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A Proud History

“It is often said that history is easier read than made. The pages of this historic 50th anniversary book of the Western Canadian Wheat Growers showcase the people and the policies of this organization and its focus on the betterment of Canadian agriculture.”

– from the Foreword by the Honourable Gerry Ritz, P.C.

Founded in 1970, the Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association is a voluntary farmer-run advocacy organization representing members from across the Prairie provinces. We are dedicated to developing public policy solutions that strengthen the profitability and sustainability of farming, and the agricultural industry as a whole.

Warriors for Wheat covers the second 25 years of the organization’s history, from 1995-2020. A previous book, Changing the Voice of the Prairie Wheat Grower, was published in 1995 to tell the story of our first 25 years.

Excitement builds at the Art Walde family farm on August 1, 2012 as Wheat Growers assemble to celebrate Marketing Freedom Day. Dignitaries from across Canada attended.

Signs like this popped up along the Canada-US border to protest the government’s imprisonment of farmers.

Wheat Grower Director Art Enns explaining how fusarium damages wheat crops. It was part of a late summer 1998 tour organized by the Wheat Growers and Bayer Inc’s agriculture division to foster dialogue between farmers and major crop protection companies.

Book Quotes

Gerry Ritz, P.C., “Organizations like the Wheat Growers must continue to push policy makers to create an environment for farmers to do what they do best: grow their businesses, grow our economy and help feed the world’s growing population.”

Wally Nelson (Founding President) on presenting a paper, January 1980 at the Calgary convention, ‘Why Not a Dual Marketing System?’, “The absence of incentives and opportunities for all segments of the industry has brought up a deplorable state of performance, procedures, facilities and equipment.”

Shelley Jones, Wheat Growers Saskatchewan Policy Manager, “We worked tirelessly to end the CWB monopoly.”

Sharon McKinnon, Wheat Growers Alberta Policy Manager, “As we move towards the new millennium, there is much potential for both prosperity and failure in the grain sector.”

Wheat Grower Vice-President Kevin Archibald, “The federal government should use that consensus as a starting point to develop long-term solutions to the transportation crisis.”

Ted Menzies, “We were looking for farmers to be paid for protein content on a finer scale.”

Cherilyn Jolly-Nagel, “It was the eagerness to adopt new innovations that originally gave prairie farmers the competitive edge.”

Alanna Koch, “They always advanced tough questions about why the system couldn’t change, how improvements could be made t0 maximize value for farmers…”

Con Johnson, Wheat Growers Director, “We need to create a policy environment that encourages railways to provide improved service at reasonable rates.”

Paul Martin (consultant), “If it wasn’t for the existence of the Wheat Growers and the Harper government, that battle might never have been won.”

Gunter Jochum, President, “We need breeders to continue to invest in Canada and breed new and better varieties. If we keep the status quo, they will fall further behind the rest of the world.”

Blair Rutter, past Executive Director, “Free Trade is a perfect example of how the Wheat Growers have shown leadership.”

Kevin Bender, past President, “The Wheat Growers were perhaps the single most influential organization in achieving marketing freedom for wheat and barley.”