Grainswest - Tech 2025

Tech 2025 Grains West 12 THE FARMGATE WHEN GREG NEWMAN IS PITCHED a new product for his 3,000-acre grain farm in Alberta’s Peace Region, the first question he asks is: “Has that product been tried and tested up here?” Without local data, he’s not buying. “What works in southern Alberta can work totally different up north,” said Newman, who farms alongside his two sons near Fort Vermilion. For Newman, credibility starts with context. That’s why he relies on the Mackenzie Applied Research Associa- tion (MARA), his local farm research group, to test new ideas and validate emerging practices under Peace Country conditions. It’s also why he chairs the organization and served as board chair of the Agricultural Research and Extension Council of Alberta (ARECA), the um- brella group that connects the province’s eight regional applied research associ- ations. “I believe in what these organi- zations are doing,” he said. “They’re not selling anything. They’re just trying to find the truth and helping farmers make better decisions.” Across the province, groups such as MARA, Chinook Applied Research As- sociation (CARA) and Gateway Research Organization (GRO) help grain farm- ers adapt on their own terms through farmer-led trials, regionally grounded extension and a deep understanding of what works where. PEACE COUNTRY EXTENSION MARA’s work centres on practical re- search and extension tailored to condi- tions in Peace Country. The association has also offered workshops on farm suc- cession planning. At the north end of the region, farmers in the association’s catch- ment area are far distant from agricul- tural facilities to the south. “For me to go Plot topractice Field-tested, farmer approved research and extension At the CARA Soil Health Lab, Yamily Zavala discusses soil health information with Canola Council of Canada agronomists from across Western Canada. Zavala is the organization’s soil health and crop management specialist.