WINTER 2023 | 

VOLUME 14 ISSUE 04

WHAT'S THE DEAL WITH RADICCHIO?... PAGE 4

BEER GUY: ORGANIC BEER... PAGE 6

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF AN APPRENTICE... PAGE 8

THE SEED MICROBIOME... PAGE 10

WORKING WITH AN AGRONOMIST

IN MACKENZIE COUNTY... PAGE 14
 WINTER 2023
MISSION: To represent and support
Alberta's entire organic industry.
VISION: A strong, sustainable and
united organic community in
Alberta.
EDITOR/SUBMISSIONS
Cari Hartt
587-521-2400
cari.hartt@organicalberta.org
ADVERTISING
Cari Hartt
587-521-2400
cari.hartt@organicalberta.org
GRAPHIC DESIGNER  happening at the La Crete Heritage
Cari Hartt
587-521-2400
cari.hartt@organicalberta.org
BOARD MEMBERS
Representatives elected by region:
(N) North (S) South (C) Central
(M) Member at Large
President: Frank Maddock
780-727-2333
jaspersprings@live.com
Vice President: Tracey Smith:
780-802-4073
northcookinglake@gmail.com
Treasurer: Ed Szymanek (C):
403-350-2677
eszymanek1@gmail.com
Secretary: Andrew Mans (S):
403-360-5663
ahmans@gmail.com
Becky Doherty (M):
587-673-1077
info@stonepostfarms.ca
James Thiessen (N):
603-480-1158
jkthie@telusplanet.net
Pierre Fillion (N):
780-925-2909
pjfillion@yahoo.com
Andy Wagman (S):
403-866-4220
andywagman@gmail.com
Greg Wedman (C):
780-232-2309
gwedman11@gmail.com
Spring 2023 deadline is Feb 24th.
Please send comments,
suggestions, ads, and/or articles
to cari.hartt@organicalberta.org.  in Beaumont (February 22) and one in
2 WWW.ORGANICALBERTA.ORG
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S REPORT
By Iris Vaisman, Executive Director,
Organic Alberta
Hello! I hope you are all doing great!
We’re well into Winter 2023, and
perhaps you’re wondering, when is
the Organic Alberta annual central
conference?! Shouldn’t it be
happening soon? Well, you may have
noticed that things are a little out of
whack since our last winter
conference in January 2020 at
Camrose. In 2021, we went online. In
2022, we were back in-person, but in
the summer. For 2023, we will be in-
person again, but in the Fall! I know
we may seem a little all over the map,
but we needed some creative new
ways to adapt to the last couple of
years. We still learned a lot,
connected with each other, and had
fun. But we think it's time to have one
of our big conferences again. Stay
tuned for date, location, and speakers
for the Fall 2023 Central Conference!
To tide us over until the Fall, we have
two upcoming mini-conferences: one
VOLUME 14 | ISSUE 04
Lethbridge (February 24). Join us
for a jam-packed day of information
on organic production, industry
networking, and catching up with
your favourite organic farmers (see
more info on page seven). As well,
back by popular demand is the
Organic Alberta La Crete
Conference and Tradeshow,
Centre on April 21 and April 22.
These three events are great
opportunities for connecting and
learning. The Organic Alberta team
can’t wait to see you there!
A few more updates: Organic
Alberta is in the middle of Strategic
Planning. This planning will help
guide our work over the next few
years in order to fulfill our mission
to represent, support and grow
Alberta’s entire organic industry. I
would also like to thank everyone
who contributed to our donation
campaign. Your generous
donations allowed us to hit our
target of $10,000 for 2023! As you
may know, Organic Alberta does
not receive any core funding or
check-off dollars. The majority of
our funding comes from grants,
which typically do not cover
administrative costs or core
activities. Your donations make
sure that Organic Alberta can
continue supporting organic
farmers. Thank you!
As always, please feel free to get in
touch. A reminder that we no
longer have an office, and our team
works remotely. You can get a hold
of me at: (204) 899-6599 or
iris.vaisman@organicalberta.org.
WINTER 2023 VOLUME 14 | ISSUE 04

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 WINTER 2023
WHAT'S THE DEAL WITH RADICCHIO,
AND WHY ARE PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT IT?
The Culinary Breeding Network has put
together a zine with all of the
information you need to know!
