Why is this research important for Alberta ag?
Alternative Land Use Services (ALUS) is a voluntary program that works to help farmers and ranchers build nature-based solutions on their land. In Alberta, ALUS represents a wide-reaching network of over 350 farmers and ranchers engaged in the establishment, enhancement, and maintenance of various Beneficial Management Practices (BMP) projects on 18,474 acres.
This ALUS project will communicate the experiences of ALUS participants and research related to drought and extreme heat mitigation. This project aims to:
Establish and maintain demonstration sites to support farmers and ranchers and communities in Alberta to demonstrate benefits and impacts of BMP projects related to water retention and grazing management.
Organize events to support the capacity of farmers and ranchers to engage in effective peer-to-peer learning and communication of the benefits of BMP adoption for drought and extreme heat resilience.
Share relevant research conducted by ALUS and partners on BMPs for drought and extreme heat mitigation to farmers, ranchers and partners to increase understanding and spur farmer and rancher action across Alberta.
What benefits can producers expect from this research?
As more farmers adopt BMPs due to awareness raised through this project about practical means of mitigating drought and extreme heat, the resiliency of the industry will benefit.
This project will strengthen partnerships between research institutions, municipalities, farmers and ranchers through project communications and events. The mix of first-hand, research and practical information shared through this project will create a compelling message about the short- and long-term benefits of BMP adoption and help close the gap between awareness and adoption of BMPs.
How will these research findings reach producers on-farm?
Project participants will be critical to the communication of BMPs for drought and extreme heat resilience via demonstration sites. Project participants will take part in hosting demonstrations on-farms and at community hubs to facilitate peer-peer knowledge transfer. Additionally, Rural Routes to Climate Solutions will support the communication and distribution of project participant’s experiences with wetland and riparian restoration for drought and extreme heat mitigation through the Rural Routes podcast.
Funded in part by the Government of Canada under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative.