4-H trail rides. Jumping on round bales. Witnessing a calf being born.
These are some of the warm memories Rachel Kraynick has of growing up on her family’s small cattle operation near Canora—and from a young age, she knew farming was the only way of life for her.
Now, she is married to a cattle and grain farmer and a full-time agriculture programs specialist with the Ministry of Agriculture. With 24 years of experience in the ministry, it’s hard to know where to start when reciting the laundry list of skills she’s earned. However, all her roles, from farm business management specialist to extension agrologist, have had a common goal—helping producers improve their operations.
“I love working with people—learning about their farming operations and connecting them with programs and services that make sense,” she said.
“I think of agriculture programs specialists as your one-stop-shop for all agriculture programming … if I don’t have the answer, I’ll find someone who does.”
In 2023, the federal and provincial governments announced a new suite of programs under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP) designed to strengthen the agriculture sector. Kraynick’s current role is to help producers determine what programs would benefit their operation.
“We’ve had a great response to Sustainable CAP,” she said. “Keeping a lot of the same programs from previous years and offering new programs based on stakeholder feedback really hit the mark for producers, and they’re eager to apply.”
She also helps support First Nation and Métis people as part of the Building and Strengthening Indigenous Support (BASIS) team, which makes connections, creates opportunities and builds relationships with Indigenous communities. “I've really enjoyed working with First Nations and hearing about the agriculture projects they are working on,” Kraynick said.
“Many are growing their bison herds, others are interested in greenhouses and food security,” she added. “Whatever their interests, it’s been rewarding to help these individuals and communities secure funding for their operations and link them to the specialists that can help their businesses grow.”
Another passion for Kraynick is encouraging youth to learn about agriculture. She is a big supporter of 4H Saskatchewan, Farm and Food Care Saskatchewan and Agriculture in the Classroom–Saskatchewan, where she was one of the founders of the “pizza farm” concept 10 years ago. Pizza farms (now called food farms) were a new, innovative way to educate children about where their food comes from and have been a huge success.
“Getting kids into the field to experience, interact and ask experts about agriculture is the best way to learn about our industry. Students come out in the spring to see how crops are grown and animals are cared for and return in the fall to learn about harvest and food production.”
There are now 10 food farms across the province that provide experiential learning opportunities for school age children leading to a deeper appreciation for the work that goes into food production.
She’s had a rewarding career, but Kraynick isn’t done yet. She’s eagerly awaiting her next call … from you.
“I understand farming is a full-time job,” she said. “Researching programs can be overwhelming. Connect with me—I can take the work out of it for you.”
To reach Rachel or an agriculture program specialist near you, phone the Agriculture Knowledge Centre at 1‑866‑457‑2377.