Rural Roots Canada

Just north of Craigmyle, Alberta, Flag Hill Ranch is redefining farm-to-table. Owned by Justine Berry and her family, the ranch specializes in grass-finished beef, a decision driven by their commitment to sustainability and regenerative farming practices. "We raise right from birth through until butcher," says Berry. "We branched into the direct marketing of our beef and launched our grass-finished beef program about 10 years ago. We were looking at what is a sustainable model for our ranch and looking at doing more with fewer animals. Going grass-finished really fit with our regenerative holistic rotational grazing model." Connecting with consumers is important to the operation. Berry says social media plays a big role in reaching those customers, but it's also an important learning tool. To read the full story go to ruralrootscanada.com.

A researcher at Lethbridge Polytechnic is taking aim at bacterial threats in poultry farming. Dr. Sophie Kernéis, microbial research lead at the school, has received an $80,000 grant from the Egg Farmers of Canada to explore phytobiotics, plant-based compounds with antibiotic properties. The goal? To fight Avian Pathogenic E. Coli or APEC. APEC is one of the leading bacterial causes of mortality and morbidity in poultry. It results in millions of chicken deaths and an estimated $10 to $50 million in cost each year. The bacteria can also lead to reduced growth in chickens, representing less meat per chicken and egg production. Dr. Kernéis began her work in 2016 by creating a library of plant extracts to identify those with antibiotic potential. Her team has built an extensive library of plant extracts, testing roughing 150 varieties. The research has already identified a couple of promising plants capable of controlling E. coli and other harmful bacteria. "E. coli is one of their main problems, and so I'm f

The Crossroads Crop Conference, a premier event for Western Canada’s agricultural community, returns January 28-29, 2025, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel West Edmonton. Organized by Alberta Canola, Alberta Grains, and Alberta Pulse Growers, the event aims to address pressing challenges and opportunities in farming with the theme Future Proof Your Farm.

Snow, rain, freezing rain, arctic air, and....chinooks! There will be impacts on travel, as we all run around getting ready for the holidays.

In this Prairie Weather this Week report: from +5 to -30 Alberta stays rather warm as frigid air invades Saskatchewan and Manitoba this week.

The Agri-Food Innovation Expo, a unique collaboration between Lethbridge & District Exhibition and Westerner Park in Red Deer, marked a successful second year with its first event hosted in Lethbridge. With over 20 exhibitors and 200 attendees—an increase from its inaugural year in Red Deer—the expo continues to establish itself as a key event in Canada’s agrifood industry. To read more go to ruralrootscanada.com.

Students studying agriculture at the post-secondary level are stepping into a world of opportunities, supported by strong industry partnerships and a growing demand for people to work in the industry that feeds the world. Byrne Cook, Chair of the School of Agriculture at Lethbridge Polytechnic, highlighted the abundance of career options available to students as they transition from education to the workforce. “There are so many opportunities across Western Canada,” said Cook. “Students come to college, and many would like to work in Lethbridge, but some take jobs elsewhere and later move back as positions open up or their careers develop. The key is for students to get involved early, especially through summer positions,” says Cook.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's threat to impose a 25 per cent tariff on Canada has the agriculture industry on edge. "We are certainly nervous about tariffs," says Greg Sears, Director of Region 6 for Alberta Grains, and a farmer in the Peace Region. "Approximately 7% of Alberta's wheat and 11% of Alberta's barley goes into the States. Certainly, there'll be a direct impact on those two crops, reducing our netbacks to the farm, which could be significant." Trump has threatened to impose 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian and Mexican goods unless the two countries strengthen their borders to prevent illegal migrants and drugs like fentanyl from entering the U.S. Sears points out there are still several weeks before Trump assumes the presidency and an ongoing, productive dialogue is necessary ahead of that. "Now is the time that we have to engage with the different levels of government in Canada and our industry partners nationally to maintain engagement with our contacts in the United States, the bureaucra

Farming can be isolating, and mental health challenges can often go unnoticed, but Do More Ag is working to change that with its Ag Talk platform. The 24/7 online peer support platform allows farmers to connect with others facing similar struggles, helping to plant the seeds of mental wellness. Leslie Kelly, with Do More Ag, emphasizes the importance of small, daily actions for improving mental wellness.

