The First Sixteen

In this episode we speak with Dr. Briana Hagen about tailoring mental health programs to the needs of farmers. She explains how mental health in farming is fundamentally different than in other sectors. And she points toward solutions and successful programs across the country including the program called, In the Know, which she helped developed at the University of Guelph.

Hear about this Living Laboratories initiative and its revolutionary new approach to innovation. It brings together farmers, scientists, and other collaborators to address agri-environmental issues in a designated UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

In this episode you will hear a very frank discussion with three leading women in the ag sector. Our interviewees are Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau, Mary Robinson, President of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, and Kathleen Sullivan, CEO of Food and Beverage Canada. All three are the first women in their positions. All three are advocates for making our sector welcoming and inclusive for all. Through their stories and reflections we find out actions we can all take to make this a truly diverse, inclusive and competitive sector.

Is food waste really an opportunity? Denise Philippe of the National Zero Waste Council believes so. Listen to this discussion where she outlines gaps in our food system and shows us where opportunities exist. As well, learn about the new Food Waste Reduction Challenge.

Meet the next generation of Canadians working in the agriculture and agri-food sector. Jerry Bos, a young dairy farmer and co-chair of the Canadian Agricultural Youth Council, shares his vision for the future. Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau tells us why it’s important to have young farmers like Jerry and the other members of the council at the decision-making table.

Christopher Garnham and his team at AAFC have discovered something very small that could have big impacts in the food and feed industry. Some crops such as corn and wheat can be infected by a fungus that, while growing, produces mycotoxins. Ingestion of mycotoxin-laden food and feed is detrimental to the health of livestock and humans. Listen as Christopher Garnham explains the discovery they made of an enzyme that has the potential to mitigate these toxins in Canadian agri-food and agri-feed.

Learn about the Radarsat Constellation Mission, the type of data that flows from it, its applications in agriculture and how it is used by environmental stewards to work with farmers. In this episode we speak to Dr. Andrew Davidson, Manager Earth Observation at AAFC and Jacqui Empson Laporte, Environmental Specialist, from OMAFRA.

In discussion with two agents of change in the world of agricultural science, we explore a new and brilliant way forward.

Listen in as we shed light on an innovative and nimble collaboration that is addressing food insecurity during the pandemic.

Interview with Julie Dawson, a beef specialist at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada who is also a sixth-generation farmer. Listen in on this fascinating discussion about how much farming has and is changing, and how fast.