What Is Radicchio?
Radicchio is a cultivated form of
Cichorium intybus, or wild chicory, a
plant people have been harvesting and
eating for millennia. It’s in the same
family as dandelions, and, like
dandelions, prefers to grow in fields or
open, disturbed areas.
C. intybus is native to the
Mediterranean, but has become
naturalized in much of the world—it
thrives as a weed along roadsides from
California to China, where you can
recognize it by its soft blue flowers. Its
bittersweet root is used as a coffee
substitute in some traditions, especially
Italy and the American South.
A number of vegetables trace their
lineage back to C. intybus, including
radicchio, frisée, escarole, endive, and
“dandelion greens,” also known as
Catalogna chicory. In the United States,
the term “chicory” is often used to refer
to all of these vegetables generically. In
Italy, cicoria (chicory) refers specifically
to dark green, loose-leaved examples of
the genus, either cultivated or wild.
Radicchio History
Cichorium intybus has been an
important food and medicinal crop for
4 WWW.ORGANICALBERTA.ORG
people in the Mediterranean for
millennia. Core samples taken of
Bronze age villages in Veneto revealed
seeds very similar to today’s radicchio,
and references to chicory in literature
date back to at least 79 CE, when
Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder
described the digestion-enhancing
benefits of the bitter red-veined
lettuces of Veneto and credits the
Egyptians with breeding improved
varieties of this important plant.
In the Middle Ages, monks cultivated C.
intybus in their gardens. While the
exact moment of the appearance of
the term “radicchio” is unclear, by the
VOLUME 14 | ISSUE 04
Renaissance, writers were using the term.
Pietro Aretino, a Tuscan writer of social
commentary and sonnets, recommended
that a friend plant radicchio and nepitella
for a steady supply of flavorful salads.
Many of the named varieties of radicchio
we know today, like Rosso di Chioggia or
Rosso di Treviso, are actually fairly new
developments, dating back only to the
20th century in their named forms. Italian
growers have historically made their own
on-farm selections and saved their own
radicchio seeds, although today
purchased hybrid seed is common.
Radicchio crosses enthusiastically and
has a deep well of genetic diversity,
leading to a range of possible
morphologies. This means there was
likely a diversity of different shapes,
colours, and sizes of radicchio grown on
Italian farms, even before the modern
commercial varieties became
standardized.
In the United States, radicchio was
mostly confined to the home gardens of
Italian-Americans until the 1980s, when
the rise of packaged salad mixes began
to spur demand. Colour was its initial
selling point, particularly since American
consumers generally dislike bitter
flavours.
However, farmers found a more willing
consumer base among chefs and
restaurants. In the ‘80s, commercial
WINTER 2023
growers began to promote the crop
more aggressively. One grower, Joe
Marchini of Marchini Farms in
California’s Central Valley, would drive
around San Francisco, giving away
boxes of radicchio to restaurant
kitchens in an effort to build demand.
The rise of “California cuisine,” farm-to-
table dining, eating seasonally, and
farmers markets gave a boost to
radicchio through the 1980s and 1990s.
Seed catalogues for American home
gardeners also began to offer it more
widely, although variety selection was
limited.
The round Chioggia/Palla Rossa type
was, and continues to be, the primary
one grown commercially at a large scale
in the United States, although interest
in the other forms is growing,
particularly among small-scale market
growers who want to offer their
customers something unique (and
beautiful!) all 12 months of the year.
Why Eat Radicchio?
Radicchio is beautiful, versatile, and
nutritious. It’s also adaptable to a wide
variety of climates and growing
conditions, and can (and, indeed,
should!) be grown during the winters in
temperate zones, a time when many
other fresh salad vegetables like lettuce
or arugula are difficult to cultivate.
Radicchio is tough, which makes it
compelling for farmers. It thrives
without heavy nutrient inputs, is
generally free from pests and diseases,
and holds well in the field and in cold
storage. When harvested properly,
heads of radicchio can last for weeks or
even months in cold, humid conditions.
That means growers can offer fresh
salad greens year-round, an important
value proposition at farmers’ markets
and in distribution.
