An innovator is working to build up a plant commonly known as a weed and as a great oilseed and cover crop. Dr. Jason Thomas talks about the work he and his company are doing with Pennycress here on Rural Roots Canada, brought to you by Radiate, an exclusive product from Nutrien Ag Solutions.For the full story, go to ruralrootscanada.com.…

A series of tornado warnings in east-central Alberta last week reminds us that it's that time of year again. RRC Meteorologist David Spence has more on how long they last and what to watch for in the sky.For more details, go to ruralrootscanada.com.By RRC soundbites

An agricultural academy in Altario, Alberta, is spearheading an initiative to determine if an indoor hydroponic system could provide consistent, year-round, affordable, and nutrient-rich feed for cattle amid the ongoing drought.This is Rural Roots Canada, and I'm Craig Lester, Amplifying Canadian AgricultureAltario School, a K-12 school located in …

Dr. Brenna Brown has been working with and running laboratories for a decade. While working as a business development rep for an environmental lab, she would often get asked the same question repeatedly."They'd ask, can you test my animal samples? And I couldn't because I was environmental. So, that was me learning about this animal health diagnost…

New promising ag-tech from Advanced Agri-Science aims to mitigate and in some cases prevent frost from happening in plants.Collin Juurakko is the Founder and CEO of the company.In this feature, he explains how this ag-tech works and how this research started him on a journey to forming his own company.For more on this story go to Rural Roots Canada…

Farm schools are on the rise.The latest kindergarten to Grade 9 school to adopt an agricultural-based curriculum and environment is in southeast Alberta. We'll talk to the principal and a student from the Rolling Hills Agricultural Academy soon. Rolling Hills, Alberta, located about two and half hours southeast of Calgary, is the latest school to a…

There was a time not long ago when agriculture technology wasn’t a big thing, but that’s since changed."A decade ago, farming and ag tech wasn't a cool thing," observes John Hartnett, Founder and CEO of SVG Ventures. "Today, it's the cool thing because it matters—it's meaningful for people, families, and the future."It’s why SVG launched its flagsh…

Alberta is in for a difficult growing season as the risk of severe drought increases with each passing day.The province relies on melting snow and precipitation for much of its water. With a lacklustre winter in the rearview mirror and a dry spring ahead, water management areas have already been impacted by a shortage of water. "It will be a rough …

Dealing with conflict on the farm.Disagreements and conflict on the farm are unavoidable; it's going to happen eventually.The difference between whether people move forward or the issue festers lies in how it is dealt with.Beverly Beuermann-King is a workplace culture and resiliency expert and has seen first-hand the importance of having healthy re…

The 2024 Women in Ag Awards shone a light on outstanding female leaders in the agriculture sector during a ceremony held alongside the AWC West 2024 conference.Among this year's winners was Charlotte Wasylik of Chatsworth Farm in Vermilion, Alberta. Wasylik was awarded the Rising Star award, given to a young leader under 40 who demonstrates a passi…

Confrontational to collaborative.The conversation around clubroot between farmers and rural municipalities in Alberta has evolved since it was declared a pest under the province's Agricultural Pests Act (APA) in April of 2007. Aaron Van Beers is the President of the Association of Alberta Agricultural Fieldmen and Manager of Ag Services for Leduc C…

With the drought expected to persist into planting this year, an agronomist is encouraging farmers to get their crops in the ground early.Agronomist Scott Gillespie is the owner of Plants Dig Soil Consulting, an advice-based company in southern Alberta.He says with the drought the top of concern during the growing season this year growers should be…

A new initiative out of Farming Smarter hopes to help southern Alberta farmers implement or change practices related to nitrogen management, cover cropping and grazing.Farming Smarter is participating in a new pilot project funded by Farmers for Climate Solutions.Ashley Wagenaar is the new Conservation Agronomist at Farming Smarter in Lethbridge.He…

Stavely, Alberta's Cudlobe Angus is the first Canadian farm to join Certified Angus Beef's Ranch to Table program.Certified Angus Beef's new initiative will allow Angus farmers and ranchers the option to market their beef directly to consumers as a CAB product.With the Ranch to Table program, licensed producers are responsible for working with a pr…

Southern Alberta farmer John Kolk has been honoured with the Orville Yanke award for Soil Conservation. The Orville Yanke Memorial Award honours an early promoter of soil conservation in Alberta.John Kolk, who is the 2024 recipient, was presented with the award at the recent Farming Smarter conference last week.For more on Kolk and his sustainable …

The latest brewing creation out of Origin Malting and Brewing in Strathmore has a distinct hockey flavour to it.The Sutter Six Shooters lager, named after the famous six Sutter brothers who played in the NHL, is brewed with Alberta-grown barley from Hilton Ventures.Four-time Stanley Cup winner Duane Sutter says work on the lager started last July a…

