I was carrying buckets of water into the house this day, after a sudden failure in the waterline that serves the houses on our street meant the water was to be shut off for a couple days while the city completed repairs. It doesn’t take long for you to realize dry water taps in the kitchen sink is certainly a pain in the butt.

However, the city spotted water wagons along the front street so people could fill buckets and jugs with potable water to get them over the hump. Fortunately, with decent early spring weather, packing a few pails of water a few feet into the house was more an inconvenience than a hardship.

The repairs to that 50-plus year-old waterline in my neighbourhood was over and above the well-reported billion dollar-plus repairs going on elsewhere in Calgary to replace a main water feeder line that is essentially being held together with fencing wire and duct tape. We were already doing our best to reduce water use as the main line is being replaced, and now having to carry water into the house for a couple days made us even more conscious of water use.

A dry spell in the 1960s

These Calgary water issues had me thinking of only a few times in my life, either due to drought or distribution issues, I have experienced some degree of water shortages.

The first “dry” spell I remember was probably one year in the early 1960s when it just didn’t rain in eastern Ontario. In that part of the world south of Ottawa, that generally gets lots of rain, the more common complaint was usually about too much water rather than not enough. So to me, perhaps as a 12- or 13-year-old, a drought year was memorable.

One consequence of that dry growing season was a shortage of pasture and being able to put up enough hay for winter feed for the dairy cows. It meant that every stem of grass counted. It was the only time I remember some of the long-retired horse-farming technology being pressed into service.

The dump rake comes out of retirement

In the early 60s, it had been more than a decade since horses were last used on the farm, but if I ever wondered why an old dump rake still sat in the weeds along a fence line, I was soon to learn the reason.

My grandfather, who was raised on a farm in England in the late 1800s, was a very practical and waste-not-want-not man. On the work bench in the shop at his house, for example, there were always jam jars filled with good used nails that he had painstakingly straightened out with a hammer on the anvil. How many people out there today save and straighten used nails? I don’t expect to see too many hands raised.

But in that dry growing season when hay crops were short, he and my dad decided to park the ultra-modern New Holland side delivery rake that wasn’t very efficient at turning short hay into a windrow and put the old 12-foot wide dump rake into service.

The dump rake, with tines that scratched across the field like a comb, used to be pulled by horses, but was now to be hooked up to the little grey Ford tractor which I drove. It wasn’t complicated technology, although it took a while to figure out timing. I had to pull a rope connected to the trip lever on the rake that caused the tines of the rake to curl up and dump what hay it had collected.

I had to time it so that each “dump” added to a reasonably straight windrow. It took some practice, but eventually I was able to collect up two or three thin swaths of mowed hay to make an acceptable windrow to be picked up by my dad who was using the Allis-Chalmers tractor on the square baler. Meanwhile, my grandad patrolled the field on foot with a hay fork collecting any bits of hay that were missed, throwing them into the next windrow.

When the wells ran low

Also that same dry year, I remember the two hand dug wells that supplied water to the house and the barn were critically low on water that fall. These wells that were perhaps three feet in diameter and about 30 feet deep, cribbed with stone, were dug in the 1800s when the farmstead was created, and had proved to be a reliable source of water for nearly a hundred years at that time (and are still being used today). However this year the water table was extremely low which meant the wells were barely recharging to meet daily needs.

There were plenty of creeks in the area, but nothing that offered a clean or abundant water supply. Fortunately we lived within a reasonable distance to the St. Lawrence River and the Seaway (hydro electric) Project had been completed in 1959. As part of that project, and with a shortage of gravel, limestone rock was blasted and crushed to make fill needed for the construction, and these operations left behind fairly deep quarries covering a few acres, which soon filled with water once work was completed.

One of these quarries, now known as the Challies Pond (about 30 feet deep and covering six acres), was located less than five miles from the farm. My dad located a 200 gallon steel tank, mounted it on a hay wagon and outfitted it with a gas-powered water pump. Pulling the wagon with the tractor, he or my older brother made several daily trips that fall to the nearby quarry to bring water back to replenish the wells so both cattle and household had water. We made it through.

