SaskFSA represents #SK farmers: Advocating for practical & responsible drainage policy to enhance ag production, soil & water health. #BestWhenManaged
Saskatchewan
Joined March 2014
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As combines roll across Saskatchewan, we want to see “What the Weather Left Behind” in your fields.
Drowned-out potholes. Bathtub-ring salinity. Weed invasions. Disease. Uneven maturity. Crop stress. Hail damage. The “sprayer got stuck”. Or maybe a crop that escaped the extremes and looks pretty darn good. But Mother Nature is not done yet - harvest weather can have just as much impact before the crop is safely in the bin.
Your fields tell the real story.
AG water management builds climate capacity for Saskatchewan farmers. Sharing what you are seeing helps demonstrate why local conditions matter, why potholes and field depressions need to be managed within the AG zone, and why drainage remains one of the most important tools in the farm toolbox.
📸 Snap it. Share it. Tell us what you are seeing.
#BestWhenManaged
Drainage policy affects real decisions on your farm. Your experience needs to be part of the conversation.
SaskFSA brings the farmer perspective forward to advance practical drainage management across Saskatchewan’s diverse ag landscapes.
We host the conversations, develop policy proposals, tackle red tape through real projects, and work with partners, regulators, and government on practical approaches that work for Saskatchewan farms.
Your land. Your experience. Better drainage policy.
Save the Date: NOV 17 - SaskFSA AGM - Yorkton SK
Event details and guest RSVP: saskfsa.ca/events
Great learning & networking event - along with some great advancements in drainage technology!
MY Precision Ag Ltd. invites you to our 2026 Ditch Assist Customer Clinic!
Whether you’re brand new to Ditch Assist or have been running a system for years, this is a great opportunity to sharpen your skills, learn about the latest technology, and get expert advice from our experienced team!
📅 Thursday, October 29th, 2026
📍 Tundra Oil & Gas Place – Virden, MB
⏰ 9:30 AM – 3:00 PM (Registration at 9:30 AM)
🍔 FREE LUNCH INCLUDED!
🛠️ WHAT WE’LL BE COVERING:
✅ All-new Ditch Assist App – Overview, setup & operation
✅ Ditch Assist system components, installation & setup
✅ RTK correction options and setup
✅ Advanced operation, tips & troubleshooting
✅ Ditch Assist IDM Portal & drainage mapping
✅ Ditch Assist DIG excavator system
✅ Live equipment walk-around and hands-on learning
💡 Get your questions answered directly by the experts! Learn how to get more out of your Ditch Assist system and make your drainage projects more efficient.
📢 EVERYONE IS WELCOME! Whether you’re an existing customer or interested in learning what Ditch Assist can do for your farm, we’d love to see you there!
📩 PLEASE RSVP BY OCTOBER 26TH!
📧 [email protected]
📞 1-877-697-7322
🌐 myprecisionag.ca
Come for the knowledge, stay for the lunch, and leave ready to take your drainage to the next level! 🌾💪
@ditchassist
Meet Myles Thorpe, SaskFSA President and operator of Thorpe Ag Ventures. Myles is a passionate advocate for progressive land and water management policy, driven by landowners and supported by Saskatchewan citizens. Whether through traditional surface methods or tile drainage, he believes responsible, organized water and land management is vital to the success of farms, communities, and the province.
If you feel the same, become a SaskFSA member today!
zurl.co/hsrUA
Did you know that wetlands are different than wet land? Permanent and semi-permanent wetlands provide important environmental benefits - like water storage and flood control (when there is storage capacity), and habitat for wildlife. These are the wetlands that most people think about.
But there's another type of wetland: temporary wet lands that hold water for a few days or weeks before drying out. In agricultural zones, if this excess water goes unmanaged, it can kill crops, cause salinity and nutrient loss, compromise soil health, and affect productivity well beyond the area holding water.
Good water management means recognizing those differences. That’s why farmers use water management solutions — like drainage — to responsibly manage excess water on their land while continuing to steward the permanent wetlands that are an important part of Saskatchewan’s agricultural landscape.
SaskFSA represents farmers' unique water management needs in policy. But over the last six months, our Executive Director, Candace Mitschke has also engaged in water management conversations across North America.
