As technology continues to evolve in agriculture, Canadian livestock producers are embracing new ways to connect with their veterinarians—without ever setting foot in the clinic.Tele-medicine is gaining ground as a practical tool, allowing producers to consult with their vets remotely using phone calls, photos, and video. Dr. Tommy Ware of Veterina…

“I wish I didn't have to deal with these dryland corners on my fields. They are more trouble than they are worth.”This offhand remark from a farmer has led to a full-fledged research initiative at Farming Smarter to explore how farmers manage these tricky, often-overlooked portions of irrigated fields.The new project is entitled No Cutting Corners:…

An upcoming event in Airdrie aims to help livestock producers build stronger relationships with their veterinarians, an important but sometimes overlooked part of a successful operation.Organized by Ashley Nicholls of REACH Agriculture Strategies, the session will explore effective communication strategies between producers and veterinarians and hi…

Like crops weathering droughts and downpours, women in agriculture are rising through uncertainty and leading with resilience.At the recent Advancing Women in Agriculture conference, Dr. Cami Ryan, Senior Business Partner for Industry Affairs and Sustainability at Bayer Crop Science Canada, spoke with Rural Roots Canada about her talk, "The Heat is…

Canadian farmland rental rates remained relatively stable in 2024, despite another significant rise in land values, according to a report from Farm Credit Canada (FCC).Nationally, the average rent-to-price ratio, which measures the return on rented land relative to its market value, dropped slightly to 2.50%, nearly unchanged from 2.52% in 2o23. Th…

An updated Canadian drought monitor has been issued, and for most of Alberta, conditions have eased. West Central Alberta, from Olds to Nordegg, is no longer in drought thanks to recent rain. Southeastern Alberta received between 85 and 200% of normal precipitation in April. But the news was not as good for Southwestern Alberta, where conditions wo…

Alberta (Rural Roots Canada) – Canadian Road Safety Week is underway, and throughout rural Alberta, drivers are being urged to stay alert for farm machinery when travelling along the province’s roads.“Those are large pieces of equipment on the highway, and being aware of them and driving safely around them is critical,” says Jody Wacowich, executiv…

Alberta (Rural Roots Canada) – Rocky Mountain Equipment (RME) has launched the 2025 Right by You Ag Society Grant, a community initiative that awards $10,000 each to four agricultural societies across Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.Cory Flett, Marketing and Communications Manager for RME, says the company is committed to giving back to the com…

A new agriculture event is making its debut in southern Alberta in June.The Cypress Farm and Ranch Show will take place June 12–14 in Medicine Hat, coinciding with the World Professional Chuckwagon Races, which are being held in the city at the same time.Krissy Fiddler, part of the event’s organizing team, says the region is overdue for a show that…

In this Prairie Weather this Week report, we take a look at the forecast for NE Alberta.By RRC soundbites

In this Prairie Weather this Week report, we take a look at the forecast for Central Alberta.By RRC soundbites

In this Prairie Weather this Week report, we take a look at the forecast for Southern Alberta.By RRC soundbites

Lightning....friend or foe? Both.Thunderstorm season has begun across the prairies, bringing with it danger, and a great benefit to growing crops.How to Stay SafeSafety is paramount, so we'll deal with the danger first. Lightning is generated by the attraction between the negative charges at the bottom of a thundercloud and the positive charge of t…

With the federal election in the rearview mirror, agricultural groups across the country are letting the minority Liberal Government know what they need immediately and in the coming months.Several of them issued statements in the last week.By RRC soundbites

Seeding is progressing across Alberta, and with it, a number of farmers will be participating in On-Farm Trials to assess how new products, technologies, or practices perform under real-world conditions.According to Steve Larocque of Beyond Agronomy, digital tools are transforming the future of these trials. He says platforms like DFI allow produce…

When you hear the word lupin, you might think of those purple-pink flowers that dot landscapes and ditches across Canada. However, in this instance, lupin refers to a pulse crop that's becoming a crop to watch in Canadian agriculture.Researchers at Sarda Ag Research in the Peace Region of Alberta are exploring the potential of lupin, which is high …

RRC Meteorologist David Spence shares the forecast for NE AlbertaBy RRC soundbites

RRC Meteorologist David Spence shares a forecast for Central AlbertaBy RRC soundbites

