Hello everyone! And welcome to the Small Town, Big Stories Podcast where we discuss rural life with community champions from across southern Manitoba. In the seventh episode of this podcast series, invited guest, Dimitris Tellidis, shares his insights on agriculture in Manitoba. Throughout his academic journey, Dimitris explored themes of technology and data in agriculture – such as plant genetic manipulation, crop protection, crop fertility and waste management. He has since worked as both an independent agronomist, as well as a member of larger consultant firms. Currently, Dimitris is a member of MNPs Agriculture Agronomy Services team in Brandon, Manitoba. Throughout this conversation, Dimitris shares insights into the collaborative nature of working within the field of agriculture, the multi-faceted complexities of production yields, and how data and emerging technologies are revolutionizing food production in Canada.

In episode six, invited guest Lana Cowling-Mason shares her expertise and perceptions of holistic rural community development. Lana is not only the community development coordinator and General Manager of the Community Futures West Interlake, she is also the Chair of the Program Committee, Member of the Community Edge Education Committee and Board Member of the Economic Developers Association. With over twenty years of experience working within the field of community development, Lana shares unique insights and perceptions of how different communities require tailored plans to reach and maintain place-specific goals.

In today’s episode, invited guest Michael Asante speaks to his work and expertise in community development. Michael maintains over a decade of experience conducting and implementing research relating to agricultural policy, international trade, economic development and infrastructure investment readiness. As the Research and Data Manager at the Rural Manitoba Economic Development Corporation here in Brandon, Michael’s shares his perception on the utility and importance of continuous community data collection. As a former researcher of the Rural Development Institute, Michael also shares how capacity to access and assess community data is vital for development work of any kind.