Lethbridge (Rural Roots Canada) – 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.

“My role as a conservation agronomist will be to offer my support and the support of Farming Smarter and the knowledge that we’ve gained through many research projects that we’ve done for the past 10, 12 years to help farms the practices that they are doing now and anything that they really want to change or they want to try something new,” says Wagenaar.

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She says several factors about this program make it unique because it has no specific parameters.

“It’s how are you working as a farming business, and what would you like to change, or what would you like to improve, or where would you like support? So it’s so individual and personally focused that I think it’s really exciting and really cool.”

Wagenaar says the program will allow them to provide very regional knowledge.

“I’m really hoping that we can take away individual regional knowledge for Farming Smarter and for our growers here. There are so many resources out there in this world of studies and practices that are done throughout the world.”

For more on this program, click here.