RRC Meteorologist David Spence shares the southern Alberta forecast.By RRC soundbites

Farmers are very innovative, always coming up with new tools and practices to solve everyday problems on their farm.One such person is Jessica Carlyon, the owner of Hired Hand Hardware, who also farms in Little Smoky in northwest Alberta.Carlyon builds and sells a slick tool that cuts, pulls and wraps bale string or wrap from a hay or straw bale wh…

A new opportunity for women looking to gain hands-on ranching experience is coming to Alberta this summer.The first-ever Female Ranch Camp will take place June 18–22 in Yellowhead County. Organized by Business Wide-View, the camp is modelled after a successful U.S. program and aims to build confidence, skills, and a stronger sense of community amon…

In Alberta’s Peace Country, a farmer-directed research organization is helping producers improve their operations by testing new practices and technologies tailored to the region’s unique needs.SARDA Ag Research, based in Falher, conducts unbiased research on a range of topics, from crop inputs to new farming methods. The goal is to help farmers ma…

Farmers across North America are riding a wave of economic uncertainty, thanks in large part to the ongoing global trade war & tariffs and shifting interest rates.Christian Lawrence, head of Cross-Asset Strategy at Rabobank, says the effects of the Trump administration’s trade strategy are hitting the agriculture sector hard.“We’re seeing a lot of …

Soil stewardship has long been a cornerstone of Kevin Auch’s approach to farming, a legacy passed down through generations. That dedication was recently recognized when the Carmangay producer received the prestigious Orville Yanke Award for soil conservation at the Farming Smarter Conference.By RRC soundbites

The 2025 edition of the Alberta Blue Book has arrived.For over 20 years, the Blue Book has been a trusted resource of farmers and agronomists, helping them make decisions during the growing season.The book, which is collaboratively produced by Alberta Canola, Alberta Grains and Alberta Pulse Growers, has over 700 pages of valuable crop protection i…

Farmland values across Canada continued their steady upward trend in 2024, with the average price of farmland increasing by 9.3 per cent, according to Farm Credit Canada’s latest Farmland Values Report.While the pace of growth slowed slightly compared to the 11.5 per cent increase recorded in 2023, FCC Chief Economist J.P. Gervais says the market r…

For women in agriculture, balancing farm duties, business management, caregiving, and community leadership can leave little time to build strong bonds or rekindle family connections.At the AWC West 2025 conference, Carlamay Sheremata, speaker and author of Youth Truth: Engaging in Conversations That Can Change Lives, says small, intentional moments…

The Canadian Cattle Association (CCA) is disappointed and frustrated by tariffs imposed by the American government, saying a prolonged trade war between Canada and the United States will result in major challenges for cattle producers across the country."We've put a lot of time and effort into advocating against the tariffs," says Tyler Fulton, Vic…

The tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump on Canada and Mexico are shaking up Alberta’s food industry, and local processors are already feeling the pressure.Bianca Parsons, Executive Director of the Alberta Food Processors Association, says businesses are already struggling to adapt. Long-term contracts with major retailers in the United S…

We're just weeks away from seeding and planting. It's the time when farmers and ranchers start browsing long-range weather forecasts to try to figure out how to prepare for the spring.By RRC soundbites

It looks like Alberta and part of Saskatchewan will miss out on the bounty of moisture this week, until you look at rainfall. The map below shows expected rainfall over the same time period:By RRC soundbites

Building a successful leadership and team-building workshop is about putting the right blocks in place to build a base.There is no better example of this than Shanyn Silinski's workshop, Foundations of Team Work, Brick by Brick, one of the many workshops to be held at the upcoming Advancing Women in Agriculture West Conference, March 16 - 18 at the…

Ashley Nicholls, founder of Reach Agricultural Strategies, is set to debut a new initiative aimed at making agricultural education more accessible to local communities.The seminar series, Reach Ranch Talks, will kick off on February 20th at High River Brewing at 6:00 PM, offering farmers and ranchers a chance to engage in discussions about communic…

Warmer weather’s on the way. But….not much snow.Every day forward is a day closer to when we break out of the Arctic air mass that has kept the prairies cold since the beginning of February. And the wait is getting shorter. By the end of this week, each of the three prairie provinces will see temperatures climb above the melting point. And, the fur…

