The Alberta Wheat and Barley Commissions are facing a crucial vote this fall to determine if they will seek full amalgamation, or continue on as two separate bodies.
The two commissions represent all the barley and wheat growers in Alberta, and work to influence government agriculture policy and advocate for the interests of their members.
Amalgamation is not a new idea, according to Tom Steve, who is the general manager for both commissions. At the administration level, the two advocacy organizations have been amalgamated since 2017, and share a common management team under two separate boards.
“That (unity) was the vision of the two boards from early days,” Steve said. “I was appointed as the interim general manager of Alberta Barley in September of 2017 after the departure of the general manager of the time."
According to Steve, the two boards “looked critically at how the two boards could work more closely together and the idea was formulated to consider a formal amalgamation (in 2017).”
That same year, the proposal for amalgamation went to a member vote for the first time at the Alberta Barley Commission’s annual general meeting, and was narrowly defeated. Since then, Steve’s management team has been working to prove the concept of amalgamation by developing common policies between both commissions.
“It has taken a bit more time than we anticipated,” he acknowledged. “I think it is fair to say there is a consensus amongst the two boards to consider amalgamation seriously, but ultimately, the final decision is going to have to come down to the membership.”
Steve added the first notifications for the upcoming e-vote on amalgamation will be sent out to the members of both commissions this month. A second notification will then be sent out a few weeks later, which will include confidential PIN numbers.
Farmers who are members of both commissions will be allowed to vote twice, (once for each commission), using the same PIN.
Members will be able to vote from their personal computers, laptops, iPads or mobile phones, according to Steve.
“We designed that (vote) to be as efficient and as convenient as possible, because we know farmers are busy; especially this time of the year,” he said
Steve said everything his team and his boards have been doing in the last five years has been leading up to this vote.
“We want to get on with this process one way or the other,” he said. “We just want to close the book on this chapter. If farmers give us the green light to amalgamate, we will proceed on that basis. And if it is otherwise, we know what our future holds and we will adjust accordingly.”
Voting will open on Oct. 3 and end on Nov. 1. Those interested can visit the Alberta Wheat and Barley Commissions website – albertawheatbarley.com – for more details.
