After entering university to play volleyball, Courtney Kowk found her way into the agriculture program and continued her studies with a masters degree in agricultural economics. While her work experience started during university, her connection to agriculture began with a love for animals and a connection to her grandparents in Saskatchewan. She continued into a role at Cellar Insights, which allowed her to work closely with producer-focused innovation.
Where did you grow up? Was it an agriculture or urban environment?
I grew up in East St. Paul, a small municipality just outside of Winnipeg. It wasn’t a farming community, but it also wasn’t fully urban, so I got a bit of both worlds growing up.
What was your dream job when you were a kid?
Thinking back, I don’t know if I ever really had a dream job. I don’t think I spent much time thinking about growing up or being an adult, I was pretty happy just being a kid and not having to worry about those responsibilities yet. At one point I wanted to be a veterinarian because I’ve always loved animals, but I don’t think I was ever all that serious about pursuing it.
What was your first job in the agriculture or agri-food sector?
My first job in agriculture was at the Glenlea Research Station, a research farm owned by the University of Manitoba. I worked in a number of different areas there—I spent time in the dairy barn, the feed mill, and occasionally helped out in the poultry and swine barns when they were short-staffed or especially busy. I also led tours around the farm. But my favourite part was definitely working in the dairy barn because I absolutely loved the cows. I’d spend my lunch breaks brushing them and cleaning out their water troughs. Any free time I had, I was usually with the cows. That’s really where I got my first hands-on experience in agriculture.
What brought you to your current role?
After finishing my degrees, I took a job at a corporate agriculture company. I worked there for about three years. But I was looking for something that was more innovative, and I wanted to work closer with the growers, farmers, and the people out in the field making a difference. A friend of mine who’s heavily involved in the agtech space told me Cellar Insights was hiring, so I reached out and here I am today.
How does digital agriculture or agtech play a role in your current job?
It’s central to my role at Cellar Insights because we’re not just selling software, we’re helping growers adopt a new way of managing potato storage risk. We’re using the tools but also giving farmers support to help them make decisions and catch potential issues before they become costly problems.
What advice would you give someone considering a career in digital agriculture?
I’d definitely encourage them to explore it. Agriculture isn’t going anywhere, we all need to eat, and digital agriculture is only becoming more important. New technologies are popping up everywhere, and the possibilities are really endless. One of the things I love most about this industry is that I’m constantly learning. I’ve already learned so much, and I still feel like there’s so much more to learn.
What first piqued your interest in agriculture and agri-food?
I started university in science, but it turns out Chemistry was not my best subject. I remember talking to my mom about wanting to switch my major, and she said, “Why not agriculture?” My grandparents farmed in Saskatchewan, and I’d always been really close with them, but I had never seriously considered agriculture because I wasn’t a farmer myself. Looking back, that was a pretty big misconception. One thing I’ve learned is that you don’t have to grow up on a farm to have a successful career in agriculture. If you’re really passionate about the work that you’re doing or you just generally care about the people that you’re helping, that’s really what matters. And I think you’ll do fine.
Why do you think digital agriculture is important, now more than ever?
I think digital agriculture is more important now than ever because farming is becoming more complex. Growers are dealing with increasing uncertainty all the time, whether it’s weather, labour, or tighter margins. Technology helps turn that uncertainty into actionable insights. At Cellar Insights, we’re helping growers make better storage decisions to reduce losses, and we simply couldn’t do that without digital agriculture. I think it’s becoming an essential part of modern farming..
What do you think would help digital agriculture develop and advance more quickly?
Growers are incredibly busy people and if a tool isn’t simple, if it’s not trusted, or if it’s not financially worthwhile, then that adoption is going to be a challenge. I think the fastest way to advance digital agriculture is to build solutions that clearly make a grower’s life easier and provide value that they can see themselves.
This profile is part of EMILI’s This is Agriculture series, highlighting talented and diverse individuals across the digital agriculture sector. While individuals working in agriculture come from a variety of backgrounds, they share a common interest in growing and strengthening Canadian agriculture to ensure an environmentally and economically sustainable future for generations to come.