Alberta Centre for Sustainable Rural Communities

Check out this podcast from the Canadian Forage & Grassland Association

"Welcome to the inaugural episode of Forage and Grasslands Unpacked, a Canadian Forage and Grassland Association podcast exploring forage, grasslands, and grazing through a multifocal lens. This season opens by grounding listeners in a deceptively simple question: What is a grassland?"

https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/1-what-is-a-grassland/id1896583474?i=1000767339383

1 - What IS a Grassland? Podcast Episode · Forage and Grasslands Unpacked · May 12 · 1h 6m

"Disruptions are coming at a breakneck pace. The future belongs to those who can adapt."

"If adaptability is emerging as the prime survival skill of the 21st century, can it actually be taught?"

https://www.ualberta.ca/en/newtrail/ideas/all-hail-the-kludge-machine.html

All Hail the Kludge Machine “Recalculating.” The voice on your GPS never loses its cool when you make a move it wasn’t expecting. The graceful pivot belies the calculations happening out of sight.

A homegrown program is getting rural youth interested in taking up health-care practice in their own communities, a University of Alberta study suggests.

Check out this new study about the Young Medical Minds program in !



City of Camrose, Alberta Camrose County Alberta Health Services Covenant Health

Link to the study within the article.

https://www.ualberta.ca/en/news/spotlights/2026/05-may/cultivating-young-medical-minds.html

If you're a woman farmer or rancher, consider participating in this research! $200 honorarium.
Our friends at the University of Guelph are looking for farm women from the prairies.

We recently welcomed Laticia Chapman-Rainway, as our new Post-Doctoral Scholar! She is exploring political opinions in rural communities across Canada. Check out this article for some of her insights from this ethnographic research project.

https://www.ualberta.ca/en/alberta-centre-sustainable-rural-communities/news/2026/postdoctoral-scholar.html

New research hub will help conserve Canada’s vital grasslands A research hub being established at the University of Alberta will help conserve Canada’s grasslands, which are vital to the environment.

For farmers and their families in Rocky View County please check out this wonderful resource from Agwell Alberta.

We’re proud to officially launch the AgWell Farmer Wellness Network in Rocky View County in Alberta this week!

This pilot connects farmers, farm families, and agricultural workers with therapists who understand the realities of farm life. Participants can access up to five free counselling sessions, with no referral required.

This program was built in collaboration with farmers. It reflects the pressures they face every day, from unpredictable conditions to the challenge of finding support that fits rural life.

Thank you to Larry Woolliams for his leadership and commitment to supporting farmers in the community, and to Rocky View County for their support.

This program is made possible through the generosity of the Annual Woolliams Farms Ltd. Charity Golf Classic and the Rural Heart Foundation, with the support of our partners at the University of Alberta and Canadian Centre for Agricultural Wellbeing.

This is an important first step toward expanding practical, farm-informed mental health support across Alberta.

Learn more on our website at https://www.agwellab.ca/farmer-wellness-network

Signal boosting for our colleagues Chester Ronning Centre for their research study!

Beaver County Town of Tofield Camrose County

We are currently looking for local farmers to take part in a research study called ‘Farmer Relationships to Land in Central Alberta.’ This study explores the perspectives, experiences and practices of farmers in relation to the land where they live and work. The overall purpose of the project is to gain a better understanding of how religious and nonreligious settlers in rural communities relate to the land around them.

Participation involves one interview session in English with a member of the research team for approximately 60 minutes. Interviews may take place in person or over Zoom. Compensation
will be offered.

To participate you must:
-Be an agricultural producer (big or small) in Beaver County or Camrose County
-Be at least 18 years old

If you are interested in taking part or have any questions, please contact Lauren Strumos at [email protected]

Please help us in our recruitment efforts by liking and sharing this post!