Nominations are now open to producers to serve as delegates on the Farm Leadership Council (FLC), which is the farmer representation body to Viterra, formerly the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool and Agricore United.

As those two companies successfully merged last year, any farmer who served as a delegate with either the Pool or Agricore United is welcome to be on the FLC, along with any other producer who is interested in the advancement and improvement of farming in general.

As under the Wheat Pool, farmer delegates from an area chose one of their number who would then serve on the board of directors. With the newly enlarged company size, the directors agreed at a meeting just before Christmas to realign the regions or areas; the southern part of the province will be reduced from three areas down to two.

Last year the areas were known as marketing centre areas, but now the areas were enlarged to provide representation from the three Prairie provinces in which Viterra does business now.

Saskatchewan will have the largest representation with nine areas, Alberta has five and Manitoba two, for a total of 16 areas as before. The Weyburn area is comprised of the southeast corner of the province, extending in a line from the U.S. up north of Yellow Grass, and northwest of Francis up to Indian Head, and east along the No. 1 Highway to the Manitoba border.

The nominations are open from now until Thursday, Jan. 24, for the six delegates for the Weyburn area; if there are more than six nominations, ballots will go out to all members in the southeast, and the results will be announced at the first general meeting of the delegates in March. At that meeting also, the director will be chosen from among the delegates.

While the six delegates don't represent a particular area or region, "we try and ensure there's good geographic coverage in the area," said Linda Pipke, executive director of the Farm Leadership Council.

The purpose or mandate of the council is to help provide educational opportunities for the farmers in their area on whatever their needs are, explained Pipke.

"We provide learning opportunities locally, regionally, provincially and inter-provincially for all the members of the council. The delegates are also the key to identifying the needs of each region or area," she said.

The educational sessions, then, "cover a whole range of topics, whatever is most beneficial to the farmers in their area. It can be agronomics, market outlooks, tests, managing risks; it's a whole range of things, sometimes it could be related to succession planning for farms, or the latest in GPS technology," said Pipke.

Tribune producer David Pattyson has been a Pool delegate in the past, as well as with the FLC, and hopes to be able to continue with the FLC this year also.

"It's been quite an interesting organization to work with," said Pattyson.

Pipke added they look forward to having the input from those who were involved with Agricore United along with those who were with the Pool.