Radicchio is wonderfully flavourful
compared to grocery store lettuce, but
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VOLUME 14 | ISSUE 04
sometimes its natural bitterness deters
diners. There are many ways to see this
bitterness as an asset rather than a
liability. Radicchio’s rich flavour can stand
up to other bold ingredients like nuts,
cheese, zingy acids, or sweet fruit. It can
also be cooked – which, indeed, is how it
is mostly prepared in Italy – and cooking
methods that produce char or
caramelization like grilling, high-heat
roasting, or long braises can be
particularly delicious.
If a radicchio is simply too bitter, try
soaking the leaves in ice-cold water for 30
minutes to slightly reduce its bite. Before
long, we’re confident it will join coffee,
beer, chocolate, and amaro in the
pantheon of bitter flavours more and
more of us are learning to love.
Interested in growing radicchio on your
farm? Contact Tierra at
tierra.stokes@organicalberta.org for
growing resources!
5
 WINTER 2023
BEER GUY: ORGANIC BEER
Republished with permission from The
Tomato
Hell is a two-sailing ferry wait, broiling
in the hot July sun on a 30-degree day
on the tarmac at Horseshoe Bay. But as
Steve Miller sang, “You know you got to
go through hell before you get to
heaven,” soon enough we were
onboard, enjoying the cooling sea
breeze off Howe Sound. Arriving at
Langdale on the Sunshine Coast, it was
only three minutes up the road to a
little bit of heaven—Persephone
Brewing’s Beer Farm.
Sitting with friends at a picnic table in
the shade of a tree at Persephone one
sunny afternoon, we listened to bees
buzzing and children playing and took
turns heading over to the tap room in
the red barn nearby for flights of beer
and cider. I took a few minutes to
wander off and explore the farm.
Persephone sits on 11 acres of land, with
fields devoted to barley, hops and
vegetables plus two apple orchards, an
apiary and chickens. Persephone is a
certified B corporation, meaning they
have a triple-bottom-line (people,
planet, profit) approach to operating.
Bottom line for me: the beer is
excellent. While Persephone’s beer is
not certified organic, organic farming
methods are used on the farm and
sourcing off the farm focuses on
organic.
6 WWW.ORGANICALBERTA.ORG
Organic beer is simply beer made with
organic ingredients—in particular,
organic malt made from barley or
other grains grown without pesticides,
herbicides or synthetic fertilizer. Craft
beer drinkers expect a lot of their beer
— authenticity, naturalness, simplicity,
fairness, local focus. So, it’s no surprise
some look to organic beer as the next
step. Of late, we’ve seen a growth in
interest in organic beer, likely linked to
an increased concern for the
environment.
Bumper sticker at Persephone Brewing,
Gibsons B.C.
VOLUME 14 | ISSUE 04
Nitrogen fertilizer has been a modern
wonder, helping Alberta farmers feed a
growing world, increasing yields for
many crops by huge amounts (Canadian
canola yields rose almost 60 per cent
from 1990 to 2020). But some worry
about the cost of long-term heavy
fertilizer use for Alberta’s other black
gold—our rich, black chernozem soil. As
well, nitrogen fertilizer is a significant
source of greenhouse gas emissions,
with the Federal Government recently
proposing a goal of reducing emissions
from fertilizer 30 per cent by 2030. While
many farmers are unhappy about this
goal, others—especially younger ones—
are reinventing traditional methods and
turning to organic or renewable/
regenerative farming. Colby Hansen is a
rancher and farmer near Westlock who
is using traditional methods such as
rotational grazing and intercropping,
reducing his fertilizer use by up to 50 per
cent. Speaking to Mark Connolly on CBC
Edmonton AM, Hansen said, “There’s lots
of scepticism from conventional farmers.
But farmers like me have been doing it
and we’re very successful. There’s
science there, it’s been proven.”
Reducing emissions, sustaining healthy
soil and growing great barley for Alberta
craft beer: sounds like a win-win-win to
me.
Organic Six Pack
Certified organic beer is still few and far
between, but the next page has six that
use organic and local malt. Find at the
breweries and better beer stores.
WINTER 2023
Nelson Hooligan Organic Pilsner,
Nelson B.C.
Nelson Brewing is the OG of organic
brewing in Canada, a certified organic
craft brewery since launching in Nelson,
B.C. in 1991. They use mainly B.C.
organic malt and are partnering with
local growers on organic hops. Look for
their Faceplant Winter Ale when the
snow flies, but until then enjoy their
take on a traditional German Pilsner—a
light, golden lager with a crisp finish.