The best Christmas present

As it turned out, following a dry, mild fall it started raining on Christmas Day. I don’t know how much rain fell, but after a few days well water levels improved, and my dad always described it as the best Christmas present he could ever receive.

I doubt I will feel quite the same joy when the city turns the water back on, but I will admit to having a greater appreciation for being able to have an ample, clean, fresh water supply just by turning the tap. At least for a little while I won’t take “a little thing” for granted.

The post When the taps run dry appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

Battling consistent drought in recent years, the St. Mary River Irrigation Distinct has set its allocation at 14 inches from the farm gate for 2026.

Based on modeling and snowpack data supplied by Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation, it is better news from 2025 where the benchmark was 12 inches, and initially dwindling to eight inches in 2024, as irrigators had to tighten their belts.

WHY IT MATTERS: With billions of dollars of irrigated agricultural production up for grabs in Alberta, getting good news from Mother Nature in water availability helps power the region economically.

“We are very comfortable a 14-inch allocation will allow irrigators to grow a successful crop in 2026, while also allowing the district to meet storage targets for winter 2026. Our board also factors in current storage levels,” said Cory Nelson, chairman of the board of directors for the SMRID in a press release, after emerging from its March meeting.

“While the warmer temperatures this winter resulted in a reduced snowpack overall for the southern tributaries, strategic investments in off-stream storage reservoirs allowed for the capture of an additional 155,000 acre-feet of early runoff water in winter 2025/2026.”

Current storage levels within the district’s reservoirs are at 246,000 acre-feet, which represents 80 per cent of the full supply level (FSL).

The headworks reservoirs, comprised of the Waterton, St. Mary and Milk River Ridge reservoirs, are sitting at a combined storage of 374,000 acre-feet, or 77 per cent of the FSL. The current total of all of the storage in the St. Mary Project reservoirs is 620,000 acre-feet, or 79 per cent of FSL.

The largest contributor to the SMRID water supply, Flat Top Mountain, has made modest gains since the February update and continues to report above the lower quartile.

The Many Glacier snow pillow is reporting well below the lower quartile, and has accumulated substantially less snow water equivalent than this time last year.

Average on-crop use across the district in 2025 was 9.5 inches, in an SMRID region which has over 2,000 km of canals and pipeline, which spans from Lethbridge to Medicine Hat, and serves 518,000 acres, as it continues building projects to serve the region.

Irrigated land within Alberta irrigation districts generates 28 per cent of Alberta’s total Agri-food GDP.

Annually, irrigation-related activities in Alberta’s irrigation districts generate $5.4 billion to provincial GDP, $3.2 billion in labour income, and supports approximately 46,000 full-time equivalent jobs.

AIM pipeline projects completed to date from 2020 within the SMRID, have resulted in an estimated 21,900 acre-feet of water savings on an annual basis.

Additionally, infrastructure improvements done by SMRID as well as on-farm efficiency improvements translate into 9,200 and 16,300 acre ft of additional efficiency gains each year, respectively.

“Based on modelling, storage and snowpack data, the board’s 14-inch allocation for 2026 supports the environmental realities of projected runoff supply and existing 2026 storage. We are eager to complete two additional Alberta Irrigation Modernization (AIM) projects in 2025/2026, which will bring the total AIM Program projects completed to 24 of the 30 modernization projects,” said David Westwood, general manager pf SMRID.

“These pipeline projects have resulted in efficiency gains across the district, and tangible improvements to water management.”

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On March 22, the federal government announced it would develop such a strategy, calling it “an opportunity to discuss how we can address freshwater-related threats and opportunities,” protect freshwater ecosystems, and secure water for communities and the economy, according to a news release.

The Canada Water Agency, which was repurposed in 2024 as a stand-alone freshwater management agency separate from Environment and Climate Change Canada, will spearhead the strategy’s development.

While the announcement was scant on details of what such a strategy might look like, it said the agency will work with provinces and territories, First Nations, Inuit and Métis partners, “stakeholders across sectors” and the public.

Farmers should be among those consulted, the CFA said in a statement to Glacier FarmMedia.

“Water security is absolutely critical for the future of Canadian farmers. Farmers in different regions of Canada have been devastated by water issues over the past few years, such as the floods in B.C., or the ongoing long-term drought in the Prairie provinces,” a federation spokesperson said.

