AgAnnex Talks

In our new season focused on farming with the future in mind, we look at what role landowners, producers and drainage professionals can play in keeping soil healthy, how different bodies can work together and why soil health matters in the long run.

By day, Kristen Phillips is a farmer, agronomist, and general manager of Manitoba Ag Days. But she’s also a wife and a mom, raising the fifth generation of farmers on her family’s land in Roseland, Man. In this episode of AgAnnex Talks, the sixth and final interview in our Influential Women in Canadian Agriculture series, Phillips shares what keeps her excited about agriculture, the profound advic...

Karen Schuett, co-founder and CEO of Livestock Water Recycling (LWR), is a highly regarded manure expert. Her Calgary-based agtech company has developed one of the global livestock industry’s most sought-after manure treatment innovations. In pursuing her work towards lagoon-free food, this visionary has received numerous awards. Canadian Poultry editor Brett Ruffell chats with Schuett in this epi...

Peggy Brekveld wears a lot of hats. She’s vice-president of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, and her family operates Woodstar Farms, a dairy farm near Thunder Bay, Ont. She’s a graduate of the Rural Ontario Institute’s Advanced Agricultural Leadership Program (AALP), and is currently also vice-president of the Agricultural Adaptation Council. But, of all the things she’s done in the agricult...

Laura Van Eerd, a professor at the University of Guelph Ridgetown Campus, is well-known for her soil fertility research which influences agriculture, not only in the province, but nationally and internationally. Van Eerd shares what motivates her, some personal career highlights, and what she’s learned from mentors and her experiences along the way. Fruit and Vegetable  editor Stephanie Gordo...

Dr. Barbara Cade-Menun, a research scientist with Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada, is a world leader in studying phosphorus cycling in water, soils and plants. She’s developed and refined investigative techniques that have become the preferred standard, and has received numerous important accolades in recognition of her work. Canadian Poultry editor Brett Ruffell chats with Dr. Cade-Menun in th...

Dr. Karen Schwean-Lardner, an associate professor with the University of Saskatchewan's department of animal and poultry science, is one of the most highly regarded poultry scientists worldwide. She leads a research team that investigates the effects of management systems on the welfare and productivity of commercial poultry. Canadian Poultry editor Brett Ruffell chats with Dr. Schwean-Lardner in...

GMOs, pesticides, livestock health and safety: it can feel like farmers and consumers are speaking different languages when hot button issues are discussed. What creates this communication breakdown? In the 2019 Public Trust Research Report compiled by the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity, 91 per cent of Canadians said they knew little to nothing about modern Canadian farming practices, but 60 p...

Do you have a succession plan? Bob Tosh, family enterprise advisor with MNP, says this question isn’t a good place to start when it comes to thinking about the succession planning process. In this episode, Tosh shares advice he has given throughout his years as an advisor and offers perspective to current and next-generation farmers engaging with the succession process. Doug Johnston, a fifth-gene...

Labour shortages and misconceptions about farm work are some of the issues faced by Canadian agricultural producers. The Canadian Agriculture Human Resource Council reported in 2019 that the agriculture sector’s job-vacancy rate was the “highest of any major sector in the Canadian economy.” In this episode, Stuart Person, senior vice president of agriculture with MNP, discusses some of the labour...

Farming is considered one of the most hazardous occupations in Canada – according to the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association, more than 100 adults and children are victims in farm accidents every year in Canada. In this episode, Rob Gobeil, agricultural health and safety specialist with the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association, talks stats, hazards, and most importantly, preparedness and...

Mental health in agriculture is a hot topic at the moment, and for good reason. Farmers are particularly vulnerable to developing anxiety and depression, and experiencing suicidal thoughts, due to the nature of farming. Isolation, uncertainty, market volatility, high risks – it's tough out there for farmers. This episode features conversations between Ag Annex associate editor Alex Barnard and Ade...