Speed is our currency: Dr. David Chalack reflects on RDAR's evolution in Alberta

"With a background spanning science, livestock leadership, and regulatory oversight, Chalack says the opportunity to bring crop and livestock sectors together under one research umbrella was a key motivator. "The producers have to get some advantage of it," he says, emphasizing that sustainability only holds if farms are profitable . Breaking down commodity silos and aligning research with on-farm return on investment has been central to RDAR's model."

""Trust is acquired drop by drop, but it can be lost in buckets," he says , noting the importance of maintaining credibility with producers, researchers, and government as RDAR transitioned research assets out of direct government control. At the same time, "speed is our currency," he adds -a reflection of the board's structured but responsive approach to reviewing and approving dozens of projects annually."

"As he steps away from the chair role, Chalack says RDAR's focus remains clear: start with what farmers need, assess the return, and ensure the research can be adopted on-farm. RDAR's new chair is D'Arcy Hilgartner. Hear about his vision looking ahead in this interview."

RDAR re-centered agricultural research in Alberta around producer priorities, uniting crop and livestock sectors under one research umbrella. Founding chair accepted a mandate to re-establish producer-driven research and prioritized aligning projects with on-farm return on investment to ensure farm profitability supports sustainability. Governance changes transferred research assets out of direct government control, requiring sustained credibility with producers, researchers, and government. The organization emphasized trust as a fragile asset and treated speed in project review and approval as critical for impact. The operational focus remains: start with farmer needs, assess return on investment, and ensure practical on-farm adoption.

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