✅Gave the keynote address at DrainWest hosted by @Drainage Contractor
✅ Presented at the Land Improvement Contractors Conference @Land Improvement Contractors of Ontario in Ontario
✅ Participated in the Conservation Drainage Network Conference in the U.S.
✅ Supported the ongoing development of the Saskatchewan Drainage Extension Network (SK DEN)
✅ Presented at the 2026 APAS Summit, sharing how water management is the critical link between climate resilience and food security
✅ Brought the provincial ag sector together into the water-management conversation to identify what’s happening at the ground level and coordinate solutions
✅ Presented at multiple agronomy meetings across the province
✅ Supported advanced field-efficiency research to build practical and measurable BMPs.
✅ Acted as a critical partner in the AG Water Demonstration Site Tours at Ag In Motion.
If you are interested in joining the water management conversation, get in touch!
Save the date for the 2026 SaskFSA AGM!
Join us on Nov 17, 9 am - 12 pm to learn how SaskFSA is advancing responsible drainage, bringing forward solutions and tackling policy barriers.
More information will be available on our website, check back soon. saskfsa.ca
SEE YOU THERE!
Is drainage an important management tool for agronomic stewardship, business risk management & climate capacity tool on your farm?
SaskFSA is working to ensure producers have a voice in practical and responsible drainage management policy.
If drainage matters to your farm, become a SaskFSA member!
saskfsa.ca/membership
Water management is a complex process involving producers and landowners, RMs, regulators, water associations, and ag organizations. Each has a role to play, and progress depends on everyone being willing to engage in conversations.
SaskFSA extends a sincere thanks to both @SARM_Voice and @AgProducersSK for joining the discussion about drainage and water management over the last several months.
No single organization or policy can solve Saskatchewan’s water management challenges alone, but these important conversations help everyone understand what is happening on the ground and where resources and collaboration are needed.
There is so much potential at home (in SK) and also some really fantastic scenery!
Yesterday we toured irrigation infrastructure throughout the Riverhurst, Outlook and Gardiner Dam area with partners from the U of R’s Bridging the Water Adaptation Gap (BWAG) project: lead researcher Dr. Margot Hurlbert, Darrell Corkal, our Argentinian guests Paula and Elma, our Chilean guest Bernardo, SK DEN team member and tour host Ryan Husband of Irrigation Saskatchewan. We were also joined by online guests for a "Bridging the GAP" discussion - connecting perspectives and experiences across regions and countries.
What always amazes me is how regionally diverse this province is, yet the underlying approach is always still the same - weather is unpredictable and water is best when it's managed.
Coordinated, locally informed systems build climate capacity at every level - from the farm business to community infrastructure and the provincial economy. That’s a win-win!
Remembering Senator Todd Lewis
It is difficult to find the right words for the sudden loss of Todd, our friend and colleague.
Todd always answered a call to action. He brought a wealth of farming knowledge, practicality and steady leadership to every conversation, but also optimism. Even when the issues were difficult, Todd was willing to listen, contribute and help advance solutions. You truly always felt better after talking with him.
Only days before his passing, Todd joined us at the Ag Water Demonstration Site at Ag in Motion as our VIP Guest. Following the tour, we spent nearly an hour discussing water management - the challenges, policy gaps and opportunities ahead. It was a conversation that will continue to shape our work.
Todd’s passing leaves an enormous hole in Saskatchewan agriculture and the many communities he served. We have lost a trusted colleague, a valued voice and a genuinely good man.
To Todd’s family and those closest to him: we hope you feel how deeply Todd was respected and appreciated by the many people whose lives and work he touched.
On behalf of the SaskFSA Board, team and membership, thank you Todd, for always showing up.
Remembered, always.
DYK? Wetland retention is one stewardship tool, but not the ONLY one available to achieve positive environmental outcomes. Saskatchewan’s watersheds, soils, agricultural systems and water-management needs vary significantly.
SaskFSA believes stewardship should be measured by the outcomes achieved on the landscape, not only by the number of wetland acres retained.
