2026

Jay Whetter likes to let a conversation flow naturally, and will happily scurry down a rabbit hole.

Jay grew up on Chain Lakes Farm near Dand, Manitoba and has been a farm journalist since 1998.

He started in radio, moved quickly to print, then expanded to podcasting. He is the editor of Canola Digest magazine, coordinates the Canola Council of Canada’s Canola Watch agronomy updates, and is always on the lookout for innovations and ideas that might interest farmers.

He also co-hosts The Extensionists podcast with Toban Dyck.

John is an entomologist with Manitoba Agriculture based out of Carman. He conducts monitoring programs for some of the more common insect pests of crops, and provides information on insects, both beneficial and potential pests, to farmers, agronomists and those working in agriculture. John does numerous presentations and information updates for agronomists and farmers, and co-produces a weekly Manitoba Crop Pest Update during the spring and summer. He has worked for Manitoba Agriculture since 1997.
John has a bachelor’s degree in environmental biology and a M. Sc. in entomology from the University of Guelph, and completed his Ph.D. in the department of entomology at the University of Manitoba.
Aside from entomology, John also enjoys cycling and observing almost any type of wildlife.
In this presentation, John will discuss some of the main insect concerns in canola in 2025, including a weevil that surprisingly became quite abundant in some areas of Manitoba.