About

Canada’s Largest Privately-held Seed Company

BrettYoung is a privately-owned agribusiness with headquarters in Winnipeg, MB, Canada. Proud of our 80+ year history in agriculture, we employ approximately 200 people in 5 processing and distribution facilities in Canada and in various sales territories across North America serving customers in three distinct markets:

  • Agricultural Seed and Crop Inputs – we provide crop input solutions to Canadian and US farmers including: BrettYoung brand canola and forage seed and Elite® brand soybean seed and ag-biologicals
  • Wholesale Forage and Turf – we partner with growers to produce forage and turf seed for domestic and export markets serving 40 countries around the world
  • Professional Turf and Reclamation – we provide a wide range of products and services, including fertilizer, to the professional turf and reclamation industry in Western Canada and Ontario

Our People

As an innovative agricultural business, we strive for the highest level of professionalism in everything we do. This is a basic prerequisite in offering our customers premium solutions that add value to their businesses. We realize the success of BrettYoung is a direct result of each individual. Employees share in the responsibility for the ongoing growth and success of the company by providing their personal best. BrettYoung is characterized by the dynamism of a committed privately-held organization that challenges staff to take risks, view roadblocks as opportunities and to explore new ideas. Encouraging staff to demonstrate initiative and then working together to realize goals is what sets BrettYoung apart.

Our Culture

We foster a professional and welcoming environment built on passion and energy.
We act with integrity, always.

Our Purpose

To engage our customers and suppliers as partners.
To provide innovative seed solutions and industry-leading service.
To encourage your growth in every way.

Our History

The origins of the modern-day BrettYoung were a 1930’s woodworking plant producing step-ladders, incubators and coat trees for the T. Eaton Company. The transformation from a woodworking manufacturer to an international seed supplier started in 1934 when Bill Brett, owner of the woodworking operation, joined forces with one of his employees, Reg Young, and formed BrettYoung Limited – a seed trading company.

Over the years, we’ve added more seed varieties and products to the business. Chick feed, horticultural peat and legume inoculants were the first to be added to the business mix. Then alfalfa, clover and other forage seed varieties were added and by the early 1950’s production of turf seed varieties, particularly Kentucky Bluegrass, were added to the operation. As the seed business grew, BrettYoung completed construction on our first seed processing facility in 1953. By 1965 we completed a new and larger processing facility to handle its ever-expanding business. Around this same time a processing facility for creeping red fescue was established in Rycroft, Alberta.

A notable highlight for BrettYoung came in 1968 when we won an export award for its seed sales to countries such as the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, Poland, Italy and the United States.

1975 was a pivotal year in the history of the modern BrettYoung. That year Peter Dyck purchased the company after having worked for the company since 1947. BrettYoung continues to be 100% family-owned with plans to keep the company in the family for generations to come.

Over the years, BrettYoung has made a number of significant investments in order to better serve our customers and partners. A state-of-the-art seed coating facility was recently added and we’ve recently expanded our seed storage, blending and bagging capacity in our Winnipeg facility and improved blending and bagging throughput at their Calmar, Alberta location.

Throughout our history, BrettYoung has maintained a reputation for honesty and integrity. “It is critical that this reputation be maintained for us to continue to be successful in exporting to markets in the US, South America, Europe and the Far East,” says Lloyd.

BrettYoung has kept its reputation and integrity clearly in sight, but Lloyd credits many others for the company’s success. “We are grateful to our processors, customers and suppliers who have made our long history possible and look forward to serving them in the years to come,” he says.

BrettYoung Accreditation

The Canadian Seed Institute (CSI) delivers accreditation and monitoring programs for the Canadian seed industry. Recognized by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, CSI has been given the mandate to be the single point contact for all seed establishments, seed laboratories, operators and graders seeking registration, licensing or accreditation. BrettYoung has the following accreditations with CSI and the CFIA.

Location Accreditation Scope of Accreditation
BrettYoung – Rycroft 1357 Approved Conditioner, Bulk Storage Facility
BrettYoung – Rycroft 1357AE Authorized Exporter Program
BrettYoung – Winnipeg 0846-178 Approved Conditioner, Bulk Storage Facility, Authorized Importer
BrettYoung – Winnipeg (Lab) 1063-LAB Purity, Germination Crop Kinds in Grade Table I – XX
BrettYoung – Winnipeg 0846AE Authorized Exporter Program
BrettYoung – Winnipeg CGSP-120 Canadian Grain Sampling Program
BrettYoung – Calmar 1394-137 Approved Conditioner, Authroized Importer

BrettYoung Industry Memberships