“A lack of water has severe negative impacts on any type of farm, no matter what they grow or raise.”

Prioritizing food security, agriculture

The strategy should protect farmers and mitigate the effects of water-related events. It should also secure predictable access to water so farmers can maintain food production — for example, through effective water management policies and investment in water infrastructure, CFA said.

“Farmers need to make it clear that food security and agriculture production should be prioritized if there was any issues with access to water.”

“Farmers are also on the front-line of climate change, dealing with the on-ground realities of water-related events,” CFA added. “They have experience and knowledge that will be critical in developing this strategy.”

While the announcement made no specific mention of the agriculture industry, the sector will have an opportunity to share its views during the public engagement process, “recognizing that freshwater is fundamental to our economy, powering industries, agriculture, and the growth of communities,” a federal spokesperson told Glacier FarmMedia.

The federal government has not yet set timelines for consultations, but said those will be announced “in the coming months.”

The post Get farmers in on federal water security strategy planning, CFA says appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

Phillips constantly breaks down numbers of water usage and storage in his district over the years, with an authorized expansion limit to 320,000 acres, providing water to over 600 users.

Now, another user is entering the market in water use, as Alberta has an aggressive goal of attracting $100 billion in AI data centres over a five-year period.

“People are nervous about water when you start talking about large volumes. They’ll talk about how many gallons they need, or how many litres they need, or how many Olympic-sized swimming pools they need,” said Phillips.

“It all sounds huge, right? Until you put it in perspective, in terms of how much water is really there. Not to say that this water is insignificant, but it’s all about scale and perspective.”

That perspective includes a typical irrigation pivot without a corner arm on it, using 900 gallons per minute of water. With many minutes in a day, it adds up in a hurry, and now multiply that with the over 1.5 million acres of irrigated land under the various 11 irrigation districts in the province.

Water use for data centres depends on size, although estimates are out there that “mega data centres” would require five million gallons of water per day. That is the equivalent of a town of 10-50,000 people. Agriculture often uses an acre foot for measurement for large volumes of water. Long-term average water use on irrigated land is approximately 12-inches per acre, with the number varying on dry and wet years.

“That’s scary, because people have trouble visualizing what five million gallons looks like. One of these monster data centres would use about as much water as on average, 5,500 acres of irrigated land,” said Phillips.

Southern Alberta rivers fully allocated

The Bow River, between April and October in 2025, saw 1.4 million acre feet that flowed through the mouth of the river even after everyone had already taken what they needed.

“As you go further north, it just becomes even more to the point where the water use relative to the size of the rivers is, I hate to say, insignificant. It becomes extremely small, the use of one of the mega data centres, compared to the size of say, the North Saskatchewan or the Athabasca or the Peace River.”

Just as with economic markets, there is supply and demand. With the water demand outlined, Phillips added there is plenty of supply depending on where the data centre would be built.

In Alberta, you cannot go to the province and get a new water licence on the Bow or Oldman rivers, any other tributary or the South Saskatchewan main stem.

If a data centre wanted to set up shop in the South Saskatchewan River area, they would have to find somebody who has a water licence and is willing to make their water available. You can transfer water licences, and numerous irrigation districts have already participated in that process. You can also go to a licensee and hope they will amend their licence if it doesn’t already allow for that industrial use.

Northern rivers offer abundant supply

But you can get a new licence on the Red Deer River and further north, where water bodies dwarf the size of the southern rivers.

“The North Saskatchewan is over twice as big as the Bow. The Athabasca is over twice as big as the North Saskatchewan, and the Peace River makes the Athabasca look small. There’s huge water in the north,” said Phillips.

Proposals have been floated of a 7.5-gigawatt gas-powered facility near Grande Prairie, and another for an Olds Data Centre Campus that has ran into some regulatory hurdles, among others.

Infrastructure and energy concerns remain

Alberta, especially northern Alberta, is seen as a prime location given its colder weather compared to its U.S. counterparts in say Texas or Virginia, as long as they are near larger urban centres with strong internet, fibre optics, highly trained work forces and an international airport nearby.