Hawk Tail Organic Malt Lager, Rimbey
AB
Hawk Tail’s stylish, modern tap room
overlooks prairie fields near the heart of
Alberta barley central. Their Organic
Malt Lager is as easy drinking as it is
easy on the environment, says co-owner
Chris Simeniuk. The Lager was brewed
with barley from the certified organic
grain farm Kettle Ridge Organics, who
grew the barley using sustainable
fertilizer from Replenish Nutrients.
Blindman 24-2 Brown Ale, Lacombe AB
This beer has a delightful back story.
The barley is grown near Red Deer,
planted and harvested by a team of
Percheron draft horses from 24-2 Draft
Horses (plus some antique farm
equipment and methods), then malted
and roasted by Red Shed Malting near
Penhold. The result is a roasty, toasty
brown ale with subtle notes of dark
fruit, chocolate and coffee.
Siding 14 Dayliner Golden Ale, Ponoka
AB
Siding 14 owners Josh and Femke
Lubach are long-time barley farmers
north of Ponoka who use their own
malting barley to make the beers. Their
Golden Ale is a light, crisp and easy
drinking ale, named in honour of the
passenger rail car that moved
thousands of passengers between
Calgary and Edmonton back in the day.
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VOLUME 14 | ISSUE 04
Big Spruce Tim’s IPA, Baddeck N.S.
Melanie and Jeremy White began
brewing all-organic beer on 75 acres of
pristine Cape Breton farmland near
Baddeck in 2008. They grow their own
organic hops and take care to source
organic grains. Tim’s IPA is an east coast
take on a classic west coast IPA, hopped
with organic Chinook, Simcoe and Citra
hops for a piney, resiny, aromatic beer.
Persephone Dry Irish Stout, Gibsons B.C.
A sunny summer afternoon at
Persephone called for the tart, lemony
Berliner Weisse, but come the fall their
heartier beers are great too. The Irish
Stout has a roasty, espresso aroma,
tasting of dark coffee and malt. Mildly
bitter, dry finish with light carbonation.
Try it on nitro if you can!
Peter Bailey is made of 100% organic materials.
He’s @Libarbarian on Twitter and Instagram.
7
 WINTER 2023
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF AN APPRENTICE: LEIA ZULYNIAK –
LAZY T AND LADY’S HAT FARMS
By Michelle Lam, New Farmer
Engagement Coordinator, Young
Agrarians
Leia Zulyniak is a Chicken Boss by day
and a florist-in-training by night. She’s in
a unique position as Young Agrarians
Farm Apprentice, where she spends half
her day with mentors Jenna and Brett at
Lazy T Farm, and the latter half with Nikki
at Lady’s Hat Farm. The two closely-knit
farms work collaboratively on a
community, food-centred initiative called
the Prairie Farm Project. Lazy T Farm is a
holistically managed farm with a main
focus on grass-fed beef, pastured poultry
and free-range eggs. Lady’s Hat Farm,
just 15-minutes down the road, centres
around florals and grass-fed, grass-
finished lambs. The two farms are on
Treaty 6 territory; Lazy T is in Halkirk
while Lady’s Hat is in Castor, AB.
Leia is currently entering her 4th year of
online studies in the Bachelor of Arts
program at the University of
Saskatchewan. Her passion for her major
in Indigenous Studies shines through in
conversations with the apprentices; she is
the first to bring up challenging topics
such as the “land back” movement and
her role as an aspiring regenerative
farmer who is also a white settler.
She grew up on her parents’ grain and
large-cattle farm in Saskatchewan, but
never considered herself much of a
farmer. The rise of the pandemic played a
large part in her realizing the importance
8 WWW.ORGANICALBERTA.ORG
of sustainable agriculture. When talking
to Leia, she quotes her conversations with
her mother: “Farming is simple. Not
necessarily easy. But it’s a simple concept
of providing food for your family and
community.” Hearing that as an adult
made so much sense to Leia. Simplicity is
what she craved.
The Application Process
By coincidence, she came across the
Young Agrarians Farm Apprenticeship
program on a friend’s social media feed. It
was an exact match for what she was
looking for: a fully immersive experience
at a regenerative farm. In February, she
hunkered down and applied for several
farm apprentices via the Young Agrarians
website hoping that she’d land a spot at
one of the farms. Within a couple of
weeks she had a handful of interviews
lined up, each about 30 minutes in
length. When it came time for Leia’s
interview with Brett, Jenna, and Nikki,
there was an instant connection with the
farmers and by the end of April, she had
moved out to Halkirk, Alberta from
Saskatchewan to start her apprenticeship
on the first of May.
