Research farms near Indian Head to continue operating with agreement between province, Ottawa

A new agreement will keep agricultural research moving forward at the Indian Head and Scott research farms after closure concerns. Sierra D’Souza Butts reports.

A recent agreement between the federal, provincial and territorial governments will allow agricultural research to continue at satellite farms in Indian Head and Scott.

Last week, Saskatchewan’s Agriculture Minister David Marit signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Heath MacDonald, Canada’s minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food (AAFC).

The agreement will allow the province to explore approaches that would support the continuity of operations at the two research farms.

The Scott Research Farm is located roughly 13 kilometres southwest of Wilkie.

It was signed after a July 16 meeting between federal, provincial and territorial agriculture ministers in Halifax.

The Indian Head research farm has been in the community for 140 years.

“I had a dad there that worked for 38 years. I had a grandpa that worked there for 30 years. I had an uncle that worked there for, I think, 28 years, and then I had another uncle that was there,” said Mayor Steven Cole.

“We got close to 140 years probably into the research farm ourselves. I was even employed there for a few years back in my younger days, teenager days – rowing and stuff like that. It is a long part of Indian Head.”

The Indian Head and Scott research centres were set to close following budget cuts outlined in the 2025 federal budget.

As the Indian Head research farm employs hundreds of people in the community, Cole said the town would be at a loss without it.

“There was a lot of concerns … where [were] families, where were employees going to go. What were they going to do for employment that they’ve lost?” he shared.

He added that there were also questions about what would happen to the farm after it closed given its importance for science and improving grains.

“In today’s competitive market we need to stay in touch with cultural sciences to better ourselves,” he said.

Cole also credited the provincial government’s support for ensuring the farm’s operations continue, as well as Conservative MP Andrew Scheer.

“I was really putting a lot of pressure on the government. Remember it was the Carney Liberal government that decided to abandon this research facility,” Scheer told CTV News on Friday.

“… The local community was engaged to try to save this site and the jobs that come with it and the benefits to the agricultural sector. We had round tables, we had petition drives.

“Conservative MPs grilled Agriculture Canada officials at committee highlighting the loss to the agricultural sector and we put a lot of pressure on the federal government.”

Minister Marit added the agreement allows the province to remain competitive globally.

“[It] generate[s] its revenue for operation to the largest degree,” Marit said on Friday.

“… I think the ongoing [operating expenses] for the two facilities previously was in that neighbourhood to $5 to $7 million a year. We just have to figure out if that’s going to be where we’re at,” he added, referring to the details of the site moving forward are still being discussed.

As the provincial government will be overseeing the operations of both farms, Marit said plans to have a more solid timeline for the takeover should be in place by fall.

AAFC is Canada’s largest agriculture research network, with 17 research centres across the country, including staff and facilities in every province.