What if some of the least productive acres on a farm could become an opportunity to improve farm efficiency and support biodiversity?
In this episode of the Rural Routes to Climate Solutions podcast, host Derek Leahy speaks with Joe Lovell, a crop producer near Clive, Alberta, about his experience participating in a research project led by the Prairie Precision Sustainability Network (PPSN).
Together, they explore how harvest data, satellite imagery and farm profitability information can help producers identify marginal land and consider alternatives to farming areas that consistently underperform. Joe shares how the project has encouraged him to look more closely at the costs of farming certain areas, from awkward field corners to a reclaimed gravel pit. Around 20 acres of his farm are being converted to a perennial forage blend, although unusually dry spring conditions delayed seeding.
Their conversation also turns to shelterbelts and beneficial insects, and the potential role of habitat in supporting more diverse and resilient farming systems. Joe talks about how research can help him understand what it costs to farm his least productive acres and whether there are better alternatives. For him, the work needs to go beyond a report, giving producers real numbers and practical solutions they can act on.
For Joe, the question is where farming makes economic sense and where another use, such as perennial forage or beneficial habitat, could better serve the operation over the long term. His perspective looks beyond the next growing season to the future of family farms and rural communities.
“I’m more than happy watching my neighbors replicate my success.” — Joe Lovell
In this episode
00:00 – Introduction to the Restoring the Margins series
04:07 – Meet Joe Lovell and learn about his family’s farming background
05:06 – Connecting with PPSN and the marginal land project
07:55 – Identifying marginal land and selecting areas for perennial forage
09:37 – Using farm data to understand profitability
10:27 – Making field operations more efficient
12:21 – Dry conditions and the challenges of seeding
14:49 – Rethinking profitability and the cost of farming marginal land
15:41 – A stewardship-based approach to farming for the long term
16:54 – Biodiversity, shelterbelts and beneficial insects
19:54 – Monitoring pest pressure and the role of beneficial insects
21:17 – Turning agricultural research into practical solutions
23:21 – Knowledge sharing and learning from other producers
24:43 – Prairie pest research and early-seeding findings
27:18 – Supporting family farms and rural communities
Useful Links
Prairie Precision Sustainability Network (https://prairiepsn.ca/)
This podcast has been funded by the Prairie Precision Sustainability Network and the University of Saskatchewan.
5 Nov 2026
EP 85 – The Human Side of Restoring Marginal Land
What would it take for marginal land restoration to make sense for the farm family, not just the field?
In this episode of the Rural Routes to Climate Solutions podcast, Derek Leahy speaks with Dr. Jeremy Pittman, an associate professor in the School of Planning at the University of Waterloo, about the human side of adopting sustainable agriculture practices. It is the second episode of Restoring the Margins, a series produced in partnership with the Prairie Precision Sustainability Network (PPSN).
Jeremy shares early findings from his research into what motivates producers to restore marginally producing areas, including the role of family, economics, risk and social relationships. He describes producers as “citizen scientists” and explains how research can validate what they already know from working their land.
Together, they explore what makes restoration workable, from financial support and decision-making tools to the logistics of reaching a patch in the middle of a field. Jeremy also explains how social pressures can hold some producers back, how communities of practice offer support and how small changes across the Prairies can add up to benefits for pollinators, birds and carbon storage.
“Sometimes we assume there’s a bit of a difference … between a farmer and a scientist. But end of the day, there’s a lot more similarities there than we realize.”
— Dr. Jeremy Pittman
In this episode
02:00 – Meet Dr. Jeremy Pittman
03:49 – What is social and ecological sustainability?
04:58 – The human side of restoring marginal land
06:56 – Why producers choose to restore marginal land
09:10 – Producers as citizen scientists
10:50 – What is PPSN and the Marginal Lands project?
15:01 – How researchers study producer motivations
17:01 – The role of family and future generations
19:00 – Using data to support on-farm decisions
21:10 – When research validates lived experience
22:28 – Making data useful for producers and policymakers
25:03 – Designing tools around lived experience
26:33 – What supports producers in restoring marginal land?
31:11 – Conservation easements, family and land succession
33:29 – The practical barriers to restoration
35:44 – The landscape-level benefits of small changes
39:12 – The role of policy and government programs
41:58 – Local communities and regional approaches
43:03 – The bigger challenges facing prairie sustainability
45:11 – Social pressure and being the “village idiot”
47:42 – Communities of practice and finding support
49:06 – Closing remarks
Useful Links
Prairie Precision Sustainability Network (PPSN) (https://prairiepsn.ca/)
This podcast has been funded by the Prairie Precision Sustainability Network and the University of Saskatchewan.
5 Nov 2026
EP 84 – Blackfoot Food Systems
What does it mean to care for the land–not simply as a resource, but as a living relative?
In this episode of the Rural Routes to Climate Solutions podcast, Tawnya Plain Eagle speaks with Dr. Linda ManyGuns, a member of Siksika Nation, retired professor and advisor to the Siksikaitsitapi Agriculture Project (SAP).
Together, they explore Blackfoot food systems, agriculture and food sovereignty–from traditional harvesting practices and historic trade routes to the deep knowledge Blackfoot people hold about the land. Linda also shares why regeneration is more than restoring soil or ecosystems. It is about renewing relationships–with the land, with culture and across generations.
Their conversation looks at the importance of land-based learning, creating opportunities for young people to reconnect with traditional knowledge and understanding agriculture as a responsibility to care for the land and those who come after us.
The episode closes with a powerful story about Linda’s grandfather–and how it inspired her to begin a journey of her own.
“Our elders loved the land and we have to learn to love the land again.” — Dr. Linda ManyGuns
In this episode
03:54 – Meet Dr. Linda ManyGuns
05:05 – Linda’s connection to agriculture and the land
06:50 – Food sovereignty, trade and relationships
10:20 – Blackfoot ecological knowledge and Western science
13:14 – Sakomitapi and understanding the land as a person
14:54 – What does regeneration mean?
17:47 – Indigenous food sovereignty and future generations
21:38 – Traditional food systems and harvesting practices
26:19 – Land-based learning and reconnecting with knowledge
29:30 – Agriculture and responsibility to the land
31:54 – Encouraging younger generations to explore agriculture
35:06 – Linda’s story about her grandfather
37:22 – Closing remarks
Reach and audience
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YouTube views
144,361
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Spotify
4.0 / 5
2 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 72 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
76
Social presence
0
YouTube
86
Engagement
82
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