The apprenticeship interviews are
an opportunity for the farmers
and apprentices to get to know
each other and see if there is a fit.
The Day-to-Day
Leia didn’t see herself as a farmer at first
but she quickly picked up the chores on
the farms. She admits that she was lucky
to have grown up on a farm, gaining
VOLUME 14 | ISSUE 04
some exposure to raising chickens, cattle
and growing vegetables. Her workdays
begin at 7:30 AM — she gets out of bed,
puts on a pot of coffee, and gets dressed
for the day. We asked her to break down
her average day:
Morning: At 8 AM she goes outside and
walks 100 metres to work. (Leia lives in a
farmhouse on Brett and Jenna’s property,
but we’ll get to the details about this later.)
The day usually starts with 30-40 minutes
of chicken chores at Lazy T Farm.
Somewhere in-between, Leia also feeds the
pigs on the farm.
The chicken chores include filling up the
pails of feed (up to 20 pails per day),
loading them onto the truck, and moving
the chickens. Jenna drives the chicken
tractor while Leia steps in as the Chicken
Boss, sweeping the chickens forward,
ensuring that they don’t escape or get run
over in the process. Each of the four
enclosures houses roughly 250 chickens.
After each chicken enclosure is moved, the
chickens are given a bit of time to forage in
the grass before they are fed. “We want
them to eat grasshoppers before the
grain”. Once they’re fed, Leia checks each
of the gravity-fed bell waterers to make
sure they’re all in working order.
Next up, Leia heads over to the hens. She
feeds the hens, gathers their eggs, and
cuddles kittens. “Yes, my job includes
kitten cuddling”, Leia enthusiastically says.
If you ever visit the farm, you’ll see that the
hens are truly free-range, running across
WINTER 2023
the property in search of food to forage.
Midway through the morning, it’s time
for a coffee break. Then, Leia works on
the list of chores for the week. “Jenna is
very organized and sends a text every
Monday of chores for the week”, explains
Leia. She reads off a list of chores that
have previously been assigned to her:
“Clean the pig’s water and move their
fence. Clean up chicken hoop houses.
Harvest garlic and onions. Pull staples
from old fences.”
Lunch: Around 12-12:45 PM, Leia heads
back to her accommodation to have a
lunch break. The length of her lunch
break varies day-to-day, but it ends up
averaging 45 minutes.
Afternoon: At 12:45 PM, she drives over to
Nikki’s farm (Lady’s Hat Farm) to start
chores at 1 PM. “Nikki is pretty impulsive
like me, so we work well together”, says
Leia. The chores range each day and
depend on what needs to be done at the
time. These chores include moving the
lambs, harvesting flowers, pulling weeds,
building bouquets for flower
subscriptions, and more. At 5 PM, Leia
heads back to her accommodation at
Lazy T Farm and spends the evening to
herself. Her workweek is six days followed
by a day of rest.
Food and Accommodation
Leia stays in a house that is in the same
yard as farmers, Brett and Jenna. The
house has all the amenities — a fully
equipped kitchen, living room,
washer/dryer, washroom, wifi etc. — and
functions as an Airbnb in the off-season.
The combination of creaky hardwood
floors and interior design touches by
Jenna make it the perfect farmhouse that
is “beautiful inside and out”.
“I only go out to the store when I run out
of cream for my coffee”, she jokes. Her
meals consist of food from the farm; she
has access to all the meat, eggs, and
vegetables she needs. For example,
lately, she’s been picking vegetables
straight from the garden for her staple
dish, a homemade stir-fry. Her freezer is
always stocked full of meat from the
farms including beef, chicken, pork, and
lamb. Any other odds and ends are
purchased by Leia from the grocery store
in the town nearby.
Major Learnings and Next Steps
Out of everything that Leia has learned
over the past few months, she highlights
her new development of land
management skills. It makes a lot of
sense — Brett and Jenna’s cattle and
chickens, Nikki’s lambs — they’re all
centred around the importance of
restoring nutrients back into the land.
“That’s what’s missing from agriculture.
