(Rural Roots Canada) – For 35 years, 20/20 Seed Labs has been a leader in seed testing and research. The company has grown from a small business into a fully accredited and internationally recognized seed testing laboratory with facilities in Alberta, Manitoba, and Chile.
The company was founded in 1989 by Sarah Foster following Agriculture Canada’s decision to privatize its seed testing program. Foster seized the opportunity to fill a gap in the market.
“At that time, I was working for United Grain Growers, and it was primarily an in-house lab,” says Foster. “I wanted to do more work for growers, farmers, and seed companies. That wasn’t part of their mandate. I thought things were changing so quickly, and it’s such a great opportunity to try it on my own. It was probably one of the most frightening things I’ve ever done.”
The expansion into Chile happened 17 years ago, driven by the need to speed up seed testing for its multinational clients concerned about the time it took to return seeds from contra-seasonal production to Canada. By setting up a lab in Chile, it ensured faster and more efficient service.
“I thought, if I go down there and expedite it a little bit and do the testing for them under Canadian rules, let’s see how that would work out,” says Foster. “And it did. We built a lab down there that we open up for three months of the year.”
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20/20 Seed Labs has always prided itself on its commitment to quality and customer service. As Canada’s first fully accredited, independently owned seed testing lab, it adheres to strict protocols set by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), the International Seed Testing Association (ISTA), and the Association of Official Seed Analysts (AOSA).
“We really pride ourselves on being there for our customers,” notes Foster. “If we don’t have an answer to a question, we dig in and find it. That makes it easy to do my job. I love working with this team because there’s a real energy and a desire to do good things for our sector and our industry.”
That sentiment is shared by Shanyn Silinski, the company’s marketing manager, who says their customers appreciate their hands-on approach. “I’ve recently had the opportunity to talk to several clients one-on-one over the phone and in person. That’s the thing they love most about 20/20 Seed Labs. They can pick up the phone, and there’s no gatekeeping and no barriers. They want to talk to Sarah. And if she can’t get to them right away, Sarah will always get back to you. If you need to talk to someone from a specific department, they’re available. We don’t have it where you can’t reach someone and get an answer.”
Foster also shares her pride in the culture of diversity and inclusion they have created at the company. The company is led by two women, Foster and Carey Matthiessen, and has a workforce that includes many women in various leadership roles. The average employee age is around 35, with employees that have been with the company for years. “We make it interesting for people to come to work. We’ve been a melting pot for a long time. We’ve got a lot of different nationalities that work there, and we all work really well together.”
As 20/20 Seed Labs enters its 36th year, Foster emphasizes the importance of staying responsive to customers’ needs. “We want to know what our customers would like us to do,” she says. “Going into this new season, I want to be the wow of seed testing this year and drive home that we are there for our customers with the answers that they need.”
