We’re proud of the role SaskFSA played in bringing the Saskatchewan Drainage Extension Network (SK DEN) to life. Here’s how it all began.
It started with a question
The story reaches back roughly ten years, through conversations about water management across Saskatchewan. Water can be a divisive subject. We have made tremendous gains since then in understanding what responsible drainage and irrigation mean for agriculture, but progress hasn’t always come easily.
For those putting in the work, it was frustrating to keep running into the same roadblock: the assumption that drainage was bad. We needed a way to move the conversation forward.
The spark came while listening to a RealAgriculture podcast about the Yield Enhancement Network. Farmers were sharing knowledge and practices to improve crop performance, learning together across regions and countries.
That created a spark: If farmers can work together across borders to improve crop production, why couldn’t we take that approach to water management in Saskatchewan?
Saskatchewan is full of valuable resources. People and water are two of them. But unintentionally (or intentionally), knowledge doesn’t always travel between the people who hold it and the people who could use it. Research, practical experience and technical expertise can sit in separate circles, even when everyone is working through similar challenges.
The idea behind the Drainage Extension Network was to bring those people to the same table.
Finding the people who wanted to build it
The concept originated within SaskFSA and took shape in 2024, when SaskFSA brought together people from across the province with knowledge, experience and a willingness to help.
At that first meeting, we asked: “Why are you here? What brought you to this table?”
Their answers set the stage:
- “Water is fundamental to agriculture.”
- “Drainage and irrigation go hand in hand.”
- “Education is a bridge.”
- “I think about water all the time. It’s exhausting, and it’s great to have a team.”
- “Precision, practicality, and passion.”
People wanted to connect information, quantify the agronomic and environmental benefits of water management, and keep improving responsible drainage. They brought curiosity, practical questions and a true understanding that decisions about water extend across generations.
From that meeting came a team, terms of reference and a shared direction.
A foundation to build on
SaskFSA helped turn an idea into a network. Its next chapter is being shaped by the leaders and partners stepping forward to invest their time, knowledge, connections and technology in SK DEN.
The roles are connected, but distinct:
- SaskFSA continues to represent farmers and landowners in drainage policy and advocacy.
- SK DEN connects people through research, demonstration and extension.
Helping establish something that will grow beyond our own organization is an achievement SaskFSA is proud of. Our Executive Director Candace Mitschke is Project Lead of SK DEN, and our President Myles Thorpe sits on the SK DEN Foundation Team.
We invite you to meet the network and join in on the conversation.