From I-T military work in Afghanistan to brewing beer with Alberta-grown barley.How the quality of barley in Alberta helped brewing entrepreneur Graham Sherman get brewing regulations changed in the province, opening the door for so many.More on Sherman's unique journey from Afghanistan to being the founder of the highly successful Calgary-based To…

The Canadian Seed Growers' Association is future-proofing its Blue-certified seed tag.Caroline Lafontaine is the CSGA's Chief Operating Officer. She says they are currently piloting a program to allow producers to use digitally-enabled tags, moving away from a hand-written and printed patchwork. More on the pilot project can be found at Rural Roots…

Farmers from across the province will come together for the annual CrossRoads Crop Conference in Calgary.The 2nd annual event is set to take place Westin Airport Hotel in Calgary, January 29th to 31st.Farmers, ag-business reps and stakeholders will gather to network, knowledge share and gain insight to many ag-issues.FarmTech Foundation Chair Todd …

Real Garant was caught by surprise when a promotional video of his unique hitching system, called the Spider Hitch, went viral.“We were expecting hundreds of views,” says Garant, who posted the video on farming pages on social media. “Within 24 hours, we hit 1.2 million views. By the fifth day, we hit 13.5 million. That was a huge surprise.”In the …

Jeremy Boychyn, the Director of Agronomy and Extension at Alberta Grains, advocates for data-driven decision-making to remove any biases in farming. He stresses the value of its ability to mitigate biases and empower farmers with invaluable insights.To read more about the advantages of data-driven decision-making, go to ruralrootscanada.com.…

The Canadian Beef Industry is looking for a current picture of the realities on farms and ranches to prioritize research and resources to benefit cow-calf producers.The Beef Cattle Research Council has put together a cow-calf survey to help them achieve this goal. For more on how to participate coming up on Rural Roots Canada. This feature brought …

A family cattle operation in southern Alberta is named Avenue Calgary's 2023 Top 40 under 40.Daniel, Lorin and Barry Doerksen, who operate Gemstone Cattle Company in Gem, Alberta, have set up a successful farm-to-table operation. It includes a booth and kitchen at the Calgary Farmers' Market.By RRC soundbites

Percherons have a long history in Canada. Laura Drury is the Animal Care and Agriculture Manager at Heritage Park in Calgary. She takes on a look back at these beautiful and powerful draft horses in this Rural Roots Canada feature. This feature is powered by Proven Seed.By RRC soundbites

Fieldmen from municipalities across Alberta gathered in Calgary this past week to learn new skills, network and get updates on various ag programs. We have more from the Association of Alberta Agricultural Fieldmen's President about their annual in-service training conference For the full story go to Rural Roots Canada.com.This feature is powered b…

A new grazing program through ALUS Canada is showing promise in delivering support to producers implementing intensive rotational grazing system.Chad Ritter is the ALUS Coordinator for Parkland County.Ritter says the grazing forward program can help producers looking for support with their intensive rotational grazing systems.For more on this story…

The Calgary Stampede launches the OH Branded Beef Youth Ambassador program. We learn more about this initiative to grow youths' animal husbandry skills from the Manager of Agriculture and Western Events Operations, Brett Warder. Find the full story at Rural Roots Canada.com. This feature is powered by Proven Seed.…

Selecting a canola hybrid seed that fits your farm.Kassi Rinas is a Proprietary Representative for Nutrien Ag Solutions in Northern Alberta. She shares the questions farmers should be asking before making a selection.This feature is powered by Proven Seed.By RRC soundbites

Keeping your soil in tip-top shape is a year-round job. We talk to experts about what your soil health checklist should look like.For more on this story, go to Rural Roots Canada.com This feature is powered by Proven Seed.By RRC soundbites

Selecting silage corn hybrid seed that meets all of your farm's needs can be a daunting task. We get insight from Nutrien Ag Solutions' Kassi Rinas on all the considerations farmers should be considering. Find out more by going to Rural Roots Canada. This feature is powered by Proven Seed.By RRC soundbites

A national campaign from the Canadian Seed Growers' Association called Choose Certified Seed, aims to show farmers, food processors and consumers why certified seed makes a difference and delivers quality results. More on this campaign and how the CSGA wants farmers to participate can be found at ruralrootscanada.com. This Rural Roots Canada featur…

In this RRC episode, we explore what farmers should consider when selecting a Canola Hybrid and a Silage Corn Hybrid.Kassi Rinas, Proprietary Representative for Nutrien Ag Solutions in Northern Alberta, shares her insights on what questions farmers should be asking themselves before making the selection.Rinas talks about: • Why farmers should write…

The Do More Agriculture Foundation is championing the cause of mental health and well-being within the Canadian agricultural community. It has partnered with the Walk With Me movement, a global initiative taking place from October 10th to the 20th. This initiative aims to raise awareness about mental health, honour those affected by mental illness,…

