Keynote Speaker | Prairie Storyteller | Agricultural Biologist
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Science that lands, stories that hit home and agriculture as it really is.
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Jesse is a plant biologist, keynote speaker, and fifth‑generation rancher raising the sixth on a dryland farm in the heart of the Canadian Prairies. With a botany degree, CCA credentials, and more than 15 years in agronomy, livestock extension, pesticide research, and invasive species management, she brings science, story, and real‑world agriculture together in a way audiences instantly connect with.
As a dryland rancher, mom, and self‑proclaimed mediocre farm wife, Jesse understands agriculture from every angle — the biology, the seasons, the stress, the legacy, and the people. She’s known for translating complex science into practical, farmer‑friendly insights and for naming the unspoken truths of rural life with grit, grace, and a good dose of prairie humour. Her keynotes are funny, heartfelt, and deeply human — the kind that make audiences laugh, nod, and say, “She gets it.” |
Audiences
If your audience works the land, supports the people who do, or cares about the future of agriculture — Jesse speaks their language. As a rancher, farmer and science professional herself, she sees agriculture through a wide set of lenses.
- Agricultural conferences
- Producer groups & commodity organizations
- Rural women's events
- Agricultural youth organizations such as 4-H & FFA
- Ag retailers & industry associations
- Leadership retreats & community development events
Signature Keynotes
| Dust, Drought & a Dash of Humour
Surviving the tough years with old wisdom & new ideas.
“Dust, Drought & a Dash of Humour” is a grounded, story‑rich keynote that blends Dust Bowl history, modern agronomy, and real‑life prairie humour to help today’s producers navigate drought and uncertainty. Growing up in one of the driest corners of the Palliser Triangle — where drought isn’t an event but a lifestyle — Jesse brings a multi‑generation perspective shaped by families who survived the Dirty Thirties and kept farming anyway.
Drawing on cattle strategies, soil biology insights, water‑holding capacity innovations, and the surprising comeback of mixed farming, Jesse explores what the Dust Bowl taught us… and why Grandpa’s way might not have been so crazy after all. Through personal stories, practical examples, and a few “you had to be there” moments, she shows how creativity, community, and a willingness to try (or retry) new things can turn hardship into resilience.
This keynote leaves audiences with a hopeful, realistic message: drought doesn’t mean defeat — and the strongest farms are the ones rooted in both innovation and old‑school wisdom.
Drawing on cattle strategies, soil biology insights, water‑holding capacity innovations, and the surprising comeback of mixed farming, Jesse explores what the Dust Bowl taught us… and why Grandpa’s way might not have been so crazy after all. Through personal stories, practical examples, and a few “you had to be there” moments, she shows how creativity, community, and a willingness to try (or retry) new things can turn hardship into resilience.
This keynote leaves audiences with a hopeful, realistic message: drought doesn’t mean defeat — and the strongest farms are the ones rooted in both innovation and old‑school wisdom.
| Grit, Grace & a Little Gossip
A Field guide to women in agriculture (whether you are one, you love one or you work with one)
A Field guide to women in agriculture (whether you are one, you love one or you work with one)
“Grit, Grace & a Little Gossip” is a funny, heartfelt, and refreshingly honest keynote about the women who keep agriculture running — in workboots, in boardrooms, in branding pens, in minivans, and in the messy middle of rural life.
This talk explores the real dynamics of being a woman in agriculture today: the hard work, the calloused hands, the leadership no one sees, the potlucks and politics, the cliques and community, the pride and pressure, and the unspoken expectations that shape rural womanhood.
It’s not a “poor me” speech. It’s not a feminist rant. It’s a field guide — equal parts grit, humour, truth, and heart.
Jesse shares the good, the bad, and the beautifully chaotic parts of rural life with a tone that makes women feel seen and men feel included. Whether you’re a woman in ag, you love one, or you work with one, this keynote offers insight, laughter, and a deeper understanding of the people who hold up farms, ranches, families, and entire rural communities.
Perfect for mixed audiences across agriculture — from farm families to industry leaders — this keynote leaves everyone with a better appreciation of the women who make agriculture work.
This talk explores the real dynamics of being a woman in agriculture today: the hard work, the calloused hands, the leadership no one sees, the potlucks and politics, the cliques and community, the pride and pressure, and the unspoken expectations that shape rural womanhood.
It’s not a “poor me” speech. It’s not a feminist rant. It’s a field guide — equal parts grit, humour, truth, and heart.
Jesse shares the good, the bad, and the beautifully chaotic parts of rural life with a tone that makes women feel seen and men feel included. Whether you’re a woman in ag, you love one, or you work with one, this keynote offers insight, laughter, and a deeper understanding of the people who hold up farms, ranches, families, and entire rural communities.
Perfect for mixed audiences across agriculture — from farm families to industry leaders — this keynote leaves everyone with a better appreciation of the women who make agriculture work.
| Beyond the Buzzwords: the science of agriculture's trendiest terms, how we got here and what's next
A smart, funny, and deeply relatable keynote that takes audiences on a tour through the last 20 years of agriculture’s most popular terms and trends. Jesse breaks down the real science behind each “era,” the technologies and practices they inspired, what producers actually adopted (the good and the not‑so‑good), and how consumers often took these terms in unexpected directions.
With prairie‑rooted humour, real‑world examples, and a respectful, grounded tone, this keynote helps producers make sense of where these trends came from, why they caught on, and what might be coming next. The message is simple and empowering: every operation is different, and you don’t need to chase what’s cool — you need to chase what works for your farm.
Perfect for mixed audiences of all ages, sectors, and experience levels across agriculture.
With prairie‑rooted humour, real‑world examples, and a respectful, grounded tone, this keynote helps producers make sense of where these trends came from, why they caught on, and what might be coming next. The message is simple and empowering: every operation is different, and you don’t need to chase what’s cool — you need to chase what works for your farm.
Perfect for mixed audiences of all ages, sectors, and experience levels across agriculture.
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What you get:
Science that lands, stories that hit home and agriculture as it really is.
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Formats:
Delivery and topics can be suited to your particular event.
This isn't a lecture. It's a conversation with someone who understand the science, the burnout and the beauty of agriculture in North America. |
