Commercial Innovation Balances Industry Success

Farming Smarter’s Commercial Innovation program, managed by Trevor Deering, has 76 trials contracted by 20 partnering companies this year. This keeps him busy as he balances assisting student research assistants while maintaining strong communication with industry clients to complete the most trials of any Farming Smarter team this year. 

Commercial Innovation provides unbiased third-party research that supports product development across the agriculture industry. 

“We act as a connection between how a product will perform in the field and getting the right products to farmers,” says Deering. 

It's common for companies to seek out research that evaluates the regional performance of products or crop varieties they wish to introduce to southern Alberta. 

Many of these crops and products will have been proven to work in different regions across Canada and the United States, or from different continents entirely. This will only provide an idea of what they can expect in southern Alberta, so they complete studies in the area to secure that knowledge. 

However, many companies lack the capacity to complete this research themselves. 

“Research requires a considerable investment in land, labor, and equipment. We’ve already made these investments, so we provide these companies with a service they need but otherwise might not have access to,” says Deering.  

As agriculture continues to be a large industry in southern Alberta, regional knowledge is paramount for companies to confirm the performance of their products here. Deering’s team is a key route for these companies to receive that information. 

He’s built a career helping grow new opportunities for companies and farmers alike and is always eager to help those with new ideas. 

Building the bridges for commercial success

Since Deering started working at Farming Smarter in 2019, he and the whole Farming Smarter team have been developing the organization’s capacity to support companies throughout the industry.  

While the rewarding feeling of completing another busy season of research is a great motivator, his real passion for the program comes from the relationships he has been able to develop with his clients. 

“These aren’t just one-off trials to me – it’s more than throwing some products in a field and recording what happens. There are real goals behind the people working on these products; they want to help farmers, and my work contributes to that,” he states. 

The Commercial Innovation branch of Farming Smarter operates uniquely from the organization’s research grant-based programs. Interested companies will establish a contract with Deering that outlines the research projects they wish to complete. 

Deering and the team at Farming Smarter provide insight and advice to ensure the best management practices are established during the early stages of a project. This direction aids the confidence behind introducing the products to farmers throughout southern Alberta. 

Once details are settled, Deering’s crew gets to work. “There are a lot of moving parts, so we have to stay flexible to make sure everything is completed when it needs to be. We stay in contact with and constantly communicate with our partners to make sure that we’re on the same page and working together synergistically,” comments Deering. 

This personalizes the workflow for Deering, as he develops deeper relationships with his clients over the course of a project. The longer they work together, the more in-tune with each other they become. 

“It’s just like anything in life, if you want to be able to communicate properly – understand the needs on the other side of the conversation and aim to take care of them,” he adds. 

Through understanding the needs of his clients, Deering ensures his team knows the purpose behind each trial. This allows the Commercial Innovation unit to fulfill project objectives more in line with a client’s desires than if a project’s goal were misunderstood or poorly communicated. 

Deering attributes his ability to achieve such great success when managing so many projects to this attitude. The opportunity to improve agriculture, and to do so alongside some of the industry’s most innovative people, gives him the drive required to succeed. 

Deering continues, “the fact they’re willing to spend money on unbiased, third-party research demonstrates their commitment to wanting to produce the best products for farmers. This isn’t cheap work, so the companies we work with look to us for our expertise.” 

Teamwork makes the dream work

While much of the Commercial Innovation team’s work assists proprietary products move from lab testing to the field, Deering has facilitated the awareness of new practices through his contracted work. 

In 2019, Deering completed a contract to investigate rolling barley for silage production. This project generated so much interest from local farmers it was rolled into a three-year grant-based research project that concluded in 2024. 

The project was picked up by Farming Smarter’s Agronomy Research team to utilize their expertise with grant-funded small-plot projects. After a second consecutive year of tremendous growth, Deering’s team had enough work on their plate to keep him busy and handed the project off while still providing knowledge and advice he received from leading the previous work. 

“One of the greatest strengths at Farming Smarter is the team we have – we have been able to achieve so much more than our capacity should have allowed us to by leveraging our teamwork,” says Deering. 

Resource management, including students throughout the summer, is a major element of Farming Smarter’s overall success. Team leaders constantly communicate with each other to ensure they have the right tools and the right people to complete their work each day. This efficiency is what allows the organization’s effectiveness to shine through. 

Just this year the organization added a third tractor to its fleet. The three research teams and field operations team were afforded a new level of capacity to complete the 160 total trials this year. 

As the organization grows, Deering is excited to see the new heights his program can achieve as well as those he’ll get to work with. 

If you are interested in expanding the agriculture industry in southern Alberta, reach out to Trevor Deering today and begin your research journey!