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Occasionally, I get asked, what’s your MFGA board like?
I honestly don’t have a scripted answer. It depends on who is asking, I guess.
But I do have a similar answer – every single time. Please bear with me.
Firstly, MFGA has more than three decades of organizational operations behind us. We all greatly respect those that have committed to our organization throughout the years.
MFGA Board Members are foremost: incredible volunteers. As a small non-check off group, the journey to become a MFGA Board member is not complex. Interested candidates simply have to reach out to one of our board members and discuss their interests for further consideration, nomination and processes.
In pretty much every case, MFGA board members come from multi-generational farms. They are progressive thinkers, educated with degrees, diplomas or via decades of hands-on farm experience. Some are designated professional agrologists. They are the early adopters of regen ag farm practices (old and new) and farm with nature wherever possible across all stripes of farming. As a group, they believe in the soil-boosting ways of regenerative agriculture and the EGS values of natural areas, especially water, carbon sequestration and biodiversity. They see MFGA as their chance to contribute to key discussions and efforts underway in the larger agricultural sector.
Our MFGA board has evolved as a board over the last decade and especially over the most recent years. Bolstered via outstanding chair and board leadership and an advancing and solid financial foothold, as well as governance and regular board training provided by Building Up/Wendy Bulloch, our MFGA Board meetings have become a place of respect, strategy, harmony, dialogues, efficiency, and camaraderie.
As a small organization, MFGA board members are encouraged – and often needed – to represent MFGA in key external organizational efforts with media, conference planning and leadership, tours of their own farm profile and farm practices, external group committees, peer to peer mentoring and participating in government meetings.
Internally, at MFGA board meetings, the board sets the organizational direction, the staff (all contractors) build and work the plan.
As a result, MFGA has built a corporate roster of incredible supporters, and delivered meaningful project leadership, success and participation in areas well within MFGA’s specific lanes of farmer interests and professional synergies. We are locked down on MFGA brand, we are consistent – yet nimble – and we are successful.
Our 2022-23 MFGA Board is a group of nine farmers and four commodity group representatives. They range in age from their early 20s to their early 70s. The current edition of the MFGA Board is comprised of four females and nine males.
At our 2023 MFGA AGM at the end of September, two of our longest-serving board members – Andrea Hamilton (Glenboro, MB) and Shauna Breault (Touts Aides, MB) – will term out. Andrea joined our MFGA ranks along with Kristelle Harper (termed out 2022) as students while in university, serving a year shadowing our MFGA Board in meetings and dialogues before progressing into full time board member status. Andrea leaves MFGA as a member of our MFGA executive team, serving as our 2022-23-24 finance co-chair with Zack Koscielny as well as co-chair of our 2023 MFGA Regen Ag Conference – a role Andrea will carry out to conclusion of conference alongside conference co-chair Amber McNish. Andrea also served on KAP Livestock committee for MFGA.
Shauna has been a driving force on MFGA’s regen ag position and profile and has been the key architect of our MFGA engagement with Agricultural Crown Lands. Shauna has also served as MFGA’s representative on the KAP livestock committee. Shauna and husband Clayton and the entire Breault family are among the leading practitioners of regenerative agriculture in Manitoba.
Andrea and Shauna will be greatly missed for their professional insights and especially their inputs around the MFGA board table. Their contributions to MFGA are significant, tremendously valued and deeply appreciated and will resonate for years. Thank you both.
Muchos Grasses ALL,
Duncan Morrison, MFGA Executive Director
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