Concerns have been raised by residents of areas where data centres have been planned on the strain to infrastructure, energy grids and the environmental impact of the gas-powered developments in which Alberta is taking a “bring-your-own power” outlook through Bill 8.

As far as water needs go, if water needs were to be taxed as more data centres come online, irrigation districts would shift focus to building more water capture infrastructure with dams.

“I think every additional use makes it more important. The other thing that makes it more important is the ability to capture water when it’s there. If our planet becomes more variable, and river flows more flashy and unpredictable, it’s really important to catch the water when it is there.”

The post Water, water everywhere … for farmers and data centres appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

It modernizes the rules and processes for the growing population and economy in Alberta in the process.

Amendments allow the government to set consistent measurement and reporting expectations for all licence holders. The detailed requirements for measuring and reporting water use will be informed through upcoming discussions with water licence holders.

Alberta’s government will also develop policy to establish how any prices paid for water as part of a licence transfer will be reported in the future.

Streamlining licences for farmers and irrigation districts

“Amending the Water Act has improved access to water and streamlined certain processes, especially for users with multiple licences, like irrigation districts, which will improve reporting and strengthen transparency in water use,” said Richard Phillips, chair of Alberta Irrigation Districts Association, in a provincial government press release.

Alberta’s water licence priority system, based on first-in-time, first-in-right, remains unchanged. The Water for Life strategy and its goals remain in place.

The Water Amendment Act removes barriers and improves processes associated with water licensing, making it easier to access and use water.

“These amendments will provide municipalities with the resources and tools they need to support their communities. By reducing unnecessary red tape, we will save time and taxpayer money. Enhancing re-use applications will enable further cost savings and new revenue streams,” said Josh Bishop, reeve for Wetaskiwin County.

New rules for inter-basin transfers and water re-use

Alberta was the only province in Canada to require inter-basin transfer decisions to be authorized through a special act of the legislature.

Now, a new category of lower risk inter-basin transfers can be approved through a ministerial order. Only transfers that meet strict environmental standards and limits are eligible under this lower-risk category. Any proposed inter-basin transfer that does not meet these standards will continue to require a special act of the legislature.

Tapping into rainwater and wastewater solutions

The amendments also enable communities and others to collect rainwater from rooftops and reuse wastewater, improving conservation and increases water reuse for municipalities, industry and agriculture.

“Defining rainwater and considering water recycling and reuse are important to our operations. We are always fresh, local vegetables year-round, and to remain competitive we must use all resources efficiently,” said Ryan Cramer, CEO Big Marble Farms.

Royalties, bulk or volumetric pricing of water are not included in the amendments.

What’s next: reporting and measurement standards

Environment and Protected Areas will engage water users and licensees to establish and implement standards for water-use measurement and reporting. Most large water users already have measurement systems in place in their operations. Low and no-cost options will be available for water users and reporting will be made public.

Key Takeaways

• Modernized Licensing: Farmers and irrigation districts can now consolidate multiple water licences under a single, streamlined allocation.
• Faster Approvals: Lower-risk inter-basin transfers can now be approved via Ministerial Order rather than a special act of the legislature.
• New Reuse Rules: Legislation now officially supports rooftop rainwater collection and wastewater recycling for municipal and agricultural use.
• Priority Remains: Alberta’s “first-in-time, first-in-right” priority system remains unchanged to protect existing licence holders.
• Increased Transparency: New measurement and reporting standards will be developed to track water use across the province accurately.

The post Alberta farmers and ranchers aided by Water Amendment Act appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

After several dry years and El Niño producing warm and dry winters across Canada, early findings in 2026 are showing Alberta’s precipitation levels are bringing much-needed moisture back to the province.

Most mountain snowpack sites surveyed are reporting snowpack levels above or well above normal. After three years of low early-season water supply forecasts, current conditions are the most favourable since early 2022.

This will be good for farmers, businesses, communities and every Albertan who uses and relies on water every day, said Grant Hunter, minister of environment and protected areas.

February’s water supply outlook shows river volumes expected to be greater than those seen in 2025. The Milk River is forecasted to see normal river volumes, while the North Saskatchewan and the Red Deer river basins are predicted to be above normal. The Bow and Oldman river basins are forecasted to have river volumes ranging from normal to above normal.