Responsible practices can include:
- controlled drainage
- temporary water retention and holdbacks
- engineered water storage
- adequate outlets
- erosion-control structures
- saturated buffers
- drainage-water recycling
- constructed ponds
- tile drainage
- network-level drainage planning
- wetland retention
- water-quality monitoring
- precision agriculture
- 4R nutrient stewardship
- zero tillage
- variable-rate application
- sectional control
These practices support flood mitigation, water quality, habitat, soil health, crop performance and infrastructure protection while maintaining healthy wetlands and productive agricultural acres. Policy should recognize measurable outcomes and allow multiple stewardship tools to contribute to environmental health.
For more information, go to saskfsa.ca
SASKFSA IS AT AG IN MOTION!
Site #736 - 7th Street, Northeast End
LAST DAY to register for the AG Water Demo Site VIP Tour on July 22 at 1 pm to learn about the latest in water management strategies from industry experts.
REGISTRATION REQUIRED HERE: form.jotform.com/26162671305…
Join us at The Watering Hole following the tour with shade, refreshments and a chance to win the Lucky Duck Draw!
Every agricultural acre relies on drainage, whether natural or designed. Saskatchewan is currently experiencing extreme and, in many areas, historically significant precipitation, saturated soils and water levels that exceed the capacity of natural and built systems to absorb, store or safely move water.
Local flooding can result from:
- extreme precipitation
- natural fill-and-spill conditions
- restricted road and railway crossings
- inadequate culvert capacity
- limited natural outlets
- municipal and provincial infrastructure constraints
- fragmented water management across jurisdictions
Responsible drainage networks can reduce flood risk by controlling where water moves, when it moves, how much is temporarily stored and how it is safely released. During extreme events, highly functioning and coordinated drainage networks are a strategy for protecting farmland, infrastructure and nearby communities from even greater damage.
If you would like to learn more about responsible water management and drainage technology, go to saskfsa.ca
Join the AIM AG Water Demo Site VIP Tour on July 22 at 1 pm (Site #736 - 7th Street, Northeast End)
The VIP Tour features rapid-fire presentations highlighting applied research, BMPs, new water management technology, flow controls, regulatory information and more! (Pre-registration is required: HERE form.jotform.com/26162671305… ).
SaskFSA is proud to sponsor The Watering Hole following the VIP Tour, with a shaded area, picnic tables, refreshments, and a chance to win in the Lucky Duck Draw.
Sign up for the VIP Tour today!
Across the Prairies, families, farms, ranches and communities are facing extraordinary weather events and flooding.
Fields and pastures are underwater. Roads, homes, recreation areas and infrastructure are under pressure. Livestock are being moved, and crops farmers have invested heavily in have been lost, may still be lost, or may be affected by excess moisture, disease and prolonged stress.
At the same time, emergency personnel, municipal crews, volunteers and neighbors are working together → repairing infrastructure, monitoring roads, moving equipment and belongings, filling sandbags, checking on one another and doing whatever is needed.
These are complex emergency situations. When rainfall overwhelms the landscape, every part of our water system is tested. We have endured severe floods before. That history does not make today’s losses easier, but it reminds us that communities recover through cooperation, practical support and the willingness to work together.
To everyone protecting livestock, crops, homes, businesses and communities: we see what you are facing.
And to every responder, volunteer and neighbor who has stepped forward to help — THANK YOU.
The Prairie Pothole Region is made up of wetlands, sloughs and low-lying areas that store water across the landscape.
But this storage has limits. When soils are saturated, and wetlands are already full, water begins to connect and move across the landscape, often unpredictably, in ways we only see during very wet cycles.
That's why responsible drainage is so important.
Managed drainage systems can help hold, direct and release water in a controlled way, reducing flood risk and creating storage capacity for future events.
The goal is not to drain everything but to manage water responsibly for farms, neighbours, roads, communities and the landscape.
Saskatchewan is experiencing another reminder that water is powerful.
Across the province, farmers, rural municipalities, and local communities are dealing with saturated soils, flooded roads, delayed seeding, washed-out infrastructure, and water moving in places people have never seen it move before.
This is not a time for blame. It is a time for facts, empathy, and working collaboratively on immediate solutions and proactive planning.
When the landscape is full, water will move. The question is whether we have the tools, planning, approvals, infrastructure, and cooperation in place to manage it as responsibly as possible.
Our thoughts are with everyone affected — farmers, landowners, RMs, crews, and communities working through a very stressful spring season.
We are here to help. saskfsa.ca