Winter is here, and there is protective snow on the ground across the prairies. While astronomical winter doesn't begin until December 21st, meteorologists consider December 1 as the real first day of winter, based on the weather.  It's called Meteorological Winter, and it runs from Dec 1 to the end of February. For the prairies, though, winter weather arrived even earlier this year. November was a colder than average month across most of the Canadian prairies, and there is plenty of snow on the ground already! Below is a map showing snowfall anomalies, or how much more or less snow on the ground compared to long term averages. Where it's green, snow cover is above average. And, there's a lot of green across the prairies, from western Manitoba to central Alberta:

CocoRahs is an acronym for the Community Collaborative Rain, Hale, and Snow Network. In operation since 1997, it expanded to Canada in 2012, and now there are 20,000 participants across the country.

AgSafe Alberta has launched the fourth and final stage of its Farmers Care program. In Level Four, the focus is on dealing with emergencies. Farmers and ranchers will be introduced to emergency action plans and other considerations to help improve farm safety during an emergency.

The long wait is over. There is snow on the ground across the southern prairies. A storm system orginating late last week with an Idaho low, spread snow across the Canadian prairies, and the northern US plains. The snow came at a time where it was badly needed. This soil moisture map from Windy.com shows the soil moisture deficit from the Rockies to Brandon, and from beyond the US border to Prince Albert and Edmonton. This week – cold weather persists, with the potential for dangerously cold weather by the weekend. And, some areas will get more snow.

Ratting on Rats. The Alberta Invasive Species Council is stepping up efforts to make sure the province remains rat free Alberta is the largest rat-free jurisdiction in the world a status it has enjoyed for over 70... something everyone would like to continue. Paige Kuczmarski is an Invasive Species Technician with the Alberta Invasive Species Council. Kuczmarski says rats are notorious carriers of diseases that can spread to humans and animals, posing serious public health risks.

A report by the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity (CCFI) finds Canadians are becoming increasingly divided in their perception of the national food system. The CCFI 2024 Public Trust Research finds that 31% of Canadians believe the food system is on the right track, representing a three-point drop from last year. Meanwhile, 29% believe the system is moving in the wrong direction. This marks the first time in nearly a decade that public opinion is almost completely split on whether Canada’s food system is improving. Public concern over food prices has eased slightly, with 51% saying it remains a top issue. It’s a three-point improvement over last year. However, positive perceptions of the food system are down, with only 45% holding a favourable view, a seven-point drop from 2023. Negative impressions increased sharply, up to 18%, compared to last year’s 11%.

From rocks to docks, steel boats to plastic floats, zebra and quagga muscles pose a threat to Alberta's waterways and can cause considerable damage, ecologically and financially. The problem with these invasive muscles is threefold. One, their ability to reproduce is astounding, says Paige Kuczmarski with the Alberta Invasive Species Council. One female muscle can produce up to a million eggs. Two, they filter out suspended matter and food particles, which means native fish species aren't getting enough to eat. And three, their The ability to latch on to hard surfaces means muscles can and will clog irrigation and water infrastructure, which can devastate crops.

Alberta-based mental health organization AgKnow will be relaunching its free mental health support sessions for farmers, farm families, farm employees, and veterinarians across the province. Recent funding from the Alberta Treasury Branch has allowed AgKnow to resume the free sessions, which had been paused as it awaited provincial grant funding. AgKnow Director Linda Hunt explains why these free sessions are vital for the ag community. "Farmers have higher rates of anxiety, depression, and suicide risk," she says. "To combat that and to work with getting some services out into the industry as fast as possible, we decided to build a network where we have engaged with councillors in rural Alberta, that have that lived farm experience and are ready to offer services to farmers. That has been a main focus of our initiative from the beginning."

Snow!  The long spell of endless days of dry weather come to an end across much of the agricultural prairies this week, as a series of systems will bring rain and snow to the parched plain.   And. not a moment too soon, as, according to the latest Canadian Drought Monitor,  drought or dry conditions have returned to parts of Alberta and Saskatchewan, due to a lack of rainfall, higher than average temperatures, and drying wind.

New research from the University of Guelph is revealing how different grazing strategies can transform pasture productivity and livestock health. Kayleigh DeCoste is a master’s student in the Department of Plant Agriculture at the University of Guelph. Her master's research is looking at the effects of different grazing strategies on pasture performance and cow-calf performance on Ontario pastures. For more on this story go to ruralrootscanada.com.

How do low-quality forages affect animal efficiency and enteric methane emissions?  That's the question a student at the University of Guelph has some answers to. Madeline McLennan is studying at the University of Guelph in the Department of Animal Biosciences, focusing on beef nutrition and physiology. Her primary focus right now is on the impact of low-quality forages. For more on this story go to RuralRootsCanada.com