Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
November 19, 2012
On November 16, Pat Beaujot, President of Seed Hawk, addressed University of Saskatchewan agriculture students, faculty and industry colleagues at the College of Agriculture’s Beanfeed event. The annual dinner and awards ceremony recognizes the academic achievement of undergraduate and graduate students studying agriculture at the University of Saskatchewan.
Each year, the College of Agriculture invites an accomplished alumnus to be a guest speaker at the awards banquet. This year, they selected Beaujot. “I’m honoured,” Beaujot says. “The College had a tremendous influence on my life, and it is great to be able to give a little bit back. I’d like to be able to help the students think about things a little bit differently.”
Beaujot spoke passionately and at times emotionally about his years working in the Saskatchewan agriculture industry, from growing up on a farm in a small town to representing his home province on the world stage. He also emphasized the importance of the non-academic lessons from his university days.
“I found that membership in the Agriculture Students’ Association teaches students the importance of participating in social and athletic activities in addition to academics. It teaches students how to be a part of a network in school as well as in their career. The College, and the industry afterwards, is pretty close-knit. From the first day of school onwards you are building long-term relationships,” Beaujot says.
He also credits influential professors and administrators with helping him find his passion. Although he was no stranger to the problems of soil erosion, it was his professors who taught him that changes in agronomy and farming practices could improve soil conditions. “I never expected to be a scientist, but it became my passion,” he admits.
“University should help you find your passion. It should teach you how to learn, and you should remember to keep learning and keep discovering,” he adds. His dedication to agriculture and his enthusiasm for direct seeding practices have led to a successful, global company. Friday night’s ceremony provided Beaujot the opportunity to encourage others to give back the world of agriculture as he has been honoured to do since his own graduation.
Since 1992, Seed Hawk has been building precision seeding systems to better equip farmers and improve agricultural practices. Seed Hawk is a manufacturer of state-of-the-art, zero-tillage seeding systems sold in Canada, the U.S., Australia and Eastern Europe.
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