Rural Roots Canada

Nanotechnology has long since moved out of the realm of science fiction. The practical applications of nanotechnology and its economic potential for many industries, including agriculture, are seemingly limitless.  At the forefront of nanotechnology and agriculture stands Convergent Bio. Launched earlier this year by a group of scientists, engineers, agronomists, and market specialists, the company aims to explore nanotechnology and its potential in agriculture.  Jason White is the Chief Innovation Officer at Convergent Bio. He admits he used to have doubts about nanotech. As a toxicologist, he had concerns nanotechnology was potentially disastrous.  “I started hearing about nanomaterials and nanotoxicology years ago," he says. "I’m a toxicologist, so I looked at it as the next emerging contaminant. They were being used everywhere, and my concern was about overexposure and risk.” This feature is sponsored by Radiate Roots.

With planting season underway, a plant growth stimulant called Radiate by Nutrien AG Solutions aims to boost overall crop performance. Radiate is a plant growth stimulant designed to develop longer, stronger, healthier roots, significantly improving nutrient uptake. This foliar-applied product promises to boost crop performance across a wide range of plants, everything from canola, cereals, and peas, to lentils, soybeans, potatoes, and corn.

Streamlining feed procurement is the goal of FeedXChange, an innovative platform that connects farmers and feed brokers. It enables them to find the best deals, negotiate favourable prices, and save money. FeedXChange is the brainchild of Styn Nieuwenhuis and Josh Hawley. Nieuwenhuis says the idea came about simply because there was little data available about the by-product side of the feed ingredient market. This feature is powered by Radiate, sold exclusively by Nutrien.

It's an exciting time of the year in the 4-H world..  as 4-Hers show off the projects they have worked on all year. We stopped into the Newell District 4-H Show and Sale in Brooks and 4-H on Parade in Calgary in the last week to chat with 4-Hers about their projects and how the program will shape their futures. For more on this story go to Rural Roots Canada.com.

An innovator is working to build up a plant commonly known as a weed and as a great oilseed and cover crop. Dr. Jason Thomas talks about the work he and his company are doing with Pennycress here on Rural Roots Canada, brought to you by Radiate, an exclusive product from Nutrien Ag Solutions. For the full story, go to ruralrootscanada.com.

A series of tornado warnings in east-central Alberta last week reminds us that it's that time of year again. RRC Meteorologist David Spence has more on how long they last and what to watch for in the sky. For more details, go to ruralrootscanada.com.

An agricultural academy in Altario, Alberta, is spearheading an initiative to determine if an indoor hydroponic system could provide consistent, year-round, affordable, and nutrient-rich feed for cattle amid the ongoing drought. This is Rural Roots Canada, and I'm Craig Lester, Amplifying Canadian Agriculture Altario School, a K-12 school located in Altario, Alberta near the Alberta-Saskatchewan border, has partnered with members of the local community and the agriculture industry to collaborate on the project. Agriculture research organization RDAR is helping fund the initiative under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership. The school will receive almost $200,000. In an interview earlier this year, Altario School principal Kevin Van Lagen told Rural Roots Canada the students are proving what an agriculture-focused school program is capable of while creating an overwhelming amount of pride within the community.

Dr. Brenna Brown has been working with and running laboratories for a decade. While working as a business development rep for an environmental lab, she would often get asked the same question repeatedly. "They'd ask, can you test my animal samples? And I couldn't because I was environmental. So, that was me learning about this animal health diagnostic laboratory shortage."  Seeing how farmers were grappling with the scarcity of rapid animal testing diagnostics and local veterinarians, Dr. Brown and friends Dr. Adina Bujold and Bridget Brown created Cohlab, focusing on improving animal health testing for farmers, producers, and ranchers.  Cohlab's goal is to bridge the gap between traditional lab testing and real-time, on-site diagnostics for animal health. Bujold, a pathobiologist and animal microbiology expert, developed Potentio, a device that makes it easy for farmers to test the health of their herds or flocks in real time.

New promising ag-tech from Advanced Agri-Science aims to mitigate and in some cases prevent frost from happening in plants. Collin Juurakko is the Founder and CEO of the company. In this feature, he explains how this ag-tech works and how this research started him on a journey to forming his own company. For more on this story go to Rural Roots Canada.com.

Farm schools are on the rise. The latest kindergarten to Grade 9 school to adopt an agricultural-based curriculum and environment is in southeast Alberta. We'll talk to the principal and a student from the Rolling Hills Agricultural Academy soon.  Rolling Hills, Alberta, located about two and half hours southeast of Calgary, is the latest school to adopt a hands-on learning agriculture-based curriculum. Principal Mike Flieger says it is important that the school be reflective of the community. This feature is brought to you by the Canadian Agri-Business Education Foundation.

There was a time not long ago when agriculture technology wasn’t a big thing, but that’s since changed. "A decade ago, farming and ag tech wasn't a cool thing," observes John Hartnett, Founder and CEO of SVG Ventures. "Today, it's the cool thing because it matters—it's meaningful for people, families, and the future." It’s why SVG launched its flagship agri-food initiative called Thrive. The program brings agri-food tech entrepreneurs to the forefront. At its most recent Thrive Agri-Food Academy IV Demo Day in Calgary, the winner of the Judge's Award went to Calgary Health Laboratories, or Cohlab, an animal care start-up providing diagnostic care and animal health solutions. The People's Choice award went to Advanced Agriscience, a Canadian synthetic biology & public benefit company specializing in the development of biologicals for agriculture protection and enhancement.

