The Extensionists

We know the science, but how do we make it resonate?Let's rethink the 'expert-led' model and explore how to build more impactful, collaborative sessions for our farming communities.In this episode of The Extensionists, hosts Jay Whetter and Toban Dyck are joined by Jane Mangold, a professor and extension specialist at Montana State University, and Nicole Fleming, director of the TBR Community, to discuss "Training from the Back of the Room" (TBR). This learner-centred methodology flips the traditional classroom, turning passive listening into active, experience-based engagement.For extensionists, it's about sharing knowledge in a way that’s not only more effective but also more interactive, fun and rewarding for both the presenter and the audience.Tune in to discover how to move beyond the expert-led model to foster deeper connections, tap into audience expertise, and design sessions that attendees can put into action immediately.Website: https://theextensionists.comX: https://x.com/thextensionistsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/104093329/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563563092114Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theextensionists/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheExtensionistsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theextensionistsBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theextensionists.bsky.socialThe 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, researched by Ashley Robinson, and marketed by Michelle McMullen.

How do you navigate the unspoken expectations, deep-seated fears, and intergenerational tensions that make farm succession planning so difficult?In this episode of The Extensionists, Jay Whetter and Toban Dyck are joined by Patti Durand, author and facilitator with Brightrack Consulting, to explore the challenges and opportunities in family farm transition. Drawing on her experiences with over 400 families, Patti explains why "intention is not a plan" and how the paralysis of inaction can impact multi-million dollar operations. She shares actionable communication tools—like embracing "the pause" and pre-scripting tough talks—to help families move away from a narrative of fear and toward an empowering process of finding growth and vision for the future.Tune into the full conversation for insights on how families can build a clear path forward for their family farm transition.Website: https://theextensionists.comX: https://x.com/thextensionistsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/104093329/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563563092114Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theextensionists/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheExtensionistsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theextensionistsBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theextensionists.bsky.social 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, researched by Ashley Robinson, and marketed by Michelle McMullen.

How do we get extension right by bridging the gap between researchers and farmers? In Episode 35 of The Extensionists, hosts Jay Whetter and Toban Dyck welcome Lauren Benoit, a 2024 Nuffield Scholar and PhD student at the University of Saskatchewan, for a discussion focused on strengthening public-private partnerships for the benefit of the entire agricultural value chain.Lauren shares key findings from her Nuffield research on agricultural systems, drawing on lessons from the Netherlands and Australia regarding public and private collaboration on research and extension. She highlights the challenge of maintaining two-way feedback when extension is privatized and stresses the opportunity for collaboration between researchers, growers, and the value chain to ensure research is reliable and applicable to farm needs.Lauren emphasizes, effective engagement is crucial: “If you are showing up to an agronomy day, the whole experience for everyone is going to be better if you ask questions and if you actually engage with the presentation,” she says. “But, just having growers understand that their input and feedback helps make the system better, too.”Website: https://theextensionists.comX: https://x.com/thextensionistsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/104093329/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563563092114Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theextensionists/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheExtensionistsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theextensionistsBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theextensionists.bsky.social 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, researched by Ashley Robinson, marketed by Michelle McMullen, and designed by Michelle Houlden.

In the 33rd episode of The Extensionists, co-hosts Jay Whetter and Toban Dyck chat with Steve Larocque, the owner and president of Beyond Agronomy, to discuss controlled traffic farming and Nuffield Canada. Steve shares how he grew up in the Ottawa Valley in farm country. After school, he moved out to Alberta thinking he would work on the oilfield, but instead found himself entering the ag world through a job at the Alberta Wheat Pool. He later founded his own agronomy company Beyond Agronomy to fulfill a need he saw.His ag journey later led him to apply to be a Nuffield Scholar in 2008. Steve learned about the scholarship after reading a book that inspired him to apply. His study topic was on precision ag leading him to discover and focus on controlled traffic farming. He later became an advocate for it. Toban questions if he should do it on his own farm. The three talk about what Nuffield Canada is and the impact it has had on Canadian agriculture. Steve shares what we can learn about ag extension from it and the opportunities for Canadian farmers with it. The three also discuss peer to peer learning and why it’s an important extension tool. Website: https://theextensionists.comX: https://x.com/thextensionistsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/104093329/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563563092114Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theextensionists/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheExtensionistsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theextensionistsBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theextensionists.bsky.social 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 designed by Michelle Houlden.