February snow survey results show mountain snowpack conditions ranging from normal to significantly above normal. Water storage levels in major reservoirs across southern Alberta are in good shape. Total storage is normal in the Oldman and South Saskatchewan river basins, and above normal in the Bow River basin.

Alberta conducts mountain snowpack surveys monthly from Feb 1 to June 1. From February until August, the government uses snowpack and precipitation information to create a water supply forecast for 20 locations in central and southern Alberta.

Current moisture levels are a promising start. Alberta usually receives most of its moisture during March and April snowfalls and June rains.

The post Promising 2026 water outlook brings relief for Alberta producers appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

Since 2020, Alberta has invested more than $25 million through the Wetland Replacement Program and has restored or constructed about 676 hectares of wetlands across the province.

WHY IT MATTERS: Wetlands are vital to water management and drought resistance in Alberta.

Wetlands have important functions. They store and release water to reduce damaging effects of flooding and drought, and filter runoff to keep rivers and lakes clean. Wetlands also recharge groundwater and provide habitat for plants and animals. Municipalities, non-profits, governments and rural landowners are all part of the process.

The seven new wetlands projects will strengthen natural flood and drought defences, improve water quality, and support communities.

Examples of the projects include turning a drained wetland on private land back into a fully functional wetland that will help store more water in the typically dry region of Special Areas No. 3. Another project in Strathcona County will transform large end pit lakes from past industrial into wetlands that will help store, filter and clean water near the North Saskatchewan River.

A third project in Parkland County will see a low-lying upland area will be turned into water-storing wetlands, reducing the risk of floods downstream. Other projects will be underway in Sturgeon County, the Ann and Sandy Cross Conservation Area, and with private landowners southeast of Holden, southwest of Youngstown and southwest of New Sarepta.

The Wetlands Replacement Program provides a way to restore wetlands across the province and prioritize areas with the highest rates of wetland loss.

Since 2020, rural landowners have received more than $6.04 million in payments for hosting new or restored wetlands on their properties.

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“Based on the snowpack and groundwater conditions, the forecast is about 104-107 per cent of normal volume for the period of March through Sept. 30. If you look at a year ago, it’s all about 70 per cent. So we’re about 30-40 per cent more volume prediction right now for the same period of time,” said Dennis Matis, operations and infrastructure manager for the Oldman River Basin, Water and Infrastructure and Operations Branch, and Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation, at the January Irrigated Crop Production Update in Lethbridge, Alta.

WHY IT MATTERS: Snowpack projections help dam operators, irrigation districts and farmers alike project allotments for producers with irrigated crops with how much capacity reservoirs will have.

Those preliminary predictions are strengthened by “snow pillows” used for measuring snowpack located throughout the region featuring readings well-above median. The upper St. Mary/Waterton flat top, upper Oldman/Castle headwaters, Oldman/Crowsnest, North Fork, Sunshine and Skoki all have between 130-160 per cent above median.

“The skiers at Norquay are having a heyday right now,” said Matis.

The strong numbers hope to be a breakout from the last decade, which has seen well-below average supply for the Oldman and St. Mary reservoirs. Inversely, demand between 2017-2025 has been well-above average despite top-10 lowest Oldman inflows in the last quarter century.

“As dam operators, the last 10 years, I dare say our team had done a really amazing job with the very little water we have. We have been able to supply districts’ needs. We haven’t had any deficits on the in-stream flows for the most part. Timely rains helped us big time time,” said Matis.

“It’s a lot of interim forecasts, projections, running models — really trying to optimize every drop.”

Climate change has seen water come at different times and in different forms, be it rain or snow in variability. Traditional peak runoff from melt is usually mid-June, whereas the last few years has hovered around the mid-May range, which dam operators must monitor closely. High winter inflows had a rare month in 2025 of between 35-40 centimetres into the Waterton dam, which mirrored an occurrence in 2021.

Season-ending storage for St. Mary Reservoir was 138,000 cubic decametres, but gained 109,000 cubic decametres from the winter inflow from Oct.-Jan.

