Homegrown Ag Business Now a Big Name in Forage Seed

This year’s What’s the Big Idea entrepreneurship event was kicked off by none other than Mayor Blake McCutcheon, who himself started his own business 35 years ago. He took the opportunity to not just bring greetings from the town but share some words of wisdom with the young entrepreneurs present. There were three axioms he highlighted that helped him on his journey: no matter where you are in your business cycle, nothing is ever as bad or as good as it looks; if you’re standing still, you’re going backwards; and the sun always comes up tomorrow and you’ll get a new day.

The first official presenter of the event was Don Pollock, one of a handful of agricultural producers who started Northstar Seeds in 1982. For many years prior to that, they had already been working together and developing the roots of what would later become the business, including embracing new technologies and experimenting on their own farms. While leafcutter bees, for instance, are widely used today to pollinate many forage plants including alfalfa, they were only introduced to the province in 1970 and took some trial and error to learn how to manage in this climate.

One of the big takeaways from Pollock’s presentation for aspiring entrepreneurs was how to persevere in the face of setbacks. One year they had just a 10% survival rate for their bees; in others they dealt with severe insect infestations specific to their crops. Still, they managed to carry on and grow the business.

Another big theme of the presentation was knowing when and how to grow, and how and when to diversify. The company, which started in a small community, now conducts business in multiple countries in both North America and Europe, and has office and warehousing facilities in both Manitoba and Alberta.

Pollock stressed the importance of connecting with people who have strengths in areas other than your own. He and his partners came in knowing agriculture, but reached out to other people and organisations with expertise in marketing and finance. Events such as this one, said Pollock, help to make those connections and give new entrepreneurs the best start they can get.