News

A love for cows brought Jon Raymond Dykstra (Class of ’09) to NSAC for his post-secondary education. Although his career path may not have progressed exactly the way he envisioned it would when he first began his studies in 2006, his passion for agriculture has taken him on a journey from his native New Brunswick through Nova Scotia, Ontario, and finally to Prince Edward Island, which he now calls home.

“Agriculture is such an intricate, essential industry to be a part of,” he shared. “There are a lot of things we can do without, but agriculture is certainly not one of them. Food sovereignty has never been as important as it is in 2025, so being in agriculture feels like you’re doing something important.”

Originally returning to his family’s dairy farm in Havelock, NB, Jon Raymond then spent a few years as a classifier with Holstein Canada in Ontario. Wanting to get back to the East Coast, he made the move to PEI in 2015 after being offered a position as a territory manager with Trouw Nutrition, specializing in dairy and ruminants. And in 2024, he took the next step in his journey, joining the team at the Smart Energy Company as the consultant for PEI.

Founded in New Brunswick in 2016, the Smart Energy Company is a family-owned renewable energy business that “proudly offers solar and battery packages designed, tested, and built for harsh climates” with a focus on the agriculture sector. According to Jon Raymond, the company very quickly found a gap in the market that they wanted to address: solar energy systems that could withstand Atlantic Canadian weather. Once a racking system was developed that they were confident in, the company turned it into an even more appealing product by making it a solar kit-in-a-box that farmers can build themselves.

“We provide the only commercially available micro-solar farm that you can buy in a box and build yourself in Canada,” said Jon Raymond. “We still handle the permits and do the electrical work, but farmers are able to put together the system themselves. It means the best system on the market is very competitively priced because it allows farmers to save on labour costs.”

As a smart energy consultant, Jon Raymond’s role is to work closely with farmers to determine what their energy needs are and what solutions will work for them, to design the initial layout of the system and establish pricing, and to support them throughout the buying and installation processes. The relationships don’t end after installation, though – a warranty and service package is also included with the purchase, which sees Jon Raymond and his fellow consultants visit farms to check on energy production levels and assess maintenance needs.

“It’s very interesting,” he said. “This is a very different sales role compared to what I’d done previously, which was mostly consulting and the sales came along with it. With energy you’re trying to match the right product, the right solution to the energy need. This is a lifetime investment for most people, that will have a huge impact on the environmental and financial sustainability of their farms.”

Jon Raymond is well-equipped to work with other island farmers as a part-time farmer himself. His transition to energy sales doesn’t mean he has left his love for cows behind – quite the opposite, in fact. Not only does he milk three mornings a week for Red Oak Farms, he also owns Radiant Holsteins and Jerseys, which specializes in breeding and raising show cattle.

“I have a small acreage, and I like to work in genetics. It’s nothing fancy, but I do take it very seriously,” he said. “I’ve had pretty good success over the years. I’ve had all Canadian nominations and I’ve run two successful online sales with consignments, as well as a live auction in partnership with Cobequid Holsteins that we hosted here on the farm in 2024.”

Jon Raymond has also lent his expertise to community cattle organizations, including the PEI Holstein branch, of which he is the past president, as well as the Atlantic Holstein Promotions board of directors. He is an official judge with Holstein Canada and has judged in all three Maritime Provinces and Ontario. He is a regular volunteer judge with 4-H, and has served as a judge at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair.  

“It’s a nice way to stay connected to the industry,” he explained. “It’s an industry I’ve been involved in my whole life. I’ve always wanted to have cattle in my life, and I was hooked on showing right from the start, from my first show in 4-H.”

And although he knew he wanted to be in agriculture his whole life, he wasn’t always sure that agriculture wanted him. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, Jon Raymond didn’t see many people like him in the industry while growing up.

“When I was younger, I thought I would either have to hide who I was for my entire life, or that I would have to give up agriculture,” he said. “Being myself in agriculture didn’t feel like an option.”

However, as he got older, he realized that he could play an important role for youth coming after him.

“I think over the years that we have lost a lot of really valuable people that were passionate about the industry but maybe didn’t feel that they were welcome or accepted,” he explained. “I think it’s important to be a bit of a role model for LGBTQ+ youth coming up, to show them that there is space for them in agriculture. Had I had that growing up, I probably would have lived a much happier life at a much younger age.”

Jon Raymond is an active member of the LGBTQ+ community outside of agriculture as well. He is co-founder and chair of the Island Pride Curling League, PEI’s first ever organized queer sports league, which is in its second year of operation. The league hosted its first bonspiel in February, with teams from across Atlantic Canada and Ontario.

Jon Raymond’s journey has allowed him to develop new passions, like curling, and maintain longstanding ones, including agriculture.

“We’re all passionate about something. My life hasn’t gone the way I thought it would, but there’s one common theme, and that is agriculture. It may not always be easy, but I think that if there’s something you’re really passionate about, you make it work.”