The practices that give back to the land
rather than taking, taking, taking”, says
Leia.
On top of this, Leia talks about the
benefits of the apprenticeship farm tours.
Each apprentice takes turns hosting the
other apprentices for a farm tour. Usually,
they’ll spend the day learning about the
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VOLUME 14 | ISSUE 04
operations at each farm, engage in
conversations with the farmers, and end
the evening with a potluck and/or bonfire.
Homemade cheese, freshly-picked salad
greens, beef burgers — it’s truly a farm-to-
table experience.
When asked about her relationship with
the other apprentices, she describes her
conversations as easy and casual.
According to Leia, they often share the
same mindset as her and have a lot of
commonalities. “It’s really special. [This
connection] hasn’t happened much
before”.
Leia will be finishing her apprenticeship at
the beginning of September and is moving
to Calgary where she’ll finish her online
studies. She’s not letting go of her Chicken
Boss title either; she hopes to get some
backyard chickens while in the city. In the
future, she envisions gaining more farm
experience through WOOFing and in the
long-term, wants to go back to her parents’
farm to introduce regenerative practices
and farm full-time.
Like many others in the program, she
encourages anyone who is thinking about
becoming an apprentice to “do it!”.
According to Leia, the farmer “[mentorship]
is a gift of knowledge.”.
Are you interested in apprenticing on a
farm or becoming a farm mentor? Check
out the programs, tools and resources at
www.youngagrarians.org to start
learning on farms or mentoring aspiring
farmers.
9
 WINTER 2023
By Joel Williams, Integrated Soils
In the last article we introduced the
various habitats that exist on and within
plant tissues where a range of microbes
coexist with plants and provide many
benefits to growth and development.
Despite the majority of microbiota living
around plant root systems, there are also
a range of microbes that also uniquely
associate with plant shoots, leaves,
flowers, or seeds; and we are only just
beginning to understand their
importance. In this article we will take a
closer look specifically at the seed
microbiome and explore some of the
factors that shape this biome and how
this can be of benefit toward a more
sustainable agriculture.
Like many other examples in agriculture
where we have tended to focus on the
negative, the prevalence of pathogens on
seeds has been extensively studied and
has dominated much of the thinking
regarding seed microbiota. However, the
occurrence and role of other beneficial
microorganisms – which constitute most
of the seed associated organisms – are
relatively unknown. Seeds generally
present similar proportions of bacterial
and fungal diversity, which contrasts with
other aboveground plant compartments
that are for the most part, highly
dominated by bacterial diversity.
Microbial communities associated with
the seed coat are usually more diverse
than those associated within the seed –
only a smaller number of specialist
10
THE SEED MICROBIOME
microbial species can pass through the
external barriers of plant tissues and
colonise tissues within; most others can
only associate with the external surfaces.
In the same way that there are unique
and distinct microbes that associate with
different plant parts, there are also
specific microbes that associate
exclusively to distinct micro-habitats of
the seed itself. There are three seed
compartments where microbes associate
– the embryo, the endosperm, and the
seed coat. Seed-associated
microorganisms can be acquired either
‘horizontally’ from various and local
environments (e.g. air, water, insects,
seed processing) or ‘vertically’ passed
down from the mother plant, and hence,
transmitted across multiple generations.
Overall, microbes associated with the
embryo and endosperm (internally) are
more likely to be transmitted vertically
than those associated with the seed coat,
these being mostly transmitted
horizontally.
Three main transmission pathways have
been documented:
1. The internal pathway – whereby
microorganisms colonise developing
seeds via the xylem or nonvascular
tissue of the mother plant.
2. The floral pathway – whereby
microorganisms colonise developing
seeds via the xylem or nonvascular
tissue of the mother plant.
3. The external pathway – that represents
microbial colonisation of developing
seeds through the stigma.
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VOLUME 14 | ISSUE 04
Of course, the development and
application of most seed treatment
technologies have focussed primarily on
the external pathway. Some of these
inoculants are designed to remain on the
outside and colonise the roots as they
develop while some are destined to
become endophytes and enter the plant
tissues (such as rhizobia or some
mycorrhiza for example). The exact
mechanisms which determine the final
structure and composition of the seed
microbiome are still being elucidated but
factors that influence this include a range
of environmental conditions, soil type and
perhaps most importantly, the host plant
itself plays a major role in shaping its seed
microbiome.
