Canada - Alberta Grains to be new name for merged wheat and barley commission

Two leading farmer-directed organizations, Alberta Barley and the Alberta Wheat Commission (AWC) announced the name and logo of their merged commission, Alberta Grains. The new commission, Alberta Grains, will begin operating in place of the Alberta Wheat and Barley Commissions on August 1, 2023. 

Alberta Grains will build on the strengths of both organizations to create a unified voice for the province's 18,000 wheat and barley farmers. With a focus on economic sustainability, innovation and growth, Alberta Grains will leverage the combined resources, knowledge and experience to deliver unparalleled value to its membership. 

We are thrilled to join the forces of Alberta Barley and AWC to create Alberta Grains," said Greg Sears, chair of AWC. "Our new organization will be focused on delivering value to our farmers and other stakeholders while contributing to the growth and sustainability of the grain industry in Alberta." 

The new logo of Alberta Grains is a symbol of the organization's commitment and unified strength to the province’s crop sector. The logo is designed to represent the grains that are grown in the province, with a modern and clean design that reflects the organization's vision of strength and ‘better together’ mantra. 

″Both boards are proud of the collaboration and focus over the past two years and this announcement is an exciting step forward for our organizations and the agricultural sector in Alberta,″ said Tara Sawyer, Alberta Barley chair. ″Our hope is that through the new commission, we will continue to add value and further fiscal and operational efficiencies.″ 

The commissions embarked on this process in 2017 by implementing a shared management structure, consulting with a farmer sub-committee and engaging the province’s wheat and barley farmers in a dialogue through formal consultations. In October 2022, Alberta wheat and barley farmers voted overwhelmingly in favour of amalgamating the commissions through two plebiscites.  

The new commission invites all stakeholders to visit the information hub AlbertaGrains.com for key contacts, new branding information and commission operational changes including applications for new grain dealer licences.  

The proposed bylaws for the new commission are also available on the information hub and will be open for consultation until  July 25, 2023.