Jordyn Wiebe grew up on her family’s farm, J.P. Wiebe Ltd., in MacGregor Manitoba. She spent her childhood working odd jobs to help the farm’s potato operation, and while she initially began her career off the farm, she was drawn back to her roots when she returned to become J.P. Wiebe Ltd.’s bookkeeper and farm and food safety manager. In 2025, EMILI launched a second Innovation Farms site at J.P. Wiebe Ltd., and Jordyn works closely with EMILI as they test and validate technology in the farm’s potato crop.
Describe your job or product in one sentence.
At J.P. Wiebe Ltd, I do the bookkeeping for the farm, manage the safety for all employees and I am in charge of keeping our farm certified with CanadaGAP food safety programming. I am also part of the team working with EMILI at Innovation Farms MacGregor, a 8,500-acre farm with approximately 3,000 acres dedicated to potatoes.
Where did you grow up? Was it an agriculture or urban environment?
I grew up in MacGregor Manitoba. Growing up on my family’s potato farm, my environment was heavily impacted by agriculture. I spent a lot of my childhood in and around the farm environment, and working odd jobs like cutting seed potatoes, picking dirt at harvest, and washing potato storages.
What was your dream job when you were a kid?
My dream job as a kid was to be a chef or a veterinarian. As I grew up, gained experience, and learned more about the world, I was drawn to the world of technology and back to my roots of farming and being a part of growing food for the world.
What was your first job in the agriculture or agri-food sector?
My first true job in the agriculture sector was on my dad’s farm driving a water truck for spraying, filling fertilizer tanks for fertigation, doing headland tilling around the potato fields, and driving potato trucks during harvest.
What brought you to your current role?
I came to my current role a few years ago when I decided to stop working for big corporations and go back to working where I knew exactly who and what I was impacting with my work. Being back within the environment of a family farm truly does fuel my excitement for the future of the industry. It’s an amazing thing to be a part of a forward-looking farm.
How does digital agriculture or agtech play a role in your current job?
At this point, digital agriculture plays a role in my job working on the team involved with the EMILI’s Innovation Farms MacGregor. It impacts my day to day by opening my eyes to the technology that is out there, and what could impact the future of my family’s farm and the industry as a whole.
What advice would you give someone considering a career in digital agriculture?
I would say to be open to opportunity in the digital ag industry. We have so far to go in integrating new and impactful systems, products, and ideas. It’s a part of the industry that I think will only get bigger and more exciting as more technology is developed and tested. It also happens to be an industry full of people who are down to earth and truly excited about doing good for the industry and for our world!
What’s your favourite part about working in digital agriculture and agri-food?
I used to work in financial systems, so seeing similar products and innovation within the ag industry is very exciting for me. It’s also so amazing to be on and involved with EMILI’s Innovation Farms MacGregor. I don’t think I would have ever known as much as I do now if it weren’t for the opportunity to collaborate with EMILI.
Why do you think digital agriculture is important, now more than ever?
I think it’s important because the world is moving forward whether or not all of the ag industry chooses to move into the digital age. There is so much out there that is exciting and impactful that can change the ag industry in great and positive ways. Conserving the environment is also close to my heart, and seeing what is coming from digital ag is so important for the future of our planet and the longevity of farming in general.
What’s the most interesting thing you see happening in digital agriculture right now?
At this point one of the most interesting things I’ve seen happening is the weather station products that use AI and sound to capture and measure rainfall to inform pivots for proper and accurate irrigation. It is truly so interesting to see how much that can impact water use and irrigation.
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.