-----Original Message----- From: Martin Entz Sent: July-04-17 2:55 PM To: Martha Blouw Subject: please forward to grad students, postdocs/research associates and faculty.

thank you Martha!

Dear Plant Breeders and grad students interested in plant breeding.

You may be familiar with the Participatory Plant Breeding program that we have been coordinating at the University of Manitoba since 2011. We are having a field day on July 18 where we will demonstrate the role of farmer-selection as part of an integrated plant breeding system. If you are able to join us for the morning, that would be great. If you are not able to attend (July is a busy month with field days, summer vacation and of course, your own field work), we would be happy to send you an information package on our work. Just let us know.

The Plant Breeders involved in our program are Jennifer Mitchell Fetch (oats), Benoit Bizimungu and Duane Falk (potatoes), and Stephen Fox and Anne Kirk (wheat). I serve as the director of the program and am assisted by Michelle Carkner, who coordinates the activities with the 70 farmer-selectors, who are located from PEI to Vancouver Island. Currently our program focuses on organic production, though we also work with some conventional producers who want to participate in the plant breeding process by selecting on their own farms. The inspiration for our work came from The Netherlands, where farmers, seed companies and plant breeders have worked together for over 50 years in the development of potatoes - for both organic and conventional production.

We are extending this invitation only to grad students, U of M staff and postdocs as well as the seed industry. Feel free to send this invitation to your colleagues in these sectors.

I look forward to seeing you on July 18!

Martin

Martin Entz, PhD, P Ag, FCSA Professor of Cropping Systems and Natural Systems Agriculture Department of Plant Science University of Manitoba Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3T 2N2 Ph 204 474-6077 Fax 204 474-7528

Visit my website http://www.umanitoba.ca/outreach/naturalagriculture/