Producer Coping and Adaptation Responses to Weather Shocks and Stresses in Southern Alberta

This research paper examines how agricultural producers and organizations in the Coaldale and Foremost regions of Southern Alberta respond to extreme weather events and other systemic shocks. Through 40 semi-structured interviews conducted between November 2007 and February 2008, the study identifies common weather stressors—specifically the 2001 drought, 2002 flooding, and 2007 extreme heat—and evaluates the effectiveness of short-term coping mechanisms and long-term adaptation strategies, such as no-till farming and irrigation efficiency.

• Producers in both Coaldale and Foremost identified three primary extreme weather events between 2000 and 2007: a severe drought in 2001, heavy rains and flooding in June 2002, and extreme heat and dryness in 2007.
• In the Coaldale region, short-term responses to drought focused on water management, specifically diverting water to high-value crops like potatoes and sugar beets or purchasing water rights.
• Coaldale producers responded to heavy rains and flooding by pumping water off the land and digging ditches, while Foremost producers reported a lack of effective short-term responses, often simply reducing movement on the land.
• Reduced tillage and no-till practices are viewed as critical long-term adaptation mechanisms in both regions to mitigate risk from all weather extremes by reducing soil erosion and retaining moisture.
• Irrigation producers in Coaldale have adapted by increasing efficiency through the adoption of low-pressure drop-tube irrigation and centre-pivot systems to reduce evaporation and energy costs.
• Non-weather shocks significantly impact producers in both regions, with the BSE crisis, rising input costs (fuel, fertilizer, and chemicals), labour shortages due to the oil and gas boom, and the appreciation of the Canadian dollar cited as major stresses.
• The Canadian Agricultural Income Stabilization (CAIS) program is widely criticized by producers in both regions for being overly complicated, difficult to navigate, and unpredictable in its payments.
• The National Environmental Farm Plan Initiative (NEFPI) is generally well-received and perceived as effective in increasing environmental awareness and providing incentives for sustainable practices.
• Informal knowledge sharing and producer networks, such as the Reduced Tillage Linkages (RTL) 'Producer-to-Producer Network', are essential for survival and adaptation in both regions.
• In Foremost, producers have adapted to the arid environment by shifting seeding times to early April to ensure crops are established before the extreme heat of July.

APA

Medlock, J., & McCoy, A. (2008). Producer Coping and Adaptation Responses to Weather Shocks and Stresses in Southern Alberta. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/pcr_weather_shocks_alberta.pdf

Chicago

Medlock, Jennifer, and Andrew McCoy. Producer Coping and Adaptation Responses to Weather Shocks and Stresses in Southern Alberta. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2008. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/pcr_weather_shocks_alberta.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Medlock |first1=Jennifer |last2=McCoy |first2=Andrew |title=Producer Coping and Adaptation Responses to Weather Shocks and Stresses in Southern Alberta |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=March 2008 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/pcr_weather_shocks_alberta.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{medlock2008producer, author = {Medlock, Jennifer and McCoy, Andrew}, title = {{Producer Coping and Adaptation Responses to Weather Shocks and Stresses in Southern Alberta}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2008}, month = mar, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/pcr_weather_shocks_alberta.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }