Sask Wheat introduces Velestuk as new chair

Eagle Staff

Jocelyn Velestuk now chairs the Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission, also known as Sask Wheat.

Velestuk and Rob Stone, the new vice-chair, took over new roles on the board in mid-January after the organization’s annual general meeting. Velestuk replaces Jake Leguee from Fillmore, who’d served the maximum length of time on the board.

Velestuk and her husband raise beef and grain near Broadview. She has master’s and bachelor’s of science degrees in soil science, and agriculture, environmental and soil science, respectively, both from the University of Saskatchewan, a Sask Wheat statement said.

She also chairs the Canadian Wheat Research Coalition and intends to “continue that focus on having really effective research, talking with the researchers and finding the practical management of our farms,” Velestuk said in the statement.

Stone, from Davidson, has run Stone Farms Inc. with his wife for over 25 years as its fourth-generation owners, the statement said. He has a bachelor’s of science degree in agriculture, agronomy and crop science.

Stone welcomed both the federal and provincial agriculture ministers, MacDonald and Harrison at his farm during the summer, Leguee noted in a message in the organization’s 20-24-25 annual report.

“Conversations focused on government legislation that created challenges for producers and drove home the importance of continued government investment into research and variety development,” Leguee wrote.

The organization has contributed money to 305 research projects since 2014, the annual report said.

Emiley Saunders from Borden, Lesley Kelly of Watrous, Scott Hepworth from Assiniboia, Meota’s Glenn Tait, Cameron Reich from Craik and Creelman’s Malcolm Carnegie are the other members of the Sask Wheat board of directors.