Rural Roots Canada

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 Safe Safety 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 the surface of the Earth.   Similar to a mag...

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.

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 producers to carry out large-scale automated strip trial...

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 in protein, rich in nutrients, and could have con...

RRC Meteorologist David Spence shares the forecast for NE Alberta

RRC Meteorologist David Spence shares a forecast for Central Alberta

RRC Meteorologist David Spence shares the southern Alberta forecast.

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 while feeding or putting in bedding.

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 among women in agriculture. “We’re taking up to 12 wo...

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 make better decisions based on data from their regi...

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 volatility right across markets, particularly in...

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.

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 information.

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 remains strong despite some pressures. “The increa...

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, or what she calls “micro-minutes,” can have a s...

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, Vice President of the Canadian Cattle Association. "...

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 States make it difficult to absorb sudden cost inc...

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.

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 Hyatt Downtown in Calgary. The unique session wi...

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:

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 communication at the farm and ranch level.

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 further west you are, the sooner the warm air arrive...

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 no simple answer to the question. "The issue is n...

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 importance of this knowledge after the tragic loss o...

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 sharing their experiences through mainstream media an...