The GrainsWest Podcast
A Podcast From GrainsWest Magazine, connecting farmers, food and ideas.
Episodes
After years as the go-to malting barley on the Prairies, CDC Copeland is giving way to a new favourite: CDC Churchill. Farmers, maltsters and brewers don’t usually switch varieties quickly, so when a new one takes the top spot, there’s a story behind it.
In this episode, GrainsWest writer and beer expert Don Tse talks with people from across the barley industry about what’s driving the mo...
Agriculture is on the edge of an AI revolution, and farmers are about to feel it. In this episode of The GrainsWest Podcast, Trevor Bacque sits down with businessman and ag tech visionary Robert Saik, who makes the case that artificial intelligence is already reshaping how farmers gather data, manage operations, and make decisions in the field. From precision ag platforms to marketing portfolio management, Saik breaks down where AI...
No one knows farming like farmers. To produce its latest AgIntel Index Report, AdFarm turned to farmers for their perspectives on Canadian and U.S. agriculture. The report’s authors discuss insights into the farm economy, AI, regenerative ag and more.
Read the exclusive online story at grainswest.com
In this episode of The GrainsWest Podcast, we explore how Western Canadian agriculture evolved from horse-and-plow to the mechanized age of tractors, threshers, and field implements. As farming equipment became obsolete, many machines disappeared—until a dedicated group of enthusiasts stepped in.
Learn how members of the Westlock Vintage Tractor and Machinery Club founded the Canadian Tractor Museum to preserve this vital his...
This is the second of a two-part examination of the effects of U.S. trade war on the Canadian agriculture. What are the potential economic impact on farmers, and what has it done to crop input markets and the agricultural manufacturing sector?
This is the first of a two-part examination of the effects of the U.S. trade war on the Canadian agriculture industry. In this episode, we examine the fallout and response from a policy and markets perspective.
The work of certified seed growers is challenging. In the magazine’s spring 2025 issue, GrainsWest introduced readers to three successful Alberta seed growing operations. In this episode of The GrainsWest Podcast, Trevor Bacque picks up where that story left off and talks with Larry Penner of Penwest Seeds about the variety registration system and innovation in seed genetics.
In this episode, Trevor Bacque goes inside the Canadian short line equipment industry, a sector led by enterprising farmers. While they represent a surprising amount of economic activity, these relatively small, independent manufacturers are a pivotal part of the farm equipment ecosystem.
For the digital edition of the story, please visit: https://grainswest.com/
In this episode, beer journalist Don Tess talks with Rob McCaig, a 42-year veteran of the beer industry and a technical expert on malt. McCaig has served as head brewer for some of the largest breweries in the world and as the executive director of the Canadian Malting Barley Technical Centre. He now works as a senior technical services advisor for First Key, a brewing and beverage industry consulting firm. McCaig is also a highly ...
Irrigated cereals farmer and distiller Lars Hirch and Margo Jarvis Redelback of the Alberta Irrigation Districts Association discuss efficient agricultural water use.
For the digital edition of the story, please visit: https://grainswest.com/
An Alberta farmer who has recently completed a farm succession plan with his children offers advice and insight on the process.
Join us as we hear from three rural Alberta entrepreneurs who have created on-farm revenue streams that tap the appeal of high-quality, locally grown Alberta malting barley.
The fall issue of GrainsWest features the cover story “Fertilizer frenzy,” an in-depth examination of the global increase in fertilizer prices. This podcast is a companion piece that on the Canadian government’s ambitious reduction target for fertilizer emissions. It’s a hot topic in ag circles. Farmers have questions about the agronomic and cost implications. Trevor Bacque went all the way to the country&rs...
In the last decide there's been an explosion in number of Alberta small breweries. Many of these new breweries enthusiastically use Alberta grown barley and other local grains. However, the vast majority are small, independent operations and don't have the infrastructure in place to deal with the spent grain by-product of the brewing process. Inspired by her farmer father, Victoria Ross founded aGRO Systems, which collects spent gr...
The on-farm fallout from two years of pandemic related supply chain interruptions continues to evolve. It will be some time until the global movement of products and equipment normalizes. We talk with industry experts about the implications of lingering supply chain problems.
Non-alcoholic beers have not been known for their deliciousness, but the market for these beverages is experiencing rapid growth. Alberta craft brewers are developing innovative brewing processes to produce a new generation of tastier low- and no-alcohol beer. And in the process, they’re moving more malt.
In the “Super friends,” episode of The GrainsWest Podcast, we talk to Prairie researchers working to establish the economic value of the beneficial insects that patrol farm fields. We also hear from an Australian farmer who successfully uses them to control pests on commodity crops.
This episode is a follow-up to the GrainsWest online story: “PPE MIA.” Sarah Hoffmann, a seed grower and GrainsWest contributor, looks in-depth at the evolving PPE supply situation in the Ag industry.
The 2019/20 crop year has been heartbreaking. Early snow has stranded crops in the field, creating stress and uncertainty to farmers. In the follow-up to “Reaching out,” the first episode of the GrainsWest Podcast, we present “Coping with the Harvest from Hell.” In it, we examine how and why farmers suffering from the mental health issues in this stressful time can get help and assist others in doing li...
This episode of The GrainsWest Podcast is titled “Drones and data.” In it, we join three experts for a high-flying view of on-farm drone applications. To find out how new drone flight regulations have affected farm users and where drone technologies and usage are headed, we’ll talk to Markus Webber of LandView Drones, Melissa Silvernagel of AgraCity and Chris Healy of InFlight Data.
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