Reading Time: < 1 minute Producers have reported ‘strange regrowth’ of Himalayan balsam following control measures to Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. “There are some important points to keep in mind when attempting to eradicate this invasive weed,” said provincial weed specialist Nicole Kimmel. Himalayan balsam is shallow rooted and easily pulled up by hand. That makes it labour intensive […] Read more
Don’t spread the seeds of this nasty weed
Pulling by hand is the simplest, most reliable management technique
Online tool gives producers a voice for equipment safety
'Speak Up for Safer Equipment' to handle safety concerns linked to ag production
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA) has developed a new online tool to give farmers an opportunity to express their concerns about possible hazards with farm equipment. The Speak Up For Safer Equipment tool is intended to provide a way for farmers, manufacturers and standards organizations to talk about safety concerns with agricultural equipment manufactured […] Read more
iPhone-based program gives meat processors full traceability
BioLinks software also tracks sales and manages inventory
Reading Time: 3 minutes If you’re a small meat processor, you can now manage your entire operation using your iPhone and a personal computer, thanks to an Alberta-created program called BioLinks. “I wouldn’t want to run our business without BioLinks,” said Tim Hofer, manager of the Pine Haven Colony Meat shop. The meat shop was a participant in the […] Read more
Stress tool could have a big impact
Infrared thermography provides a quick and non-invasive way to measure stress, and that has big implications for livestock producers
Reading Time: 5 minutes A new ‘eye’ on how animals respond to stressful situations is providing researchers with a valuable tool that could one day have a big impact on how livestock are treated. Infrared thermography — or IRT — can tell a lot of stories by measuring body heat in a specific area. Using a device that looks […] Read more
New Alberta Barley directors sought
Elections will be held at November regional meetings
Reading Time: < 1 minute Agri-News – Alberta Barley is calling for nominations to fill three open spots on its board of directors. Nominations are currently being accepted for the director positions available in regions one and two to replace Greg Stamp (Enchant) and chairman Matt Sawyer (Acme) respectively. Both Stamp and Sawyer are completing their second three-year term this […] Read more
No hill of beans: fababean acreage soars, soybeans may be next
Faba bean acreage has increased tenfold in two years and could double again next year, with soybeans following suit
Reading Time: 3 minutes Every farmer knows a four-year crop rotation is best for good crops, healthy fields and managing pests. However, the four-year ideal often clashes with production reality: canola has been the big money-maker, and while legumes are good for nitrogen fixing, they usually pay less and can present big challenges with disease, standability and harvestability compared […] Read more
The ‘new’ wore off of ‘normal’ pretty quickly
The grain industry may have gotten a little too optimistic after last year’s whopper of a crop
Reading Time: 3 minutes It’s easy to get a little giddy when things go much better than expected. For example, take last year’s bin buster of a crop. By any measure, it was an astounding production feat. Western Canadian farmers shattered all previous records on most major crops, growing a whopping 76 million tonnes, 50 per cent higher than […] Read more
Permaculture advocate says work with nature, not against it
Ferintosh producer Takota Coen says carefully designed mixed farms are the way of the future
Reading Time: 4 minutes The first thing you’ll notice as you drive by Grass Roots Family Farm is the orchard — an unlikely sight in rural Alberta, but somehow it seems right at home beside the sprawling vegetable garden. In a paddock near the house, a sow nurses a handful of nearly newborn piglets, and just down the lane […] Read more
It’s Canada’s biggest crop – but forage research remains a hard sell
There has been a dramatic drop in forage research, but it’s not just because producers could make more money growing canola
Reading Time: 4 minutes More than 52 million acres in Alberta are currently used to graze livestock or produce crops like alfalfa and timothy hay, but farmers who manage grasslands and forage fields say their industry is declining so rapidly its future is at risk. “The long-term graph of forage research shows a dramatic drop — probably 70 per […] Read more
Alliance offers support for winter wheat growers
Bayer and JRI team up with Ducks Unlimited to promote agronomic and environmental advances
Reading Time: < 1 minute A new group aims to offer information and support to winter wheat growers. Bayer Crop Science, Richardson International, and Ducks Unlimited are collaborating on the Western Winter Wheat Initiative. “The purpose of this initiative is to build awareness and credibility of winter wheat as a highly productive crop option for western Canadian farmers,” says Janine […] Read more