The Peace Region Forage Seed Association was formed in 1995. The association brought together the longer histories of several associations in the Peace River region of both Alberta and British Columbia. The Fine Seed Committee of the BC Grain Producers Association and the Alberta Alfalfa Seed Producers Association - Peace Branch and local members of the Canadian Seed Trade Association added their years of experience and expertise working for the industry, to the association. PRFSA celebrates it's 25th anniversery as an association in 2020.

The PRFSA's first 10 Years (1995 - 2005)
The PRFSA's second 10 Years (2005 - 2015)

From a handful of committed people in 1995, the membership in the Peace Region Forage Seed Association grew to 215 members in 2002. In 2005, the levy paid by forage seed growers constitutes membership in PRFSA. Currently there are over 500 grower members and over 50 corporate and associate members.

A seven member Board of Directors drawn from the PRFSA membership governs all activities of the Peace Region Forage Seed Association. The board consists of three Alberta producers, three BC producers and one seed trade member. The association also has three provincial government advisors and one research advisor. The directors contribute their time and expertise. They are reimbursed for direct expenses, their travel and a per diem for their contributions. They currently have several contractors hired who each work part time for this association including a coordinator, a bookkeeper, and a central levy administrator.

Information is shared with members in several ways. PRFSA collaborates with authors across Canada to produce and distribute the “Forage Seed News” a high quality magazine compiled three times a year. They also partnered with Alberta Agriculture to produce publications such as the "Tall Fescue Seed Production" Agr-Facts sheet in 2005. They organize annual marketing and production seminars along with their AGMs in Fort St. John and Fairview that have attracted anywhere from 65 to 180 people. As well, they organize tours and field days over the summer. Once every 6 years the association hosts the Canadian Forage Seed Conference.

The PRFSA directors respond to the concerns of growers and the industry as they arise. Endophyte surveys and an information blitz were initiated in response to reported endophyte concerns in forage seed aftermath bales (1998). They responded to the glassy cutworm outbreak with timely research and information fact sheets (2000). They also launched an initiative to keep leaf cutter bees disease free in the Peace Region (2001). PRFSA responded to the red clover case bearer problem with collaborative research (2007). They also initiated a wildlife damage study on fescue in response to growers’ requests (2009).

PRFSA facilitates, sponsors and/or coordinates several research projects including:

• Herbicide Tolerance of Grasses & Clovers for Minor Use Registration
• Weed Control Trials in Grasses and Legumes
• Insect Monitoring in Grass & Legume Seed Crops
• Establishment and Crop Rotation Trials
• Peace Region Forage Seed Variety Testing Program (Beaverlodge)
• Growth Regulators on Grass and Legume Seed Grops
• Integrated Crop Management in Fescue, Timothy & Bromegrass Fields
• Diseases of Forage Seed Crops
• Population improvement of Slender Wheatgrass, Fodder Galega & Birdsfoot Trefoil
• Factors Contributing to Silvertop in Fescue

Historically PRFSA partnered with the Seed Trade Consortium to fund several research projects including:

• Establishment Systems for Seed Production of Creeping Red Fescue.
• Wild Oat Control in Established Seed Crops of Tall Fescue.
• Silvertop Damage Control on Creeping Red Fescue
• Stem Eyespot Control in Creeping Red Fescue
• Arthropod Related Insect Control in Forage Seed Crops

Prior to establishing the Research and Development Levy, the Peace Region Forage Seed Association also initiated a voluntary Producer Research Fund and initiated 2 projects with those funds by partnering with PRAD including:

• Fescue Rejuvenation Project
• Control of Cutworms in Grass Seed Fields Project.

PRFSA has partnered with several funding agencies in the past on many successful projects. Funding partners over the years have included: Western Canadian Grass Seed Testing Program, Agriculture &Agri-Food Canada, Alberta Agriculture, BC Ministry of Agriculture, Peace River Agriculture Development Fund, BC Investment Agriculture Foundation (IAF/ ARDCORP), Smoky Applied Research and Demonstration Association, Peace River Forage Association of BC, BC Grain Producers Association, Farming for the Future, Lamorna Enterprises Ltd., University of Alberta (Biology Department), BC Climate Action Initiative, BC Hydro Agriculture Mitigation Fund, Peace River Regional District.

The Peace Region Forage Seed Association has earned the trust and respect throughout the forage, turf and native seed industry and is recognized as the ideal vehicle to represent this region's industry and spearhead initiatives on its behalf.