Calgary (Rural Roots Canada) – A pulse research scientist whose work focuses on practical solutions for producers has been named the 2026 AFSC Women in Ag Innovator.
Robyne Davidson has spent years in fields and labs working through the everyday challenges pulse crop farmers face. This year, that work got noticed.
Davidson, a pulse research scientist at Lakeland College in Vermilion, Alta., has won the 2026 Agriculture Financial Services Corporation Women in Ag Award in the Innovator category. The award recognizes women making meaningful contributions to the agriculture sector.
The award, Davidson said, was a reminder that her work does not go unnoticed.
“You spend a lot of time working in your research program, working with farmers. You spend a lot of time trying to help them solve problems, and sometimes you wonder if anybody really notices. So it’s really nice to be recognized.
She said she felt honoured just to be included among the other women recognized. Winning, she said, was something else entirely.
“To win was just on top of the world,” she said.
READ MORE: Record 50 students sponsored at Advancing Women in Agriculture West Conference
Davidson’s path to research was not a straight one. She describes her career as a winding road, shaped by the people she met along the way.
There was no single mentor who defined her trajectory. Instead, she credits a handful of people, supervisors, co-workers and managers, who offered advice and guidance at key moments, particularly when she was younger.
“I’d probably say not just one, but probably three or four that really changed the whole direction of my career,” she said.
She had a message for women working in research and agriculture
“Stay curious. Push the boundaries. Don’t take no for an answer. And if there’s something you really want to do, chase after it.”
She also pointed to the relationships built inside the industry. Davidson said agriculture is a fantastic place to work and that surrounding yourself with good people goes a long way toward building a successful career in it.
Photo Credit – AFSC Agriculture Financial Services Corporation
