Outstanding in Their Fields

By Jamie Shanks, Communications Branch, Regina

Hillary Luchinski loves working with the Ministry of Agriculture and takes special pride in providing the best client service she can by sharing her expertise with Saskatchewan producers—and with one producer in particular.

“I convinced my dad to take water samples into the regional office in Tisdale, and some feed samples, which is groundbreaking—he never used to send in feed samples,” she laughs. Despite this career landmark, she admits that her parents still aren’t exactly sure what she does as an agri-environmental extension specialist. But she understands why.

“They know the different nuances of what I do, but it’s such a unique space. It’s tech transfer, but we don’t call it tech transfer, it’s ‘extension’ because we’re extending knowledge to producers.”

Raised on a mixed livestock operation along the fringes of the boreal forest in northeast Saskatchewan, Luchinski comes from “a family of naturalists” and grew up witnessing firsthand the benefits of agricultural land management. Her experiences led to a deep curiosity about how agriculture and the environment intersect, resulting in an environmental science degree with a minor in rangeland resources.

These days you’ll find her in Humboldt, roaming the province with her fellow extension specialists who support clients in other related areas like rangeland management, programs, crops or livestock. While program delivery happens year-round, during the summer their “office” is out in the pastures and fields of Saskatchewan where they really get to do what they do best.

“For me,” says Samantha Marcino, a crops extension specialist with an agri-business degree based in Yorkton, “the best part of this job is working with people and helping them figure out a problem. I’m selling nothing.”

“You can phone with any question and I’m just strictly here to help you.”

That help is readily available. Specialist teams are dispersed throughout the province in 10 regional offices and, depending on their focus, they’re often present at stakeholder meetings, events and shows like Canadian Western Agribition or Ag in Motion, and essentially wherever producers are found. You don’t have to look far to find a specialist, since they can turn up almost anywhere, and frequently do. Luchinski notes, for example, that environmental fieldwork often takes her and her colleagues into remote areas of the province for activities like range or riparian health assessments—a standardized protocol that assesses the health of our rangeland and water systems—to evaluate the health of these specific land areas, determine what assistance is available through programs or funding, and discuss why these ecological goods and services are so important. Sometimes their work is as simple as “looking at grass” and talking to producers about how to best manage their grazing and understanding funding options.

Marcino, having also grown up on a mixed farm operation, has a simple approach to inquiries she receives: “If a family member asked this question, how would they want it to be answered?” Being relatable is key, she explains.

“My entire family farms. At family functions we’re talking about farming. I understand farming, I understand inputs and weather events—and the stress. When there’s a drought, I understand the weight on their chests, so when you can relate to that, that builds a lot of confidence.”

Likewise, for Alicia Sopatyk this attitude originated with life on her family’s farm east of Saskatoon, where her mom had a veterinarian practice, and being involved in 4-H as a youth. Finding herself naturally drawn to the livestock side of their operation which anchored her love for agriculture, she earned an animal science degree and, after a stint as an intern agrologist in Moose Jaw, became a livestock and feed extension specialist in Tisdale.

She’s now been in that role for a decade. If she isn’t building her network by organizing and attending extension events or getting into the field to meet producers out on the land, Sopatyk spends her days taking calls and questions on nutrition, feed and water quality for the various species that comprise the industry, and then connecting producers with the information they need—or didn’t know they need.

“I really enjoy helping producers, whether it’s helping them find the answer to their question, or making a connection with someone else in the industry who can help them advance their operation,” she says, adding that connectivity is arguably fundamental to agriculture.

“You can’t have livestock without having crops and vice versa, as some of those off-grade feeds end up in the feed market for livestock. And, of course, the environment is the basis for that—we want to make sure we’re sustainable for the long term.”

Sopatyk points out that the capability to facilitate on-farm demonstration projects is a unique and often useful tool in a specialists’ toolkit. Other projects can be equally important; one which Luchinski is currently leading and is approaching completion involves working with community pastures to evaluate two grazing management software programs.

Ultimately, however, everything specialists do really comes down to one bedrock concept.

“I think the biggest thing for us is client service. Good client service is really important to our team and has been a core value right from the get-go,” Luchinski notes. “A lot of what we’re learning is not for our benefit, but so we can better serve our clients.”

Marcino puts it even more plainly.

“The only thing I want people to know is—you can call us! So phone away.”

To reach your local extension specialists, call the Agriculture Knowledge Centre at 1-866-457-2377.