Bryan Harvey takes more than a passing interest in the beer that fills his mug.
The long-time member of the Master Brewers Association of the Americas and governor for the Western Canada district is best known for his role in breeding the Harrington barley so well suited to the malting and brewing industry.
He was appointed to the Order of Canada this year for “a lifetime of achievement and merit of a high degree, especially in service to Canada or to humanity at large.”
In the order, Harvey joins mentors and colleagues from the University of Saskatchewan, including Red Williams, Don Rennie and Keith Downey.
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Harvey was one of Downey’s first graduate students.
“He turned out to be one of the very best and I’ve had some good ones,” said Downey, a research scientist emeritus with Agriculture Canada.
He called Harvey bright, observant, hard working, inventive and decisive.
“That’s everything you would want in a successful plant breeder.”
Downey said Harvey’s work made an impact around the world, and his accomplishments set a standard for the brewing industry.
Harvey retired from a long teaching career at the University of Saskatchewan in 2005 but still can be found most days surrounded by columns of papers stacked inside his office in the agriculture building on the Saskatoon campus.
“Harrington barley was a very good performer for farmers, at the malt plant and in the malting industry,” he said. “It cut two days off the time it takes to make malt.”
That meant a 20 percent increase in malting plant capacity without any cash outlay at a time when the industry was growing in Canada.
A high enzyme, two-row barley well suited for brewing, Harrington could be taken from the field and malted immediately because it had no dormancy, Harvey said.
Previous varieties could not be used for several months after harvest, tying up valuable bin space.
Harvey is humble about the barley that gained rapid acceptance during the 1980s, his role in breeding dozens of other varieties and the numerous accolades bestowed on him during his career.
“The award comes to an individual, but it’s always due to a team effort,” he said, citing the collaborative efforts of field, lab and office staff.
“Without them, you would never get as much done.”
The short, hot Saskatchewan growing season is an ideal place for agricultural research because crops grow so rapidly, he added.
Agriculture is an important part of the provincial and university history, and the Saskatoon campus benefits from its proximity to other research organizations such as the Saskatchewan and national research councils and Agriculture Canada.
“We are one of the leading agricultural researchers,” he said.
In his career, Harvey moved between jobs in teaching, research and administration but especially enjoyed overseeing graduate students.
“It’s rewarding to work with young people. It keeps you fresh and alive,” he said.
Harvey moved to Canada from Wales at age 10. After schooling, he worked briefly with the Ontario Agricultural College in Guelph before settling into positions in Saskatoon.
He served as the university’s head of the crop science, plant ecology and horticulture departments, director of the Crop Development Centre and the university’s vice-president of research.
As director of accreditation for the Agricultural Institute of Canada, he led a task force that developed an accreditation regime for programs in agrology and wrote a manual.
He has been active in local service clubs and was involved with the Saskatchewan and Canadian seed growers associations.
He travelled to Africa this month as a board member with the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture.
“It seeks to ensure a secure food supply for the poorest of the poor,” he said.
Harvey and his wife Eileen, who raised two sons, both maintained careers at the university.
He acknowledged the delicate balance needed between career and home life.
“You just need to remember you have a family and that they are important as well,” said Harvey, whose wife has accompanied him on many international tours and speaking engagements over the years.
Away from work, he enjoys trying new varieties in a backyard garden that provides more than ample produce for the couple in their retirement.
For the future, he joked about turning his research talents to vegetables.
“I’d like to breed zucchini to produce less,” he said, smiling.
