Farmer-Led Research Driving Innovation in Alberta’s North
byRRC soundbites
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 region, without the cost or risk of trying unproven methods themselves.
“SARDA Ag Research is an organization that does non-biased research to help our local farmers come up with new ways, new things that are out there, bring the truth to it,” says Simon Lavoie, a St. Isidore-area farmer and chair of SARDA. “We can see firsthand what works, what doesn’t work. SARDA is the groundbreaker for the new stuff for the north.”
Lavoie says one of SARDA’s strengths is that it’s farmer-controlled, meaning local producers determine the direction of the research based on the challenges they face, rather than relying solely on industry trends.
Irvine School Agricultural Discovery Centre celebrates success with Fall Gather Production Sale
byRural Roots Canada
The Irvine School Agricultural Discovery Centre is celebrating one-year of hands-on learning for students with a Fall Gather Production Sale and Farm to Table Fundraiser Program Coordinator Nichole Neubauer talks about the first year and the big event on Saturday, September 24. This Podcast Powered by connectFirst Credit Union
In this episode of Maybe You Can Relate, I’m exploring the power of emotional safety and its vital role in building genuine connections. Through authenticity and vulnerability, we can create spaces for open communication—both in our personal relationships and within our broader community. From navigating the complexities of modern relationships to harnessing the power of online interactions, this episode highlights the importance of sharing our stories, supporting one another, and maintaining boundaries to foster a truly safe and supportive environment.
To hear the full episode, head over to Patreon.com and join our community in supporting the stories of women in agriculture through The Rural Woman Podcast.
For full show notes, including links mentioned in the show, head over to wildrosefarmer.com/mycr22
What if everything you thought you knew about connecting with people was missing one key ingredient?
Kara Mastel sits down with renowned human values expert David Allison, the founder of the Valuegraphics Project, to explore how understanding core human values—not just demographics—can revolutionize communication in agriculture and beyond.
Fresh off his keynote at the Alberta Beef Industry Conference, David shares how values like financial security, personal growth, and happiness are the real drivers behind public support and behavior.
With practical examples and a compelling look at how values-based storytelling can shape perception and build industry allies, this episode is a powerful playbook for beef producers—and anyone—looking to truly connect with audiences.
David Allison is a human values expert, CEO of a global research firm, and 2X best-selling author. As the founder of the Valuegraphics Project, he created the first global inventory of core human values, transforming them into measurable data. David helps major brands like PayPal, Google, and the United Nations Foundation connect with people by honouring their values.
His work is featured in college textbooks and prominent publications like Harvard Business Review and Forbes. His latest book, The Death of Demographics, has been praised as ”convincing, insightful, and revolutionary.”
Hello and welcome! This week, Erin and Hannah are joined by Stacey Redford, Head of Human Resources and Dan Wright, Head of Seeds, with Syngenta Canada to talk human resource (HR) considerations as they relate to an organization’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) strategy. Stacey, who joined Syngenta in January 2022 and leads Syngenta’s renewed “people strategy”, answers a number of questions we have about HR’s role in supporting employees and as always, Dan candidly shares a few of his leadership strategies and gives us an update on Syngenta’s DEI journey. Dan and Stacey leave us with a number of great practical strategies you won’t want to miss.
The work of certified seed growers is challenging. In the magazine’s spring 2025 issue, GrainsWest introduced readers to three successful Alberta seed growing operations. In this episode of The GrainsWest Podcast, Trevor Bacque picks up where that story left off and talks with Larry Penner of Penwest Seeds about the variety registration system and innovation in seed genetics.
Episode 39: Battling Kochia with crop selection, seeding rate, and row spacing
bythegrowingpointpodcast
In this episode, we chat with Dr. Charles Geddes, a weed research scientist at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Lethbridge. Geddes discusses with us the challenges of managing kochia and some tactics producers can implement to fight back. Geddes discusses the impacts of different crop types as well as cultural practices that can push back on kochia pressure.
What Farmers Want | GroundTruth Ag Faces the Farmer Verdict | Episode 1
byDan and Terry Aberhart
What happens when you put bold ag tech in front of a panel of no-nonsense farmers and hand them the mic?
In the premiere episode of “What Farmers Want”—brought to you by Cornerstone Credit Union’s Rural Tech Act—host Dan Aberhart invites you to witness a high-stakes, Shark Tank-style pitch where Kyle Folk, Founder & CEO of GroundTruth Ag, makes his case for a new approach to on-farm grain grading automation.
But the decision isn’t up to investors. It’s up to the farmers.
This episode features direct, unfiltered feedback from a panel of respected Saskatchewan producers:
Matt Wallington – Hanover Ridge Farms
Brett Casavant – Cas-Grain Farms
Riley Kushniruk – K4 Ag
Scott Maurer – Maurer Family Grains
They ask the tough questions, challenge assumptions, and weigh in on whether this technology has what it takes to make it out of the shop and onto the farm.
💡 Highlights Include:
Why ag tech adoption so often misses the mark
The real-world challenges of grain grading and quality assessment
What it takes to earn the trust of producers
Live audience polling and Q&A participation
Is this the next game-changer—or just another gadget gathering dust? Listen in and decide for yourself.
Episode 59: Turning Farm into Fun with Jim Lorraine
byMaritime Agcast
Host Brad McCallum, Agri-Commodity Management Association, chats with Jim Lorraine, Riverbreeze Farm, on the Season 3 season finale to discuss Agritourism!
Recorded January 2023
Producer: Amy Langille (ACMA) 7 Atlantic Central Drive East Mountain, Nova Scotia, B6L 2Z2 (902) 893-7455 Visit us: agricommodity.ca Follow us: Facebook and Twitter: @MaritimeAgCast Email us at: aanderson@agricommodity.ca or bmccallum@agricommodity.ca Host: Brad McCallum Edited by: Amy Langille of ACMA Music: “Neon Lights” by Matt Weidauer and ”Smoke in a Box” by Micah Dahl Anderson (ArchesAudio.com)
2023 SaskBarley Director Elections: Thomas Sunderland
byThe Barley Bin
In the following 4 episodes of The Barley Bin podcast, we feature all four 2023 SaskBarley Director Elections candidates. They address challenges like underutilized malt barley markets, they emphasize vital promotions and they discuss industry insights. The candidates share how they each advocate for a diverse, experienced board, expressing eagerness to contribute to SaskBarley’s initiatives. Listen now for more candidate perspectives and decide who you’re voting for!