The Future is Food: Surprising career opportunities in agriculture and agri-food

When someone says “there are lots of career opportunities in agriculture”, most people immediately picture the stereotypical farmer, maybe milking cows or harvesting wheat. While primary production is indeed an essential part of agriculture, and in need of talent, there are also countless opportunities both up- and down-stream of the farm gate. Maybe you are interested in satellite image analysis, mechanical engineering, computer programming, molecular genetics, fermentation, veterinary medicine, or developing the next great protein bar. Maybe you are fascinated by storytelling, or sustainability, or water security, or global trade markets. This webinar will explore how all these interests (and more) can lead you to a rewarding career in the agriculture and agri-food sector. The world needs this sector now more than ever – learn how you can be part of the future of food!

Facilitator: Dr. Angela Bedard-Haughn 

Dr. Bedard-Haughn was born and raised on a family farm in the central parkland region of Saskatchewan. She received her BSc and MSc from the University of Saskatchewan (USask), a PhD in Soil Science from University of California at Davis, and in 2004, returned to USask as a postdoctoral fellow. In 2006, Dr. Bedard-Haughn joined the Department of Soil Science in the College of Agriculture and Bioresources (AgBio) at USask as a faculty member. Over the course of her academic career, she has served as a professor, Graduate Chair, Department Head and Associate Dean (Research and Graduate Studies), taking up the position of Dean in summer 2020, and renewing for a second term in 2025.

As a teacher-scholar, Dr. Bedard-Haughn’s research program focuses on wetland soils and predictive soil mapping; activities have been largely supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the Saskatchewan Agriculture Development Research Fund, Environment Canada and several industry groups. She remains active in experiential training, mentoring graduate students and teaching field courses on soil and landscape classification, at both undergraduate and graduate levels.