“That’s probably going to be a record, I think at least in the last 40 years, for winter inflow. When you look at the average winter demand, winter influence is 26,000,” said Matis, adding Oldman Reservoir gained 45,000 cubic decametres for winter inflow, shattering previous averages.

“We’re actually looking at our operating policies, and we’re really integrating this whole winter phenomenon right now. If this continues, do we rely on it regularly?”

Oldman Reservoir low-supply projections up to May 1 is 300,000 cubic decametres (60 per cent full) with a high-supply scenario of 68 per cent full. St. Mary Reservoir projected ranges are between 270,000-301,000 for supply scenarios, at 75 to 82 per cent full, aided by high releases from Sherburne Reservoir in Montana from December and January. Waterton Reservoir ranges from 50,000-62,000 cubic decametres at 44 to 54 per cent capacity.

All are at up to normal to upper quartiles, trending higher from 2023 after major reservoirs dropped to historically low levels over the last half century.

Seasonal forecasts have below-average temperatures in the early part of the year coupled with above-average precipitation from January to March. It shifts to normal temperatures and below-average precipitation from April to June. A La Nina year is projected with a colder winter and more precipitation.

“We should be able to fill our reservoirs; 2026 is shaping up to be the best year probably in 10 years,” said Matis.

“Snow and precipitation is always an uncertainty, but it’s looking pretty good early on right now.”

Field data is taken is taken from 400-plus water stations with 146 model forecast points. Data is also taken from 620 meteorological stations.

The post Irrigators jumping with joy over Alberta snowpack predictions appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

Farmers, ranchers, communities, businesses and emergency responders can all make use of these new exemptions.

WHY IT MATTERS: Farmers can mitigate the effects of prolonged drought conditions with increased water storage capacity.

Currently, many dugouts are too small to capture available water because of a 2,500-cubic-metre exemption limit. As of January 20, farmers and ranchers can fill their dugouts up to 7,500 cubic metres, provided the water is used for agricultural purposes. This change helps protect farmers from future droughts and supports agricultural operations.

Alberta’s government is also making it easier for communities and businesses to use less fresh water by using stormwater instead. Under the new exemption, a newly constructed wetland will be able to capture up to 7,500 cubic metres of local surface runoff per year. That’s a 1,250-cubic-metre increase from the previous limit, which will support more wetlands across the province.

Other changes to the Water Act make it easier to use water for bridge, sign washing and dust control. Another advantage will be the ability to access water from borrow pits on unoccupied public land in the Green Area, provided there are no fish present and no connection to a wetland or watercourse.

Up to 100 cubic metres can be used for bridge, sign washing and dust control.

As demand for water increases across the province, the water management system will be modernized to ensure the province can meet challenges.

Up to 100 cubic metres per source per day can be used for fire prevention and training activities related to firefighting and spill response. (Water used for active firefighting has long been exempt under the Water Act.)

Annual use of stormwater ponds up to 7,500 cubic metres with an outflow, or up to 15,000 cubic metres with no outflow are now exempt from licensing requirements.

The exemption for water use by temporary camps has increased to 2,500 cubic metres per year.

The post New rules to boost water storage and conservation in Alberta appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

“Our major success is continuing to build on generating sound income,” said Mark Redmond, Chief Executive Officer of RDAR.

“It’s not a single activity that we’ve engaged in, but rather the broad spectrum of results that we are continuing to put into the hands of producers.”

WHY IT MATTERS: RDAR’s work in Alberta has made significant impacts on hundreds of operations across the province.

The impact for pork, for example, has the objective of getting a significant number of projects in the hands of producers in three to five years, said Redmond.

“I think 50 per cent of our projects are scheduled to do that,” he said.

Producer engagement continues to grow, and Redmond said the profile of RDAR is growing within producer groups.

At this point, RDAR is reviewing over 300 projects a year. In 2024, they funded 122 projects.

“We can’t understate the challenge for reviewing of all that work. We outperform most other research funding agencies in terms of those numbers, and the fact that we can quickly turn around on funding decisions,” he said.

A typical decision on a project takes an average of six weeks, which includes peer review. Producers are engaged in the reviews.

Once proposals are reviewed, RDAR goes through an iterative process of improving the deliverables and defining goals, so they meet producer objectives.

