2023 Alberta approved farmers' markets now open

Jun 21, 2023

“We have more than 145 approved markets serving about 110 communities around the province that are open throughout the summer,” says Eileen Kotowich, farmers’ market specialist with the Alberta government. “This includes 20 markets that operate year-round.”

“Alberta approved farmers’ markets are a bit different from public markets, even though they may both be called a farmers’ market,” says Kotowich. “Approved farmers’ markets meet minimum standards set out by the government, one of which is to provide preferential access to Alberta entrepreneurs through the ‘80/20 Rule’ where a minimum of 80% of the products must be produced in Alberta by the vendor. Look for the Sunnygirl logo at the market or signs that say the market is approved.”

Alberta’s farmers’ markets offer a diverse selection of goods. At this time of year there are greenhouse bedding plants and vegetables, early season vegetables, and preserves, baking, prepared foods, and other year-round products like meat, eggs and honey.

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Video: Root Exudates, Soil Biology, and How Plants Recruit Microbes | Field Talk Friday

Field Talk Friday | Dr. John Murphy | Root Exudates, Soil Biology, and How Plants Recruit Microbes

Most of us spend our time managing what we can see above ground—plant height, leaf color, stand counts, and yield potential. But the deeper you dig into agronomy, the more you realize that some of the most important processes driving crop performance are happening just millimeters below the surface.

In this episode of Field Talk Friday, Dr. John Murphy continues the soil biology series by diving into one of the most fascinating topics in modern agronomy: root exudates and the role they play in shaping the microbial world around plant roots.

Roots are not passive structures simply pulling nutrients out of the soil. They are active participants in the underground ecosystem. Plants constantly release compounds into the soil—sugars, amino acids, organic acids, and other molecules—that act as both energy sources and signals for soil microbes.