Rural Roots Canada

The relationship between the Canadian Cattle Association and Alberta Beef Producers remains under the spotlight as discussions continue around a potential withdrawal from the national group. CCA CEO Andrea Brocklebank says it’s a complex issue, but one the industry is tackling together.

Craig Lester is back from Brazil. In this episode, sponsored by Kubota Canada, we dive into what he saw on the ground from +30°C fields in the state of São Paulo. Craig talks about many forms of agriculture in a country that has transformed into a global agriculture powerhouse in just 50 years, a single generation.

A pulse research scientist whose work focuses on practical solutions for producers has been named the 2026 AFSC Women in Ag Innovator. Robyne Davidson has spent years in fields and labs working through the everyday challenges pulse crop farmers face. This year, that work got noticed. Davidson, a pulse research scientist at Lakeland College in Vermilion, Alta., has won the 2026 Agriculture Financial Services Corporation Women in Ag Award in the Innovator category. The award recognizes women making meaningful contributions to the agriculture sector.

RRC Meteorologist David Spence shares insight on this week's weather forecasts across Alberta, the B.C. Peace region, and the Lloydminster, Saskatchewan area.

RRC Meteorologist David Spence shares insight on this week's weather forecasts across Alberta, the B.C. Peace region, and the Lloydminster, Saskatchewan area.

RRC Meteorologist David Spence shares insight on this week's weather forecasts across Alberta, the B.C. Peace region, and the Lloydminster, Saskatchewan area.

RRC Meteorologist David Spence shares insight on this week's weather forecasts across Alberta, the B.C. Peace region, and the Lloydminster, Saskatchewan area.

RRC Meteorologist David Spence shares insight on this week's weather forecasts across Alberta, the B.C. Peace region, and the Lloydminster, Saskatchewan area.

RRC Meteorologist David Spence shares insight on this week's weather forecasts across Alberta, the B.C. Peace region, and the Lloydminster, Saskatchewan area.

There is no better way to experience a "taste" of agriculture than Loreto Nardelli and Nicoletta DiAngelu, owners of the popular Italian Cuisine website Sugar Love Spices, are perfect examples of this, bringing their love of creating authentic Italian cuisine by sourcing ingredients straight from the farm. Nardelli says their cooking and blog are all about quality, and that starts with building relationships with farmers.

AgSafe BC has introduced a new Human Resource Toolkit to help agriculture employers in British Columbia navigate hiring and workplace management. With more than 30 documents available for download, the toolkit guides users through each stage of employment. It includes templates for job descriptions, reference checks, exit interviews, and performance evaluations. Another feature is the termination checklists and tip sheets on topics such as probation and delivering feedback. The toolkit is made to be flexible so that it can be used by any farm organization.

Research out of the University of Calgary has identified new biological pathways to improve shatter tolerance in canola, addressing one of the crop’s most persistent harvest challenges. The research focuses on strengthening the canola pod, allowing pods to remain intact during cutting while still opening properly during combining.

A national research effort is aiming to cut nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from nitrogen fertilizer, a major source of greenhouse gases in Canadian agriculture. The Canadian Nitrous Oxide Network (canN2Onet) is a collaborative 4-year research project led by N2O experts, including six universities, one college and one polytechnic. These institutions include Lethbridge Polytechnic, Olds College, University of Saskatchewan, University of B.C. and the University of Guelph. The University of Guelph is the lead in research for the nitrogen fertilizer project. This research project was established in 2024 by Guelph professor Claudia Wagner-Riddle and was federally funded with $7.9 million from the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).

In this episode of the Rural Roots Canada Podcast, powered by Kubota Canada, host Tim Parent sits down with the new CEO of the Canadian Cattle Association (CAA), Andrea Brocklebank.  In this wide-ranging conversation, Brocklebank says it's been an exciting and intense transition into the role, which brings her experience as a researcher with the Beef Cattle Research Council and as a rancher near High River, Alberta, to the position.  And there’s no shortage of priorities ahead for Brocklebank and the CAA, including key policy files, strengthening industry partnerships and working closely with provincial stakeholders on major issues facing producers. All that and more in this episode of the RRC Podcast. 

The federal government is investing up to $27 million to help young Canadians get hands-on experience in agriculture and agri-food jobs.  Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Heath MacDonald announced the funding for the Youth Employment and Skills Program at the Atlantic Grains Council Cereals and Oilseeds 2026 conference earlier this month.  The funding covers two years, from 2026 to 2028, including nearly $13.5 million for the 2026-27 program year. 

Fifty post-secondary students made their way to Calgary last week for the Advancing Women in Agriculture West Conference, the most the event has ever seen in its student sponsorship program.

RRC Meteorologist David Spence shares insight on this week's weather forecasts across Alberta, the B.C. Peace region, and the Lloydminster, Saskatchewan area.

RRC Meteorologist David Spence shares insight on this week's weather forecasts across Alberta, the B.C. Peace region, and the Lloydminster, Saskatchewan area.

RRC Meteorologist David Spence shares insight on this week's weather forecasts across Alberta, the B.C. Peace region, and the Lloydminster, Saskatchewan area.

RRC Meteorologist David Spence shares insight on this week's weather forecasts across Alberta, the B.C. Peace region, and the Lloydminster, Saskatchewan area.