b"Right Hand Woman Over her years working in the potato industry, Mary Kay Sonier has become everyones go-to person.BY: ASHLEY ROBINSONMORE THAN THREE decades ago, Mary Kay Sonier became the seed coordinator for the Prince Edward Island Potato Board. She had been working at the University of Guelph in southern Ontario as a potato breeding technician when the opportunity to move to the Island popped up.When I started working in potato breeding, it was sort of in a research role. And I was more interested in working in the industry, like working with growers in a more extension and production type position. And there was an opportunity here, so I moved, Sonier explains in a phone interview.Since Sonier arrived on the Island she has made herself known across the potato industry with her ever-expanding job description. When she first started, her position was focused on working with seed growers. Over the years her job has grown to include running the Elite Seed Potato Farm at Fox Island, working on national committees, organizing seed marketing activities,Mary Kay Sonier (left) with Valerie Bruce from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada at the Prince Edward Island seed writing and publishing the Prince Edward Islandpotato booth at the 2012 World Potato Congress in Scotland.PHOTO: MARY KARY SONIERPotato News, the P.E.I. Potato Boards industry news publication for growers, and coordinatingfacets, her favourite part is still working with variety trials.growers and assisting them through the seed in-She is amazing. She's a sort of person that'sdustrys evolution. Seed production is a long-haul very organized and very professional. She has aShe is amazing. She'sinvestment where growers have to look five years reputation of being very knowledgeable. And she'sdown the road when making planting decisions.somebody that many other people go to or consulta sort of person that'sAnother real challenge, especially when with on matters, especially to do with seed. And Ivery organized and veryyou're growing seed, is that you have to speculate do with a whole range of things in our industry,five years down the road, what's going to be in Greg Donald, general manager of the P.E.I. Potatoprofessional. She has ademand. So, that's been a really interesting part Board, says in a phone interview. reputation of being very seeing the change in varieties and seeing them Over the years, Sonier has witnessed thegetting introduced and adopted by the grower, potato seed industry change and weather throughknowledgeable.she says.many storms. She was involved with the CanadianGREG DONALD In recent years, Soniers job has begun to Food Inspection Agencys last seed regulatoryinclude working with and supervising summer modernization and is taking part in the currentstudents and interns. She also now makes presen-process. She has also helped the P.E.I. potatotation to school groups to educate them about the industry through disease scares such as potatocame more accessible and there are now severalseed industry.virus Y, potato leaf roll virus and the potato wartwell-established early generation producers,Mary Kay's always looking for, whether it's for discovery last fall.including Fox Island, all filling various marketthe growers or for our farm, she's always looking The (seed) industry has evolved. Fox Islandsegments, says Sonier, describing how the P.E.I.for new ways of doing things, open to new ideas, was once the sole source of early generation seedseed industry transformed over the years. and experimenting and trying new things, Donald on the Island, but tissue culture technology be- While Soniers job may include many differentadds. 38 SPUDSMART.COM SPRING 2021"