In the thirteenth episode of The Extensionists, co-hosts Toban Dyck and Jay Whetter speak with farmer and retired Manitoba Pulse & Soybean Growers Executive Director Francois Labelle. Francois has had a long and illustrious career in the agriculture industry from working as a grain merchant at Continental Grain travelling the world to running a strawberry u-pick farm — he has done a little bit of everything.

The farmer and retired Manitoba Pulse & Soybean Growers executive director shares the part he played in the growth of the Canadian pulse industry and how that translated into his later work as the executive director of the Manitoba Pulse & Soybean Growers. He gives insights on the first Canadian pulse export markets such as Trinidad and the Caribbean.

The three talk about everything from Francois’ Hollywood famous mini donkeys to the importance of on-farm research trials. Listen to this episode to learn more.

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The Extensionists - Conversations with Great Thinkers in Agriculture is a Burr Forest Group production with new episodes airing every other week on Tuesdays. Hosts Toban Dyck and Jay Whetter have in-depth conversations with industry experts, researchers, innovators, and farmers about the latest developments in agriculture and their implications. With a focus on making complex agricultural topics accessible and engaging, The Extensionists bridges the gap between research and farming by connecting the agricultural community to great ideas and thinkers.

The Extensionists is produced and edited by Abby Wall, coordinated by Ashley Robinson, and directed by Ryan Santschi.