In the 31st episode of The Extensionists, co-hosts Jay Whetter and Toban Dyck sit down with David Lazarenko, partner and executive vice president at ThinkShift, to talk about the world of advertising and what those in agriculture extension can learn from it. The three talk about notable ads – which ones are good and which ones don’t resonate. They discuss how people aren’t remembering ads as much anymore, and why experience is more important now.The three also talk about David’s love of comic books, the intricacy of storytelling, and how these relate to advertising and extension. They discuss AI and the impact it is and will have on the world of advertising, and finally they debate the role agencies will play in the future in advertising and why strategy is important. Website: https://theextensionists.comX: https://x.com/thextensionistsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/104093329/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563563092114Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theextensionists/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheExtensionistsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theextensionistsBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theextensionists.bsky.social 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 designed by Michelle Houlden.

In the 29th episode of The Extensionists, co-hosts Jay Whetter and Toban Dyck are at Ag Days for our first ever live recording with media personality Dez Daniels. They talk with Dez about her childhood growing up on a farm in Ituna, Sask. At the time she wasn’t a big fan of farm life and wanted to get away, but now, looking back, she appreciates it. She also discusses her time as host of the popular show Great Tastes of Manitoba. Dez talks about the magic of tv and shares tips for how to do interviews and tell stories visually. Toban and Dez discuss the hour of writing they do a day and how this could be used for board meetings. The three also talk about connecting through empathy and holding space. They discuss why this is important for extension and making hard decisions on the farm. To be noted, the audio quality has an echo at the start of the episode but is clearer after the first 10 minutes. Website: https://theextensionists.comX: https://x.com/thextensionistsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/104093329/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563563092114Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theextensionists/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheExtensionistsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theextensionistsBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theextensionists.bsky.social 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 designed by Michelle Houlden.

In the 27th episode of The Extensionists, we take a look back at the year that was. Co-hosts Jay Whetter and Toban Dyck share what they learned from the guests they chatted with in 2025.We then welcome our behind-the-scenes team, producer and editor Abby Wall and coordinator Ashley Robinson, to discuss highlights, what it takes to put The Extensionists together, and what everyone is looking forward to in 2026.Website: https://theextensionists.comX: https://x.com/thextensionistsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/104093329/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563563092114Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theextensionists/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheExtensionistsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theextensionistsBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theextensionists.bsky.socialThe 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 designed by Michelle Houlden.

Why are we so skeptical when it comes to soil health policy? Sabrina Perić, associate professor of anthropology at the University of Calgary, took a deep dive into what Canadian farmers are really thinking and feeling when it comes to soil health and other policy decisions.In the 25th episode of The Extensionists, co-hosts Jay Whetter and Toban Dyck sit down with Sabrina, who didn’t actually set out to work in agriculture but found herself drawn into it. The energy researcher grew up in Yugoslavia in a port city, which fueled her later interest in energy. Sabrina’s interest in people ultimately led to a crossover into the world of agriculture. Her latest research into soil health skepticism in Canada revealed a national disconnect. The three also discuss the idea of a national soil strategy and how buy-in may happen if policymakers are willing to do boots-on-the-ground work with farmers.They talk about Sabrina’s childhood growing up in modern day Croatia, Italy, and Slovenia (Yugoslavia) and summers spent on her grandmother’s farm eating as many cherries as possible. Website: https://theextensionists.comX: https://x.com/thextensionistsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/104093329/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563563092114Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theextensionists/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheExtensionistsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theextensionistsBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theextensionists.bsky.social 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 designed by Michelle Houlden.

