The WGRF was established in 1981 as a permanent institution with a board made of representatives of 18 farm organizations, including the National Farmers Union. WGRF has a unique role and opportunity to direct research that takes the whole farm into account and address the full range of growing conditions across western Canada. It supports plant breeding and agronomic research, and invests in cross-cutting research, bringing together multiple research disciplines to better understand complex challenges farmers have identified.
Dr. Keith Degenhardt and his family raise purebred Angus bulls and mixed-angus cattle and pedigreed cereal, oilseed, forage and pulse seed on their intergenerational east-central Alberta farm. As Chair of the Western Grains Research Foundation board of directors, Keith brings his knowledge of farmers’ reality and aspirations to his role. He will detail how the WGRF achieves its mandate to carry out farmer-funded, farmer-directed crop research to benefit western Canadian grain farmers.
