Wayne Rempel grew up in a Mennonite farming family near Winkler, Manitoba, where a passion for agriculture—and for potatoes in particular—took root early. Over a career spanning more than three decades, he became a respected agricultural leader and innovator, guided by a simple conviction: the land is on loan to us, and our responsibility is to leave it better than we found it.
Born May 16, 1959, Wayne studied agriculture at the University of North Dakota and never stopped learning, going on to earn an Executive MBA from the University of Chicago and the ICD.D designation through the Rotman School of Management. He began his career as an agronomist and crop consultant with Coulee Agro while also farming grain and specialty crops of his own. In 1988, he joined Kroeker Farms Limited (KFL) as farm manager. In 2002, he became the company’s first non-family CEO and went on to lead KFL for almost 24 years—the longest tenure of any CEO in the company’s history—before retiring in 2025. During his tenure as CEO, KFL grew substantially, with annual revenue increasing more than fivefold.
Throughout Wayne’s career he has been known for solving problems in practical and original ways. During the severe droughts of the late 1980s, he recognized that reliable access to water would be critical to the future of potato production in southern Manitoba. He helped develop extensive irrigation infrastructure, including reservoirs, and was a founding member of an irrigation association that helped other growers develop irrigation systems of their own.
Wayne also expanded the use of windbreaks, trees and cover crops to reduce wind erosion and protect valuable topsoil, demonstrating the important role these practices could play in protecting Manitoba farmland. In recognition of the tree planting and cover crop initiatives Wayne helped establish, Kroeker Farms received the Conservation Award from the Pembina Valley Watershed District.
When the challenge shifted from too little water to too much, Wayne became an early leader in southern Manitoba in surveying and precision land levelling. By carefully managing field elevations, excess water could drain more efficiently, protecting crops during periods of heavy rainfall while creating better conditions for potato root development. Wayne also became a strong advocate for tile drainage as another important tool for improving soil productivity and resilience—and, during extreme rainfall events, helping save crops that might otherwise have been lost.
Wayne’s philosophy of stewardship also helped lead KFL to become one of Canada’s early large-scale organic farms and, ultimately, the country’s largest grower of organic potatoes and onions. Organic production demanded unconventional solutions, and Wayne’s determination to “never take no for an answer” helped drive the search for them. One of the most innovative was the development of a chemical-free “bug swatter” to control Colorado potato beetles. The system mechanically knocks beetles from the plants into the furrows, where propane heat is used to control them. At a time when there were few effective alternatives available to organic growers, the innovation became critical to the viability of organic potato production in Manitoba.
Wayne’s concern for sustainability extended beyond the field. In examining KFL’s ecological footprint, he identified unnecessary transportation associated with the potato washing and packaging process. That insight helped spark the development of the Kimberly wash and packing facility, strategically located closer to production areas and the U.S. border. The facility allowed more washing and packing to take place closer to where the potatoes were grown, reducing unnecessary transportation in the process.
Just as important as Wayne’s innovations is what he describes as an “abundance mentality”—the belief that knowledge and good ideas become more valuable when they are shared. Rather than viewing innovation as something to protect from competitors, Wayne believed that sharing what worked could make the entire agricultural community stronger. That openness helped build relationships and trust throughout the industry. Through farm tours, seminars and countless conversations, he openly shared both KFL’s successes and the lessons learned along the way, helping other farmers adopt new practices and encouraging the next generation to experiment, innovate and pursue opportunities in agriculture.
That same outlook has shaped Wayne’s broader industry leadership. Colleagues know him for his energy, his willingness to challenge conventional thinking and his ability to bring people together and build partnerships that strengthen the agricultural sector. A longtime advocate for the United Potato Growers of Canada, Wayne currently serves as its president. Through his involvement with the organization, his participation on national industry committees and his natural ability to connect with people, he has built relationships throughout the potato industry and become a well-known and respected voice in the sector across North America.
Wayne Rempel’s career demonstrates that successful agriculture, innovation and responsible stewardship of the land can—and should—go hand in hand. Through his innovative leadership at Kroeker Farms, his pioneering work in irrigation, soil and water management, organic production and sustainability, his broader leadership within the potato industry, and his commitment to sharing knowledge with others, he has made a lasting contribution to agriculture in Manitoba and across Canada.