Meaghan Seagrave has very unique insights into the opportunities for Canadian agriculture. In the 23rd episode of The Extensionists, co-hosts Jay Whetter and Toban Dyck sit down with Meaghan, executive director for Bioindustrial Innovation Canada. This organization is developing programming and early-stage investments in bio-based technologies that fit along a green-based value chain. These bio-based inputs come from agricultural and forest sources, and are used to create products that will allow for decarbonization. That is, they are meant to replace the fossil-based items we currently use. They’re a group of chemists and engineers that provide resources, including embedding Bioindustrial Innovation Canada staff into companies to bring products to commercialization. Meaghan shares what she sees as opportunities for Canadian agriculture. According to her, in Canada, we’re holding back. There isn’t the support for commercialization of products. We need funding and national support to get this stuff done, Meaghan says during the episode. Website: https://theextensionists.comX: https://x.com/thextensionistsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/104093329/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563563092114Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theextensionists/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheExtensionistsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theextensionistsBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theextensionists.bsky.social 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 designed by Michelle Houlden.

What is the best way to get information to farmers? According to Jolanda Jansen, you should leave out the facts and you shouldn’t tell them what to do. Instead, ask questions. In the 21st episode, and season 2 premier of The Extensionists, co-hosts Jay Whetter and Toban Dyck sit down with Jolanda, a communications consultant and co-owner of St Anna Advies, to talk about her work. She delves into why you should start by asking a question and how you can take your conversations from an eight to a nine.Jolanda shares what she has learned about communications from her days as a ski instructor in Switzerland and why there are deeper emotions tied to the choices we make. Website: https://theextensionists.comX: https://x.com/thextensionistsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/104093329/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563563092114Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theextensionists/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheExtensionistsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theextensionistsBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theextensionists.bsky.social 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 designed by Michelle Houlden.

John Burns didn’t start out as a farmer. He grew up on one, though. But when he finished high school he was shoed away and encouraged to attend university, which is where he discovered his love of science. This launched him into a career teaching science. After some time - no longer able to resist the call, he started farming in his spare time, always approaching it as a science.Over the years, John has worked with his family to build Windy Poplars Farms near Kandahar, Sask. Through it all, he has used his scientist mind to fastidiously grow crops and care for the land. In the 19th episode, John shares the work he has done over the years on his farm and the role extension services have played in his operation. John talks about everything from how important data collection is to farm management to why you should have regular meetings and do succession planning.Listen to learn more about John and his career as a farmer. Website: https://theextensionists.comX: https://x.com/thextensionistsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/104093329/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563563092114Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theextensionists/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheExtensionistsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theextensionistsBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theextensionists.bsky.social 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.

How did a farm boy from Manitoba end up in Silicon Valley? In the 14th episode, The Extensionists co-hosts Jay Whetter and Toban Dyck sit down with Scott Day, an agronomist and director with Fall Line Capital. Scott and Jay go way back, having grown up on the farms surrounding Dand, MB.In this episode, Scott shares the story of how he went from working in extension for the Manitoba government to working in farm real estate investment and ag tech in San Francisco. He shares the stories of his travels over the years and how those connections lead to his current work. Listen to learn more about Scott and his work at Fall Line Capital, along with the stories of the time he was mistaken for Donny Osmond and his run-in with Catherine Zeta Jones. Website: https://theextensionists.comX: https://x.com/thextensionistsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/104093329/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563563092114Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theextensionists/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheExtensionistsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theextensionistsBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theextensionists.bsky.social 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.

The world of agriculture technology moves fast. Alison Sunstrum, managing partner of NYA Ventures, has been working in ag tech for decades and is now mentoring the next generation of inventors. In the fifteenth episode of The Extensionists, co-hosts Jay Whetter and Toban Dyck, sit down with Alison to discuss all the intricacies of ag tech from funding to the things that are changing the future of agriculture.Alison discusses what is needed to bring innovations to market and the role farmers can play in supporting this. She shares what new technologies there are and the impact they could have on how you farm. Should you be using ChatGPT? Alison has the answers. Listen to learn more about ag tech and the role it could play on your farm in the future. Website: https://theextensionists.comX: https://x.com/thextensionistsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/104093329/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563563092114Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theextensionists/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheExtensionistsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theextensionistsBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theextensionists.bsky.social 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.