Project Supports Rural Alberta Women Entrepreneurs

The Agriculture & Food Council (AFC) is conducting a research project called Success for Women in Agri-Food (#S4WAg) to identify and assess barriers rural Alberta women entrepreneurs face and to develop a pilot program that will support the engagement of women in the growing regional food economy and policy discussions.

 

“Women play key roles in the diversification and value added businesses in the regional food system in rural Alberta. Participating in regional food systems not only creates economic growth for a region, but also provides entrepreneurs an opportunity to create value added food adding to the long term sustainability of their business,” says Bryanna Kumpula, AFC executive director. “AFC is seeking to examine a pilot project model that enables today’s high growth agriculture based women entrepreneurs the ability to seek out the expertise they need, providing them with the resources, skills and networks to optimize opportunities for success.”

 

The project involves a comprehensive assessment of the current situation facing women involved in agriculture, food entrepreneurism and policy development. It will engage stakeholders through survey responses, interviews, and focus group, assisting in the development of a pilot program to help more rural Alberta women become successfully engaged in the regional food and agriculture economy and policy discussions.

 

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.