Rural Roots Canada

RRC Meteorologist David Spence shares insight into the weather forecasts for the week of September 29 for the BC Peace.

RRC Meteorologist David Spence shares insight into the weather forecasts for the week of September 29 for northeast Alberta.

RRC Meteorologist David Spence shares insight into the weather forecasts for the week of September 29 for northeast Alberta and northwest Saskatchewan.

RRC Meteorologist David Spence shares insight into the weather forecasts for the week of September 29 for southern Alberta.

A new short documentary is shining a spotlight on the connection between beef production and wildlife habitat. Homes on the Range is the fourth in a series produced by the Canadian Cattle Association.

A central Alberta maltster is warning that phasing out malt barley variety research in Lacombe could hurt the industry. Funding is shifting research priorities toward feed barley, raising concerns about the future of malt barley breeding in Alberta, which produces half of Canada’s barley and a third of North America’s.

Farm Credit Canada says it’s time to rethink where Canadian food ends up. A new report by FCC highlights a $12-billion opportunity to diversify exports beyond the U.S. Right now, more than three-quarters of Canada’s food and beverage exports head south of the border. FCC President Justine Hendricks says that leaves farmers and processors exposed. In a statement she says “Diversifying food and beverage exports beyond the U.S. will not only strengthen producers’ resilience but also benefit Canadian consumers and the broader economy.”

Big Marble Farms near Medicine Hat, Alberta is upgrading its lighting system with help from a $2.2 million grant from the Government of Alberta. The aim is to reduce emissions and help the facility producing more food. Big Marble is investing more than $3 million of its own money, alongside the $2.2 million grant, to install more than 5,000 horticulture grow lights in its greenhouse facilties.

In this episode of the Rural Roots Canada Podcast, host Tim Parent sits down with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois, the Food Professor and Director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University, to discuss why food and agriculture were left out of Canada’s first wave of nation-building projects. Dr. Charlebois unpacks what that omission says about Canada’s priorities on the world stage, the risks of sidelining agrifood in big-picture policy, and why infrastructure, research, and strategy are key to strengthening Canada’s rural future.

A rancher from Sundre, Alberta, has received a prestigious honour from the Canadian Cattle Foundation. Brianna Elliot is a recipient of the Reg Schellenberg Next Generation Legacy award. Elliot, who is a participant in the Canadian Cattle Young Leaders program, was selected by her peers for being a positive, humble leader with the ability to bring people together to achieve a common goal and being an overall exceptional ambassador of the Canadian beef industry. Elliot was presented with the award at the semi-annual meeting in Quebec.

A new facility at the University of Calgary is set to expand training opportunities for veterinarians. The Veterinary Learning Commons, located at the university’s Spy Hill campus, has officially opened with the aim of addressing Alberta’s shortage of veterinarians, particularly in rural communities.

RRC Meteorologist David Spence shares insight for the weather for southern Alberta.

RRC Meteorologist David Spence shares insight for the weather for northeast Alberta and parts of Saskatchewan.

RRC Meteorologist David Spence shares insight for the weather for the BC Peace and northwest Alberta.

RRC Meteorologist David Spence shares insight for the weather for northeast Alberta.

RRC Meteorologist David Spence shares insight for the weather for central Alberta.

Rainfall and intense storms through August, had a huge impact on drought conditions in southern Alberta and southwestern Saskatchewan. Much of those areas are no longer considered to be in drought.

On the latest Rural Roots Canada podcast, we discuss the busy harvest season and the importance of safety on the farm. We also look ahead to the Advancing Women in Agriculture Conference, which will be held in Niagara Falls, Ontario, in November. Alberta rancher Ashley Perepelkin joins us to share her story, including how AWC became a turning point in her life and helped her overcome imposter syndrome.

Alberta Rancher Ashley Perepelkin talks about the Advancing Women in Agriculture Conference and the self-confidence it gave her in public speaking, business and life.

This week we will learn who will be named the National Environmental Stewardship Award winner. One of the cattle operations in the running is Barnett Land and Cattle owned by Duncan & Jane Barnett from the Williams Lake area of B.C. They were named the B-C Cattle Association's nominee for this year. The VBP+ operation has 100 Angus-influenced cows. The farm also does some custom feeding and sells hay.