Educating the next generation about the endless job opportunities in agriculture and food is important for the sustainability of the industry and is an exciting opportunity the ag community needs to build on.Currently, we are seeing labour shortages across the industry. One of the organizations stepping up to fill the space is 10 PIX Innovation. Ex…

You often hear it in weather forecasts or read it in weather reports: percentage of precipitation (POP). But what does that mean? We find out the answer to that question with Meteorologist David Spence here on Rural Roots Canada.To find out more about POP and listen to more RRC features go to Rural Roots Canada.com.…

Stanton Farms, a dairy farm in Ilderton, Ontario, strives to be on the cutting edge of sustainability, which often means working through the challenges of being ahead of its time. Because of this trailblazing work, the Stantons have been named 2023 recipients of Alltech Canada’s Planet of Plenty™ award.“Alltech is globally respected and a leader in…

A dry growing season ended with more precipitation in some parts of the province in August.Looking back at August, Meteorologist David Spence says precipitation varied depending on the region.Central Alberta saw above average rainfall, while southern Alberta was extremely dry.Spence says it's important to have some precipitation in the coming month…

Winter feeding systems can improve the efficiency of your farm.Dr. Breeanna Kelln is the Beef Industry Research Chair in Integrated Forage Management and Utilization and an Assistant Professor at the University of Saskatchewan.She says keeping livestock on your cropland during the winter months can help forage production in future years.Kelln and M…

Herd management is vital in improving sustainability. Ensuring you have the most up-to-date, accurate management information and regulatory reporting data requires time and effort. Flokk aims to make that process as simple as possible. The Alberta-based company has developed a comprehensive digital integration system that gathers various herd infor…

The Wray family of Irricana, Alberta has been awarded the 2023 Canadian Cattle Association's Environmental Stewardship Award (TESA) for their stewardship and vision."The biggest thing is that cattle ranchers and cattle are working alongside natural ecosystems. If managed carefully and attentively, cattle not only pair with many of our landscapes, t…

Getting succession plans started can be difficult. RRC's Craig Lester and Dalke Law's Eric Dalke explore the hang-ups that keep families from having tough talks about a farm's future. They cover everything from how a third party in the room can lower the temperature of the dispute, how people are not alone with their family disputes, and what uniqu…

Alberta Open Farm Day events took place across the province on Saturday and Sunday. Rural Roots Canada ventured down to Lethbridge to take in Farming Smarter's event. In this episode, RRC's Craig Lester chats with Jamie Puchinger from Farming Smarter about the importance of bridging the gap with consumers, Keshav Singh from Agriculture and Agrifood…

Farms across Alberta are opening their gates this week as part of Open Farm Days. We talk to Charlotte Wasylik of Chatsworth Farms near Vermillion, Alberta on what they have planned and how they have embraced telling their story to consumers year-round. More information on Open Farm Days and the locations can be found at ruralrootscanada.com…

Barley lodging can cause a lot of headaches when it comes time to harvest and has a detrimental effect on yield.SaskBarley Research and Extension Manager Mitchell Japp explains ongoing research, Barley Lodging, Getting to the Root of the Problem, aimed at helping plant breeders develop barley varieties that has better resistance to lodging.If you e…

In this episode, I chat with Stephen Nicholson, Global Sector Strategist-Grain & Oilseed for Rabobank, as to what we can expect in terms of wheat prices as producers move into harvest.If you enjoy this podcast, be sure to check out the Podcast Farm at Rural Roots Canada.com.By RRC soundbites

In this episode, we get an update on the beef markets and what producers can expect this Fall. Lance Zimmerman is a Senior Beef and Cattle Market Research Analyst for Rabobank.He comments on the explosive cattle market trends we have seen in the first half of the year - why it is happening, the shrinking herds in Canada and U.S., and what producers…

With harvest in the early stages of starting in different parts of the prairies, combine maintenance is at the top of mind for many producers. In this AgTech feature, we take a look at a platform that is all the talk lately around optimizing combines.Combine Settings.com is a place where producers can connect with each and share the settings they u…

2023 Canadian Beef Industry Conference Chair Dr. Elizabeth Homerosky sits down with RRC's Craig Lester to talk about the upcoming conference and why this is a can't miss event for producers and industry stakeholders a like. From the keynote speakers, bull fighters, producer boot camp, stock dog showcase and all the networking that goes along with t…

A jam-packed Canadian Beef Industry Conference is being held in Calgary August 14-17. Chair Dr. Elizabeth Homerosky talks about the keynote speakers, bull-fighting entertainment, producer boot camp and stock dog showcase, the incredible networking opportunity and much more that is taking place during the event. For more on this story go to Rural Ro…

It has been a very, very busy July.Between the International Federation of Agriculture Journalist Congress happening in Olds, Alberta, Alltech ONE's world tour coming to Calgary, the Calgary Stampede and Ag in Motion in Saskatoon and of course, the ongoing drought conditions farmers have been dealing with there has been no shortage of things to tal…