Reading Time: 3 minutes There is a lot of pressure on farmers to adopt sustainable practices, digitize, understand carbon, conserve water, and add value. What are the top five areas in which all farmers should be asking questions? And what might those questions be? Carbon credits Although Canada’s goals are towards net-zero carbon emission, there is just as great […] Read more
Schoepp: In a changing world, a host of new questions need answering
Data ownership and who pays for sustainability measures are just two of many issues farmers must grapple with
Irrigation adds stability in unstable times
The timing is right for a historic investment in Alberta’s irrigation system
Reading Time: 5 minutes By early July, Richard Stamp already knew he wouldn’t be harvesting his dryland acres this year. “Last year, we had a relatively good crop — double what we would expect on it — but this year, we will not be combining it,” said the Enchant-area pedigreed seed grower. “It’s definitely a big difference this year, […] Read more
Help for those short on water
Reading Time: < 1 minute The provincial Water Pumping Program helps livestock producers needing to secure adequate water supplies. For a nominal fee, a producer (or group) can rent pipe and pumping equipment to fill dugouts or other catch basins from nearby water sources. Any producer experiencing water shortages for livestock use has priority for equipment use, which will be […] Read more
Having a field day: Everyone’s excited about return of in-person learning
Remember when you’d leave home to attend events and get together with experts, friends and peers?
Reading Time: 5 minutes After a year of too many Zoom meetings to count, ag organizations across the province are gearing up for a summer of in-field learning. “I’m so excited — there’s only so many online meetings that you can stay engaged with,” said Jamie Puchinger, assistant manager of Farming Smarter. “I cannot wait to get back out […] Read more
McCain Foods launches aggressive regenerative ag strategy
Global french fry giant will work with its potato growers to adopt regenerative ag practices over the next decade
Reading Time: 4 minutes Global french fry giant will work with its potato growers to adopt regenerative ag practices over the next decadeLethbridge college launches degree program
Reading Time: < 1 minute Lethbridge College will start offering a bachelor of agriculture science degree program this fall. The degree program works in conjunction with the current agriculture sciences diploma program. Students in the two-year diploma program have a common first-year curriculum, before choosing to major in agriculture business, agronomy or animal science in their second year. Students may […] Read more
Indigenous-led ag projects get federal funding
Funding to support business planning and other studies
Sixteen projects to help support Indigenous-led food system initiatives will receive $4 million from the federal government. “Our government is working to create a more inclusive agriculture sector that respects the values of Indigenous Peoples,” Agriculture Minister Marie Claude Bibeau said in a statement Friday. “These investments are intended to ensure that Indigenous Peoples have […] Read more
AGI to buy into soil microbe breeding firm
Machinery maker to take minority stake in MyLand
A U.S. company ramping up a system to harvest, reproduce and restore beneficial microbes from a field’s own soils, as a way to restore peak fertility, expects to get backing soon from a Canadian farm equipment maker. Winnipeg-based Ag Growth International (AGI) said Monday it has signed a conditional letter of intent with Phoenix-based MyLand […] Read more
Drought conditions improve in May for some of Prairies, not all
MarketsFarm — Significant precipitation through May relieved drought conditions across parts of the Prairies, while other areas remained significantly dry, according to the latest assessment from the Canadian Drought Monitor as of May 31. This precipitation improved soil moisture conditions for the short-term, decreasing the area of moderate (D1) and severe drought (D2) in central […] Read more
Schoepp: Weighing up the world in terms of the water being used
The jeans you wear, gas for your car and food on the table all require a lot of water
Reading Time: 3 minutes Farmers have their eyes to the skies as they watch, and often wait, for water. Critical for all living things, water is more than just a raindrop and a good wash; it is a social determinate of health and the very foundation of our being and of food production. Less than two per cent of […] Read more