December 2025
Darrell M. Zbeetnoff, M.Sc., MNRM, MA, P.Ag., CAC (Certified Agricultural Consultant - CMC Associate)
Mr. Zbeetnoff is a professional agrologist with over 40 years experience in situational analysis, strategic and business planning, market feasibility and assessment, and program analysis and evaluation. Darrell has post-graduate training in several disciplines, holding an MA in anthropology, MNRM in land/water use management and MSC in agricultural economics and farm management. He has extensive experience as a consultant to public and private clients, has worked in government and institutional settings, and has run his own dryland grain farming operation.
Mr. Zbeetnoff has specialized in developing strategies with clients in highly charged regulatory, environmental and competitive market settings. He has undertaken work in the following areas:
• generating project approval requirements in regulated agricultural sectors,
• developing on-farm environmental protection and food safety audit materials and processes,
• undertaking economic and strategic assessments for commodity sectors, financial lenders, regional initiatives, transportation and utility corridor proponents
• identifying approaches and advising farmers to reduce environment risks associated with farming operations,
• evaluating the impact of government programs, legislation and regulations, including the BC agriculture-wildlife initiative and seasonal farm worker program, and
• developing business plans and strategic initiatives in the Canadian agri-food industry.
Darrell has prepared strategic profiles in various new and developing agricultural industries, such as functional foods, game birds, greenhouse vegetables, bioproducts, and new crop development. He has conducted market feasibility assessments for international clients wishing to explore new product opportunities and has performed economic benefit-cost analyses to support major initiatives.
Mr. Zbeetnoff has provided extension services at the farm level to diverse agricultural commodity sectors, often employing computer-assisted methods and providing hands-on training. Darrell is familiar with a wide range of farming enterprises and has developed business plans for their creation or expansion. He has extensive experience in data collection, survey design, interviewing, agricultural extension activities and in coordinating and representing clients’ interests.
Darrell has been a Planning Advisor with the BC Environmental Farm Program, completing over 500 Farm Plans with BC farmers. He has assisted farmers to identify and adopt Benefical Magement Practices and has developed numerous Vegetative Buffer, Nutrient Management, and Biodiversity Management Plans to address environmental risks in their operations.
As an advisor to the BC Farmland Advantage Program, he has conducted numerous riparian assessments to guide remediation and enhance efforts on farmland.