What can we learn from the world’s oldest farming market traditions?The executive director of Farmers’ Markets of Nova Scotia and recent Nuffield Scholar Justin Cantafio, travelled across Mexico, Europe, and Turkey to find the answer.His biggest takeaway? Local food systems aren’t just about food, they’re about culture, community, and accessibility…

Getting a first-hand look at the daily lives of farmers is an excellent way to help the public understand where their food comes from.Last year, during my travels across the U.K. and Europe, I had the chance to spend time with Pete and Paula Hynes, dairy farmers in Cork, Ireland. Not only are they experts in their field, but they also excel at shar…

In the critical moments of a medical emergency, the ability to act quickly can make all the difference between life and death. Yet, when faced with a situation requiring the use of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED), many people hesitate because they don’t know how to use the device or when to deploy it. Kim Ruether knows all too well the im…

A new documentary delves into the complex debate surrounding livestock production and the potential impact of a world without cows. The film examines the various sides of the conversation, aiming to spark dialogue about the future of animal agriculture.Stuart McGregor, Vice President Commercial Business of Alltech Canada, acknowledges that there’s …

A change in the weather pattern will bring a lot more moisture into western North America over the next seven to ten days. Unfortunately for Canadian prairie farmers and ranchers, the vast majority of that wet weather is expected to occur south of the border. from the northwestern US straight across to the northeastern US, bypassing us to the south…

Jeff Frost, a farmer from the Olds area, is nearing the end of his first year as the Region 8 director on the Alberta Canola board. Frost joined the board in January of 2024 following the organization’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) and says the experience has been both eye-opening and rewarding.By RRC soundbites

It was an issue many thought had been settled, but the debate over open-pit mining in Alberta’s Eastern Slopes has been reignited.In 2020, public outcry forced the province to put a moratorium on nearly all new coal exploration and development in the Eastern Slopes. However, Alberta's energy minister, Brian Jean, lifted the moratorium last month to…

Steve Larocque, a progressive farmer from Three Hills, Alberta, is passionate about finding smarter solutions to tackle one of agriculture's biggest challenges: herbicide-resistant weeds. For Larocque, the future lies in combining cultural practices with advanced technologies to create a more sustainable and economically viable approach to weed con…

Ashley Nicholls from Reach Agricultural Strategies will lead a compelling workshop at the 2025 Advancing Women in Agriculture Conference (AWC). The workshop will focus on Low-Stress People Handling and the importance of effective communication on the farm.By RRC soundbites

Alberta Canola growers have voted to increase the service charge from a dollar to a dollar-75.This is the first increase to the service charge, which helps fund research, grower extension and public engagement amongst other programs, to happen since 2003.By RRC soundbites

The latest findings from the Alltech 2024 Canadian Harvest Analysis reveal a mixed outlook for mycotoxin contamination in silage and grains across the country. While overall mycotoxin levels are down compared to previous years, regional variability remains a key concern, particularly for corn silage.Stuart McGregor, Vice President of Commercial Bus…

Welcome, La NinaLa Nina is here, and cold weather will continue across the prairies this week, and there will be snow. The snowfall pattern will be similar to what we've had all season. Areas that have had snow will get more. And, dry areas, such as southern Alberta, will remain starved for moisture, as snow amounts over the next seven days will to…

Canadian ag groups are weighing in on the tariff crisis.Over the weekend, U.S. President Donald Trump followed through on his tariff threat, slapping Canada with a 25% tariff on just about all goods effective Tuesday, February 4. Canada retaliated with 25% tariffs on $155 billion worth of American goods.…

Farmers and ranchers know it's hard enough to get a good snowpack in southern Alberta. With our frequent chinooks, keepng what little snow we get on the ground is even harder. And the January thaw doesn't help. The "January thaw", or the bonspiel thaw, is a weather phenomenon that happens in mid to late January as mild Pacific air stretches across …

Warm and dry across the agricultural south.....then the pattern flips! For some, snow and cold is on the way. And by next weekend...yikes!By RRC soundbites

With the threat of U.S. tariffs hanging over Canada like the sword of Damocles, Alberta’s commodity groups including Alberta Canola are coordinating efforts to advocate against, and prepare for, tariffs.Roger Chevraux, Alberta Canola Region 11 director, says they’re working behind the scenes, contacting U.S. governors, senators, and representatives…