Agri-environmental specialists play a unique role in Saskatchewan’s farming landscape.
Austin Baron, based in Swift Current, has been in the role for four years and is grateful she’s been able to do so.
in the summer of 2023.
Photo courtesy: Austin Baron
Growing up on the farm, her parents worked to preserve biodiversity, using tree rows, keeping the old farmyards and minimizing inputs.
“This job, I find, really marries my love for agriculture and the environment where I can really support producers in Saskatchewan, but still help drive sustainability forward,” said Baron.
While a typical day varies in the season, a big portion of the work for an agri-environmental specialist is extension surrounding the Resilient Agriculture Landscapes Program (RALP). Through that work, these specialists, who are located throughout the province, work directly with farmers to help implement on-farm beneficial management practices to be able to access Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (S-CAP) funding.
In addition to extension, Agri-environmental specialists also work with forage blends on farm assessments, such as range health assessments.
“The agri-environmental specialist team brings a really wholesome view to sustainability,” explained Baron, adding they get to work closely with all the other ministry teams such as lands, crops and livestock.
While the people she works with are a big reason she loves her job, the producers are the other reason. Baron loves talking to producers and appreciates the relationships she has formed with them, some of which date back to her pre-ministry days working at the local watershed.
“I still have those connections and there are producers who still will call me and say, ‘Hey Austin, I have questions about this forage stand I seeded. Can you come out and tell me what you think?’ And that is such a huge thing for me to really feel like I’m making a difference on someone’s operation.”
She values making those types of connections within the ministry.
A typical day as an agri-environmental specialist looks different depending on the time of year. From January through the spring, specialists help producers with S-CAP applications and forage blends. Come summer, they’re out doing field work for grazing applications.
Heading into fall, extension season ramps up. During this time specialists partner up with forage dealers to do presentations to producers; they also do demonstrations of practices and technologies, as well as write grazing plans for Range Health Assessments and host webinars and events.
For Baron, she also fills her time with her passion project, polycrops, putting together some short videos on the topic for the ministry.
“That is something that I do and love and talk about every chance I get,” said Baron.
Producers looking to get in touch with the agri-environmental specialists in their region can reach out to the Agriculture Knowledge Centre at 1-866-457-2377.