2026

Rigas received his BSA from the University of Thessaloniki, Greece and his M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Soil Chemistry and Fertility from the University of Saskatchewan.

He has taught at the University of Saskatchewan and McGill University, and has served as the Senior Research Agronomist with Esso Chemical Canada, Director of the Saskatchewan Soil Testing Laboratory and Enviro-Test Laboratories Saskatoon and Manager of Agronomy with Westco and Manager of Agronomic Solutions for Viterra.

Currently he is the Sr. Agronomist with Koch Fertilizer/Agronomic Services in Canada.

He was granted a Fellow and the Distinguished Agronomist award in the Canadian Society of Agronomy in 2013 and 2019, respectively, and was inducted in the Saskatchewan Agricultural Hall of Fame in 2015.

Peter Manness, PAg, is a Business Advisor in MNP’s Farm Management Consulting group. Working throughout Manitoba, Peter delivers management consulting services and helps implement solutions on a wide range of issues for primary agricultural producers, agricultural industry organizations and producer groups including Hutterite Colonies.

With over 20 years of industry experience, Peter has firsthand knowledge of agricultural production; he understands the challenges the agriculture sector faces today and can quickly identify opportunities. His services include business and strategic planning, farm financial planning, operational and production reviews, feasibility analysis, farm transition planning and cost of production analysis.

Peter works closely with clients to deliver solutions tailored to help them meet their business and personal goals. He takes pride in helping clients solve their operational problems so they can become stronger farm managers and stay competitive and profitable.

Peter was designated a Professional Agrologist (P. Ag) in 2004 after completing a Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness at the University of Manitoba. Peter grew up on a mixed farm near Domain, Manitoba.

Darren Bond is a Farm Management Specialist with Manitoba Agriculture, specializing in crop production costs, risk management, and farmland rental, while also being responsible for the annual Guidelines for Estimating Crop Production Costs.

He believes every agronomic production decision made on the farm must also consider the economic costs and benefits in order to make the best decision possible.

True to this, Darren and the Farm Management Team has created many of the decision-making tools and resources found at Manitoba Agriculture.

Craig Klemmer is the Manager of Thought Leadership at FCC. His insights guide corporate strategy and identify opportunities where FCC can influence change to help the agriculture and food industry maximize its potential.

In addition to acting as an FCC spokesperson on forward-looking opportunities, Craig provides industry commentary through blogs, white papers and social media.

Greg Peterson, founder and spokesperson of Machinery Pete, has been covering farm equipment auctions for various industry magazines for more than 30 years. Founded in 1989, Peterson has come a long way since the show’s beginnings in his home office in Rochester, Minnesota where he passionately researched, tracked and reported on auction prices.

In 2014w Farm Journal and Machinery Pete partnered to provide a more efficient marketplace for buying and selling used agriculture equipment.

In July of 2015, MachineryPete.com launched its marketplace with leading edge marketing solutions for dealers, informed and built with the online equipment shopper in mind and creates meaningful connections between buyers and sellers.

He became involved in this industry from a very young age as his father was a third-generation John Deere dealer in Benson, Minnesota. Peterson graduated Gustavus Adolphus College in Saint Peter, Minnesota with a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting in 1988. One year, Machinery Pete came into play.

Peterson now lives in Rochester, Minnesota with his wife, Jacque, and two daughters. His dedication to providing valuable information about agricultural equipment has earned him a trusted source of knowledge in the farming equipment industry and widespread recognition.

Growing up on a mixed farm in SW Manitoba, Kim was raised on 4H and curling, cultivating a lifelong love of all things farming!

After high school she attended University of Manitoba first for an Agronomy Degree and then a Master’s Degree in Soil Science, jointly with Ag Canada in Brandon.

Over the last 30 years she has been fortunate to have been with Ag Canada as Research Associate, MB Ag as a Weeds Specialist and Ag Rep, MASC as both an adjustor and Insurance Agent, and in industry as a Regional Agronomist.

Kim returned to MB Ag in 2021 as the Provincial Weeds Specialist, where she is involved in training and extension of new and existing weed issues.

Kim has been a CCA since 1999, adding the 4R-NMS designation in 2019.

Kristen Phillips

Brittany Cousins

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