A Lethbridge area man who helped make crops such as dry beans, peas and lentils an option for dryland farmers in Western Canada is being recognized for his work by being inducted into the Agriculture Hall of Fame.
According to his induction biography, Blair Roth was a prominent advocate for special crops, with a significant focus on improving the opportunities that not just Alberta farmers but farmers across Canada have. Roth says he was humbled and honoured to receive the recognition for this work.
“It’s not something you think about or expect, but when it comes your way, you go ‘oh, wow people did notice that we did some things.’ So that makes you feel really good,” Roth says.
Roth says in the 1970s and the 1980s crop options for farmers in Western Canada were limited, but over the past 30 to 40 years he says that has changed as the region has diversified what it grows.
“Through a selection of better varieties, learning how to grow the crops, finding the right markets, and then building up an infrastructure and a processing industry that could drive that,” Roth says. “So today, it’s a very viable crop option for farmers and provides a good alternative cash flow for quite a few farmers.”
Roth was a significant part of the creation of the Alberta Pulse Growers Association and Alberta Safflower Growers Association. In 1990 he became Director of Special Crops at the Alberta Wheat Pool, now known as Viterra, where he oversaw the process of procuring, processing and marketing of pulses and other crops. Some of this work included developing specialty oat and pea processing plants and using research to advance the province’s dry bean industry.
Ross says for him the thing he was most excited about when it came to the Hall of Fame induction was being able to invite his family, work associates and friends.
“It was good to be able to share that with all of them because all of them have played a part in whatever success I’ve had.”
Roth was one of three inductees, with the others being inducted into the 2024 class. Manfred Kanehl from Parkland County and Dr. Kim Jee from Okotoks also were inducted by Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation RJ Sigurdson. The next induction into the Alberta Agriculture Hall of Fame will take place in 2026.