“We talk about our innovation system in terms of that whole engagement with the research teams, rather than just judging the proposal. It’s very much a team approach,” he said.

Last year, RDAR put a new funding program in place called the producer research and evaluation project (PREP), that supports an everyday producer conducting a research project.

“I was just reviewing a report from a producer who took our concept of capturing snow to fill dugouts. The producer had remarkable success in that delivery,” said Redmond.

“There’s a great example that you can say is low tech, although there’s a lot of physics that went into the design of fencing,” he said.

Redmond attended Farmfair International in Edmonton, where he promoted that initiative to farmers.

“I like being in contact directly with the producer base, and it ties with our mandate to be producer-led. This really closes the full circle,” he said.

Being producer-led means projects are immediately relevant to the farmers and ranchers of the province.

“In the past, research has been academically led, or government programs led at a very high level,” he said.

RDAR’s process involves engaging producers and the 30 member organizations (such as Alberta Beef Producers, Alberta Pork and the Alberta Pulse Growers) and discovering what is a priority to their membership. That brings immediate relevancy to the work done by RDAR, said Redmond.

“We can directly affect farm gate receipts and meet producers’ wishes for their operations,” he said.

Redmond said the projects are also determined by the 4P principles, which include profitability, productivity, protecting the land and passing it on. These contribute to the longevity of agricultural communities, and projects must meet the deliverables.

Redmond said RDAR also looks for clear economics descriptors for the producer.

“If there’s a new technique or practice out there, what’s it going to cost to adopt that change? What’s the return on investment?” he said.

RDAR partners with the applied research associations and forage associations through the province to give farmers a hand when adopting changes.

Originally RDAR was going to be just a grant reviewing agency, but it has now become an integral part of agriculture, said Redmond.

Some of RDAR’s programs, like the On-Farm Climate Action Fund (OFCAF) are growing rapidly.

“OFCAF is a tremendous success story,” said Redmond. Over two million acres in the province are in OFCAF projects.

RDAR is also using what they call “research tables.” The tables bring together producers, sector experts and members of the RDAR team. The team then puts out a specific, targeted funding call to address those needs. One table is in beef production.

“In that program we’re looking at genetics in terms of improving efficiencies of animal production, as well as other environmental factors that are going to restore the herd to the numbers that are needed to maintain the industry. We need to be able to feed those animals. Forages are very important,” he said.

RDAR has made a major investment with Western Crop Innovations to create a focus on feed and forage for the beef industry.

The second research table is water and irrigation.

“Certain irrigation efficiencies are getting better water use out of the water that is available,” he said.

One project RDAR supported was the South Saskatchewan River Basin assessment, which includes studying the water in the river basin to gain efficiencies.

“That particular model actually has become a nationally recognized approach in terms of how to best manage water and water usage,” he said.

RDAR is also funding studies which will help farmers use their data to make good, practical decisions that can be employed quickly on the farm.

The third table is soil health.

“We learned a lot from having inquiries on different subjects,” he said.

RDAR went on the road last fall and travelled from Rycroft in the Peace Country to Lacombe to Medicine Hat. They brought together 50 or 60 people to talk about soil health.

“What was fascinating with this exercise was that with every stop with RDAR on the road, we had a different interpretation of what soil health is. We’re busy working through how best to put that knowledge into practice,” he said.

“We spent a lot of time listening and learning.”

RDAR currently has 550 projects that are responses to specific funding calls. These calls are designed to tackle emerging threats and challenges to agriculture in specific areas.

There are 11 professors across the province engaged in research in critically important areas, and they spend a lot of their time in research extension and working directly with producers.

RDAR’s strategic framework calls on the organization to continue delivering products to the farm.

“That’s the neat thing now. We’re seeing projects coming to their conclusion,” he said.

Each project has a final report. The reports are read, and the team learns from them in terms of what worked, and what can be communicated to producers in terms of practices which can be adopted and changed.

“In the future, I think there will be other opportunities to rapidly put in opportunities to improve production,” said Redmond.

RDAR is currently working with Farm Credit Canada on an AI-backed chat engine called Root, that can address problems on the farm.

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