2018, she has served in various other board roles. In 2018, Joan was inducted into the Saskatchewan Agriculture Hall of Fame.
Brad Wildeman, Vice-Chair, is currently the President of Pound-Maker Agventures Ltd. He has been awarded the Canada Governor General's Award, the Queen's Diamond Jubilee medal, the Saskatchewan Centennial Medal and was inducted into the Saskatchewan Agricultural Hall of Fame in 2008.
Glenn O'Hara is General Manager of Parrheim Foods, a division of Parrish and Heimbecker. He has spent 30 years in the pulse industry buying, processing and marketing pulses and pulse flours. He was raised on a mixed farm near Vanscoy and he and his family continue to enjoy the rural life style.
Joe Kleinsasser is currently President of Rosetown Farming, a multi-commodity farm with livestock, forages and crops. For the last 20 years, Joe has spent time on different agricultural industry boards, including the Agriculture Development Fund board and Farm & Food Care Saskatchewan. He also served on the Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Committee.
Clinton Monchuk grew up on a mixed dairy, beef and grain family farm outside of Lanigan. He received his Bachelor of Science in Agriculture majoring in Agricultural Economics from the University of Saskatchewan, as well as a Master of Business Administration in Agriculture from the University of Guelph. Clinton has enjoyed numerous roles across North America as a researcher, educator, manager, economist and director of trade policy. In 2016, Clinton accepted the role of Executive Director with Farm & Food Care Saskatchewan to promote farming and ranching to consumers.