It is now understood that each and every
plant species recruits and structures a
microbiome unique to that species
(referred to as its core microbiome), and
even going beyond this, different varieties
also shape their own ‘varietal specific’
microbiomes. These kinds of insights are
opening some fascinating doors to
understanding the species-specific nature
of plant-microbe interactions, which in the
future will no doubt help design efficient
production systems whereby plant varieties
and microbial strains are highly aligned
and optimised for various outcomes (plant
health, pest resistance, nutrient use
efficiencies etc). Although I fully support
the use of highly diverse, broad spectrum
and DIY inoculants like compost extracts,
there are many examples whereby
successful suppression of a pathogen (for
WINTER 2023
example) is dependent on a specific
antagonistic mechanism from one
particular microbial species (or even
strain); so, illuminating some of these
highly specific crop-microbe interactions
at the molecular level will be a fruitful
endeavour in years to come.
In the meantime, it is clear that the seed
microbiome is of utmost importance to
plant development – affecting growth,
drought resistance, disease resistance
and even flowering times. We know the
seed microbiome becomes active
immediately after sowing as the
germination process begins. These
microbes associated with the seed are
the early risers so to speak and
consequently play a key role – somewhat
as gatekeepers – in safeguarding the
seed and communicating to the rest of
the soil biome and shaping which
organisms from the soil can or can’t
subsequently colonise the seed and the
emerging roots and shoots. This early
structuring of the microbial community
that subsequently colonises the plant can
have major and long-lasting implications
on how the root and shoot microbiome
matures through the rest of the plant
developmental stages. There are major
knowledge gaps on the impact of
fungicidal seed dressings on the non-
target organisms of the seed
microbiome. We can safely assume that
at least some beneficials will be
compromised but whether the use of
such inputs may be leading to negative
consequences – such as greater disease
susceptibility – in later crop stages
remains to be studied. Even less
understood is whether fungicidal
dressings may be impacting the
composition of the seed microbiome that
is subsequently inherited from the
mother plant to the next generation and
hence inducing transgenerational
changes in the seed microbiome over
time.
Practically speaking, there are 3 take
homes we can draw from these insights:
1.Eliminate the use of fungicidal seed
dressings – if this idea is too daunting for
you, start small. Choose half a field or a
few tramlines and start the process on a
small scale. Observe as you go and scale
up in stages that are comfortable within
your attitudes to risk.
2.Substitute dressings with bioinputs –
rather than just cut out dressings, it
really is preferrable to substitute the
chemical with other biostimulants or
bioinoculants. These could also be
applied to the seed or injected into the
furrow where possible. Input
substitutions might include humic acid,
fish hydrolysate or molasses along with
some kind of microbial inoculant such as
compost extracts or commercial
products.
3.Save your own seed – considering that
part of the seed microbiome is inherited
from the local environment (mostly the
soil), saving seed from plants that were
grown in your soil is potentially
optimising the microbiota that associate
with your seeds to your specific soil type,
growing conditions and management
practices. There is still much to learn
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regarding these potential
transgenerational effects but early
indications suggest this is worth pursuing.
References
1. The variable influences of soil and seed-
associated bacterial communities on
the assembly of seedling microbiomes.
(2021). doi:10.1038/s41396-021-00967-1.
2. Seed microbiota revealed by a large-
scale meta-analysis including 50 plant
species. (2021).
doi:10.1101/2021.06.08.447541.
3. Plant Communication With Associated
Microbiota in the Spermosphere,
Rhizosphere and Phyllosphere. (2017).
doi: 10.1016/bs.abr.2016.10.007
4. Inheritance of seed and rhizosphere
microbial communities through plant–
soil feedback and soil memory. (2019).
doi: 10.1111/1758-2229.12760
5. Revisiting Plant–Microbe Interactions
and Microbial Consortia Application for
Enhancing Sustainable Agriculture: A
Review. (2020). doi:
10.3389/fmicb.2020.560406
Joel Williams is an independent plant and
soil health educator with a keen interest in
plant and soil interactions and how these
support landscape function and the
development of sustainable production
systems. Joel has a BSc in Agriculture and
an MSc in Food Policy and has lectured to
audiences internationally. Join Joel
Williams on a journey through the history
of soil science and an exploration of where
soil health research is heading in the
future! Learn more at
www.integratedsoils.com.