Alberta is in for a difficult growing season as the risk of severe drought increases with each passing day. The province relies on melting snow and precipitation for much of its water. With a lacklustre winter in the rearview mirror and a dry spring ahead, water management areas have already been impacted by a shortage of water.  "It will be a rough situation this year," says Dr. Guillaume Lhermie, Director of the Simpson Centre for Food and Agriculture Policy at the University of Calgary. "We already know the forecast is quite depressing." Lhermie notes this severe drought is mostly limited to Alberta. Other large production areas like Europe and the United States, which contribute to the local food supply, will not be affected by what's happening here. That said, the drought can potentially cause some disruption in the global markets. This feature brought to you by CABEF. To read more go to ruralrootscanada.com.

Dealing with conflict on the farm. Disagreements and conflict on the farm are unavoidable; it's going to happen eventually. The difference between whether people move forward or the issue festers lies in how it is dealt with. Beverly Beuermann-King is a workplace culture and resiliency expert and has seen first-hand the importance of having healthy relationships. In this feature, she shares from her experience growing up on a dairy farm and what she has learned since. To read the full feature go to ruralrootscanada.com. This feature is brought to you by the Blue Book, Alberta's Crop Protection Guide.

The 2024 Women in Ag Awards shone a light on outstanding female leaders in the agriculture sector during a ceremony held alongside the AWC West 2024 conference. Among this year's winners was Charlotte Wasylik of Chatsworth Farm in Vermilion, Alberta. Wasylik was awarded the Rising Star award, given to a young leader under 40 who demonstrates a passion for the agriculture industry, shows exceptional promise, and advocates for agriculture. “It was such a thrilling moment to get the phone call," says Wasilyk, who expressed her gratitude for the win. "That AFSC is doing this to recognize women in agriculture, it's really important and very much appreciated." This feature is powered by the Blue Book, Alberta's Crop Protection Guide.

Confrontational to collaborative. The conversation around clubroot between farmers and rural municipalities in Alberta has evolved since it was declared a pest under the province's Agricultural Pests Act (APA) in April of 2007.  Aaron Van Beers is the President of the Association of Alberta Agricultural Fieldmen and Manager of Ag Services for Leduc County.  He says originally it was strictly a zero tolerance policy. Read the full story at ruralrootscanada.com. This feature is powered by the Blue Book, Alberta's Crop Protection Guide.

With the drought expected to persist into planting this year, an agronomist is encouraging farmers to get their crops in the ground early. Agronomist Scott Gillespie is the owner of Plants Dig Soil Consulting, an advice-based company in southern Alberta. He says with the drought the top of concern during the growing season this year growers should be thinking about seeding sooner rather than later. This feature is powered by the Blue Book - Alberta's Crop Protection Guide.

A new initiative out of Farming Smarter hopes to help southern Alberta farmers implement or change practices related to nitrogen management, cover cropping and grazing. Farming Smarter is participating in a new pilot project funded by Farmers for Climate Solutions. Ashley Wagenaar is the new Conservation Agronomist at Farming Smarter in Lethbridge. Her role is to help farmers implement or change - nitrogen practices, cover cropping, and grazing on their operation. This feature is powered by the Blue Book, Alberta's Crop Protection Guide.

Stavely, Alberta's Cudlobe Angus is the first Canadian farm to join Certified Angus Beef's Ranch to Table program. Certified Angus Beef's new initiative will allow Angus farmers and ranchers the option to market their beef directly to consumers as a CAB product. With the Ranch to Table program, licensed producers are responsible for working with a processor and CBGA grader to verify that brand specifications are met. A marketing plan is required for the application process, but upon being licensed, producers will have access to a tool kit and marketing resources to use in leveraging the brand's quality. Cudlobe Angus' Kaitlynn Bolduc says they are in the final stages of getting the program off the ground on their farm. For more on the program and why Cudlobe decided to be a part of it go to ruralrootscanada.com.

Southern Alberta farmer John Kolk has been honoured with the Orville Yanke award for Soil Conservation.  The Orville Yanke Memorial Award honours an early promoter of soil conservation in Alberta. John Kolk, who is the 2024 recipient, was presented with the award at the recent Farming Smarter conference last week. For more on Kolk and his sustainable cropping practices go to ruralrootscanada.com. This feature powered by the Blue Book - Alberta's Crop Protection Guide.

The latest brewing creation out of Origin Malting and Brewing in Strathmore has a distinct hockey flavour to it. The Sutter Six Shooters lager, named after the famous six Sutter brothers who played in the NHL, is brewed with Alberta-grown barley from Hilton Ventures. Four-time Stanley Cup winner Duane Sutter says work on the lager started last July after the Sutter family decided they needed to find a new funding initiative for their charity. The Sutter Fund is a non-profit charity that gives to causes across central Alberta and beyond. Hilton Ventures Director and Origin Malting and Brewing President Sterling Hilton says the partnership brings together two families that have a long history in agriculture. More on this feature at ruralrootscanada.com. This feature is powered by the Blue Book: Alberta's Crop Protection Guide.