Todd Reid, M.Sc., Ph.D. candidate
Research Associate

Email: treid@nsac.ca

I grew up in Corner Brook on the west coast of Newfoundland and knew nothing of farming beyond the kitchen gardens kept by my family. I started my university career at Sir Wilfred Grenfell College in Corner Brook knowing only that I was interested in science.

Working as a research assistant in the Biology Department during the summer of my second year fueled a love of plants and the natural world around me. I became focused on Biology and moved to St. John’s to finish my degree at Memorial University.

After graduation, I found a job with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and that opened my eyes to the world of farming and agricultural research. I completed a Masters degree in Biology at Memorial University in 2002 in collaboration with AAFC.

After a few years of doing sporadic contract work with AAFC, Provincial Agriculture, and even a landscaping company, I had the opportunity to do a Ph.D. under Dr. Dean Spaner at the University of Alberta, whom I met during my time with AAFC. Only after I began work with Dr. Spaner did I come to truly appreciate organic agriculture and what it can accomplish both for producers and the environment.

I started my PhD in the fall of 2004 and plan to graduate in the spring of 2009. My work looked at the genetics of wheat competitive ability and the potential of creating organic specific wheat cultivars by selecting breeding lines on organic land.

The work led me to Organic Connections in Saskatoon where I was able to meet many organic producers as well as other organic agriculture researchers. Those meetings have landed me back on the beautiful east coast of Canada where I look forward to doing more research in organic agriculture through the OACC.

 

Posted October 2008