Assiniboine team wins agronomy challenge

Students from Assiniboine College celebrated a major victory at the inaugural Prairie Certified Crop Advisers Agronomy Competition held last weekend at the Victoria Inn.

The team won the overall title, earning top marks across all five competition categories and bringing home $4,750 in prize money.

It was comprised of instructor Danielle Tichit and students Everet Porter, Jorja Pedersen, Daniela Heinrichs and Laura Martin, with Chris Van Meijl coaching and Kyle Zalluski advising.

Martin took first place in nutrient management, Pedersen earned top marks in soil and water, integrated pest management and crop management, while Heinrichs placed second in soil and water.

Martin said her winning approach in nutrient management came down to focus and discipline.

“I stayed calm and worked through the problem step by step. Nutrient management problems can get overwhelming, so breaking it down into smaller parts and double-checking my calculations really helped,” she told the Sun.

She said an important insight for farmers is that not every field requires the same nutrients and that soil testing is crucial to ensure the right amount is applied in the right place at the right time.

Martin credited the college’s hands-on training for her success. “We spend a lot of time working through real-world scenarios, not just theory. That made a big difference.”

The competition brought together teams from Assiniboine College, Saskatchewan Polytechnic and Lakeland College, with participants evaluated by industry professionals from across Western Canada.

The students were tested on both individual knowledge and teamwork, simulating real-world agronomic problem-solving.

Pedersen, who earned three first-place finishes, said the outcome was unexpected.

“We didn’t really know what to expect going in. For some parts, I felt confident, but overall, I was honestly shocked with how it turned out,” she said in an interview.

Pedersen, set to graduate in April, hopes to write her certified crop adviser exam within the next year and already has a job lined up in the industry. “You really have to work for what you want, put in the effort, and you’ll be fine,” she said.

Heinrichs said placing second in the highly technical soil and water category was especially meaningful.

“It’s such an important area in agriculture,” she said. “One challenge that stood out was applying knowledge in real-world scenarios, interpreting soil conditions and making the right management decisions.”

She said the skills she learned in class, combined with coaching and her farming background, are essential for both productivity and sustainability. “What we learned ties into preventing erosion, improving profitability and making sure land stays productive for the future,” Heinrichs said.

Coach Van Meijl said he was “incredibly” proud of the students.

“They earned their success in the competition through their dedication and work ethic in class and in the training we did leading up to the event,” he said in an interview.

“Our team was hard-working throughout the competition. Even during the most difficult sessions, they never gave up, and they didn’t let themselves get dragged down by any sections that they maybe felt they didn’t perform up to their own standards.”

He said the college has the benefit of having intelligent, well-connected staff throughout the program.

“Most instructors have years of industry experience before they became faculty, and the connections with industry mean that we usually have several guest presenters in a given subject that can help bring additional information and perspectives to our students.”

Van Meijl said the team succeeded because they never believed or assumed that they knew everything about a given subject. “They were always questioning if there were any gaps in their understanding, and they never hesitated in asking for clarification, but they were also quick to grasp subjects and make and understand connections between different areas.”

He said the team’s win helps reinforce to the wider ag community “what we in Westman have known for years: that Assiniboine College is one of the best places in Canada to get the knowledge and skills that the agriculture industry is looking for in Western Canada.”

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