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 WINTER 2023
WORKING WITH AN AGRONOMIST IN MACKENZIE COUNTY
By Samantha Flasha, Mackenzie County
Organic Success Program Coordinator
For the past year and a half, Organic
Alberta has been working on a program
specific to the province’s northern-most
region. The Mackenzie County Organic
Success Program focuses on helping
farmers diversify their crops and aids in
business development. We hosted many
events that facilitated knowledge
transfer, including field days, workshops
and monthly conference calls. We were
also able to offer a capacity building
grant to local businesses and a farmer
scholarship that awarded a few farmers
the opportunity to work with an
agronomist.
That agronomist was Scott Gillespie,
owner of Plants Dig Soil. Scott is from
Taber but he made the trip up a few
times in the spring, summer, and fall of
2022. Scott noted that the agricultural
regions have many similarities, though
there are some obvious differences that
come with farming so far north, such as
the compressed growing season and
abundance of trees.
Scott worked with Daniel Wall, who owns
Pilgrim Husbandry, a market garden that
provides organically grown fruits and
vegetables to the surrounding
communities. Daniel sells at farmers
markets and through local businesses.
He also farms organic oats and peas. The
main issue on the farm that Daniel
14
wanted to address was low nutrients,
specifically phosphorus. Daniel and
Scott tried to remedy this with organic
amendments, using bark waste as a
compost. The thought was that mulch is
so plentiful due to the common practice
of clearing forests for new agricultural
land, and trucking other organic
amendments is so expensive, it would
essentially kill two birds with one stone.
But after testing it, they found it doesn’t
add much in terms of nutrients. They
are continuing to look at other options,
specifically organic manure.
Scott also worked with Abe Giesbrecht,
who farms a great many acres of
organic oats, peas, and alfalfa near La
Crete. The main issue Abe wanted to
work on was a section of his land that is
very acidic and peaty. Initially, Abe
hoped the land could eventually be
used for crops, but the soil is so acidic
they quickly learned that might never
be possible. Their next plan was to try
establishing perennials, specifically
fescue, to eventually be able to graze
the land. There is some evidence that
grazing animals could be a long-term
solution to bring soil pH up. Organic
amendments can also be used, but just
like Daniel’s farm, the cost of trucking
the amount required would not be
economical.
The main takeaway from both initiatives
is that there is no quick fix in organic
farming. Issues of soil health and a lack
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of nutrients take time and effort.
Amendments will help, but ultimately,
they are not the only solution. This reality
is nothing new to organic farmers. When
asked if he had any advice for organic
farmers, Scott echoed this idea. It is
important to plan ahead, and that
changing the conditions of your farm
ecosystem will take time. During the
upcoming winter months, Scott
suggested farmers focus on nutrient
flows on their farms. Calculate how many
nutrients are flowing off land and in
crops, and figure out how to capture
them. This can be done yourself or by
sending a soil sample to a lab. Fall is a
good time to gather soil samples, but if
you missed this window, plan to take
samples in the spring. Any information
you can get on your soil will be helpful.
Winter is also a good time to look for
grants and available funding for projects
you might like to implement on your
farm. There is currently an initiative called
the On-Farm Climate Action Fund
(OFCAF) that can provide funding for
farmers implementing on-farm Beneficial
Management Practices to lower
emissions and support sustainability and
resiliency. You can find more information
and apply to this program through
Alberta’s Results Driven Agricultural
Research organization (RDAR). Visit
www.rdar.ca/ofcaf/ for more information.
To contact Scott Gillespie, visit his
website at www.plantsdigsoil.com
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CLASSIFIED ADS
For Sale from Nature’s Way Farm: Forage Seed: Alfalfa varieties
(ranked top in research trials for yield and long-lived), Lundgard
Tap, Lundgard Falcata (yellow blossom alfalfa, extremely long-
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plundgard@telus.net or 780-835-1765.
Regen Eco Ag: Precise soil nutrient management “Albrecht
Principals”. Maximize soil biology, organic matter, water
holding capacity and plant nutrient availability. Healthy soil
equals healthy profits. Complete soil lab nutrient analysis and
soil nutrient recommendations. Contact Peter Lundgard,
Agronomist/Consultant at plundgard@telus.net or
780-835-1765.

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