In early February, the federal Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) rejected an emergency use application submitted by the Alberta and Saskatchewan governments to make strychnine available for use against gophers.

Until his 2025 retirement from official duties after 13 years, Fawcett area farmer Gordon McCann oversaw shinny games and hockey practices and maintained the ice at the Fawcett Community Hall and Arena. Its schedule now includes men’s and children’s leagues, and its two curling sheets are central to the community’s annual cabaret and bonspiel to be held this year in late January. Nicknamed Iceman McCann by young skaters, he continues to take on occasional volunteer arena activities and will field a team in the bonspiel.

For nearly a decade, Sexsmith area farmer and Alberta Grains region 6 director Greg Sears has opened his fields to researchers for pest studies. These researchers set traps, use sweep nets and record findings. During a routine sweep in 2022, the net captured a donkey click beetle (Dalopius asellus), an uncommon type.

In July, the Alberta government announced the intended launch of a permanent farm plastics recycling program but has instead renewed the province’s existing pilot project. The “Alberta Ag-Plastic. Recycle It!” pilot program will start its next two-year stretch in 2026 with an impressive record.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada crop breeder Harpinder Randhawa has made impressive gains in soft white spring wheat breeding in recent years, and AAC Raymond is his latest success. “Soft whites are unique in their end-use potential,” said Randhawa, who works at the Lethbridge Research and Development Centre. “Historically, soft white wheats have been grown in southern Alberta and Saskatchewan for milling cookies, cakes and biscuits. Owing to their low protein and high starch content, however, they are also ideal for ethanol and brewing malt.”

A made in Alberta, barley-based nutritional supplement, NutraStat is manufactured by Camrose-based Sunny Boy Foods, known for its namesake hot cereal, flours and pancake mixes. NutraStat’s star ingredient is the soluble fibre beta-glucan, which has been proven to reduce LDL cholesterol, stabilize blood sugar, improve gut health and assist weight loss by increasing satiety.

Canadian agriculture faces one of the biggest farm transitions in history. Nearly 40 per cent of farmers are expected to retire over the next decade. In Alberta, it’s closer to 62 per cent. The province’s farms are predominantly family owned and operated. Unfortunately, the number of young people taking up the family business is declining. Beyond succession planning, there is a need to identify and evaluate barriers to the family farm transition process.

On Oct. 16, 2025, the Premier of Alberta mandated Minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction Dale Nally to work with Alberta’s distilling industry to define standards for “Alberta whisky.” These standards would then be codified in an Alberta Whisky Act and legally protect the designation.

Scientists at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Lethbridge Research and Development Centre have successfully edited multiple genes in two spring wheat lines in efforts to create greater environmental adaptability.

Imagine having a clear, weekly snapshot of which ports are signing contracts, volume of grain movement and shifts in global demand. Saskatchewan ag groups say this kind of visibility could sharpen the marketing strategies of Canadian farmers, improve risk management and produce stronger outcomes. In today’s fast-paced marketplace, farmers have limited information on their grain’s ultimate destination once it enters the supply chain until weeks or months later. They may be unaware of potential changes in supply and demand until it’s too late to take advantage.