Larry Penner started in commercial farming when he bought his parent’s farm 36 years ago. He brought those years of farming experience into the seed business that he and his wife, Marianne, added a dozen years ago.
Penwest Seeds is located just north of Three Hills and Penner said, “Everything we do around here comes from that commercial background.”
Penner said on the farming side, owning a seed operation has given them a way to increase the value of their product without necessarily gaining more acres, but just choosing varieties and utilizing the land base they have more efficiently.
The people he meets owning a seed business are very rewarding. “What I love about it is talking to so many people and learning about their operations,” Penner said.
He and the Penwest team find out what’s working for customers’ operations, and in other parts of the province, and share that information with other customers.
They pride themselves on honesty when making seed recommendations to customers.
“We’re farming about 4,000 acres of our own, so we know what’s working on our own farms,” Penner said. “People value our experience, they know we’re dabbling in the new varieties, and they’re always asking what’s coming down the pike.”
The Penwest team includes, from the left, back row, Martha Frere and Marianne Penner. Front row, Jeff Arnold, Tanya Park, Larry Penner, Ejvind Poulsen and Bryan McRae. ECA Review/Submitted
Penner sometimes dabbles in older varieties as well. When he gave ACC Ardill yellow pea a shot, the variety was basically on its way out in Saskatchewan and wasn’t really being marketed. He noticed the variety performed very well in central Alberta and after growing it again, decided to pursue the rights and has been marketing it ever since.
“I think to this day, it’s still the highest yielding variety in Zone 1, or the southern part of the province, and it also does really well in the northern part of the province,” Penner said.
Penwest prides itself on making it as easy as possible for customers to get both good information on seed varieties and also good service whether on the phone, or when picking up seed.
Penner knows that with a five to six-week window to get crops planted in Alberta, efficiency is key for farmers during seeding season.
“Sometimes the tractor and seeding implements are sitting there idling in the field waiting for the truck to get back, and time is so valuable in the spring.”
Nicole Starker Campbell
ECA Review
