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Meet the panelists
Research Coordinator, Peace Country Beef and Forage
Dr. Hayford Gyamfi
Dr. Gyamfi holds a PhD in Perennial Forage Agronomy from the University of Alberta and is currently the Research Coordinator for Peace Country Beef and Forage.
Dr. Gyamfi worked as a graduate research assistant at the University of Alberta. His areas of research include soil fertility and nutrient management, forage productivity and quality, and plant water-use interactions.
He is passionate about programs which promote the dissemination of agricultural information to farmers to help boost productivity, increase sustainable production of crops, marketing, and efficient supply chain management.
Research Scientist, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Dr. Bharat Shrestha
Dr. Bharat Shrestha is a Research Scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), specializing in agronomy and cropping systems.
His work focuses on improving the sustainability and productivity of Canadian agriculture through innovations in crop management, soil health, and climate adaptation strategies.
Dr. Shrestha holds a PhD in Soil Science and has extensive experience in applied research aimed at enhancing the resilience of farming systems. His expertise in soil-plant interactions and sustainable agricultural practices has made him a valuable contributor to both the research community and Canadian producers.
Producer, Triple T Farms
James Thiessen
James has been farming the same 640 acres at Triple T Farms for 34 years and has been certified organic since 1991. He helps his father and brother, who are both now retired.
Always seeking better ways to grow crops more efficiently, James has experimented with various practices over the years, including summer fallow, cover cropping, poly cropping, relay cropping, and minimal tillage. He now uses a combination of these systems, depending on the season’s needs.
James is currently growing hemp, einkorn, barley, poly cropping peas, oats, and mustard. He has just added a farm droid to his long list of equipment, an autonomous robot that seeds, weeds, and runs on solar power. James also used a drone to seed clover on standing hemp this past summer.
Regenerative Agriculture Coach, Cover Crops Canada
Kevin Elmy
Kevin Elmy from Peace Soil Works is a farmer as well as a regenerative agriculture coach helping producers adapt regenerative principles into their farming operation, particularly the use of cover crops. He farmed in eastern Saskatchewan for 22 years developing systems that work in western Canada.
Currently he has contracts with Imperial Seed, Overton Environmental, SmartSoil, along with Canadian Organics and working with Australian and North American producers.
His books “Just Not Dirt” and “Cover Cropping in Western Canada” are available through Friesen Press, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Apple Books, Google Play, Kindle, and Kobo.
Socioeconomic Activity Coordinator, Peace Region Living Lab
Monika Benoit
Monika Benoit is the Socioeconomic Activity Coordinator for the Peace Region Living Lab, where she examines the economic viability and broader factors influencing the adoption of innovative agricultural practices in the Peace Region.
A University of Alberta graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, Monika’s career spans applied research, agricultural extension, ruminant nutrition, and agricultural lending.
Beyond her professional expertise, Monika farms grain and manages custom grazing operations with her husband, in-laws, and three children west of High Prairie. Her deep roots in both farming and research make her a valuable advocate for sustainable practices in the region.