Another incumbent agriculture minister easily held his seat as Saskatchewan’s governing Saskatchewan Party scored another decisive majority in Monday’s provincial election. David Marit, MLA for the southwestern riding of Wood River since 2016, held his seat by a spread of 5,177 votes over the New Democrats’ challenger, teacher Roger Morgan, with 459 mail-in ballots remaining […] Read more
Saskatchewan agriculture minister cruises to election win
NDP's ag critic trailing, with mail-in votes still to come
More crop per drop — irrigation gets ‘historic’ cash injection
New $815-million project will irrigate another 200,000 acres without any additional water allocation
Reading Time: 3 minutes There are a lot of big numbers behind a “historic” expansion of southern Alberta’s irrigation system, but also the smallest possible one — zero. That’s the amount of extra water that will, or rather won’t, be needed to add more than 200,000 irrigated acres that will be created by a $815-million project, officials say. “With […] Read more
Federal fund, Alberta government back irrigation upgrades
Infrastructure Bank lends cash for system improvements
Eight irrigation districts in Alberta are set to tap into the Canada Infrastructure Bank’s new $1.5 billion pool of funding earmarked for irrigation, to receive loans worth about $407.5 million. The Alberta and federal governments on Friday announced a total investment of $815 million — including repayable CIB funds, provincial support and irrigation district contributions […] Read more
Study shows how U.S. farm landscapes could be reshaped by climate
Plains' wheat belt would see 'hollowing-out'
London | Thomson Reuters Foundation — Climate change could render swaths of agricultural land largely useless for farming in the U.S. South, and force Midwestern farmers to move corn and soybeans elsewhere as crop yields decline, researchers said on Monday. The profits of growing six key crops are set to fall by almost a third […] Read more
Canada adds step on U.S. romaine lettuce imports
E. coli testing to be required on Salinas Valley romaine
Canadian importers of U.S.-grown romaine lettuce will now face an extra step that’s expected to help prevent another outbreak of romaine-related illnesses due to E. coli. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said Friday it will begin next week to require importers to provide proof that their U.S.-grown romaine didn’t come from certain California counties. Otherwise, […] Read more
Federal irrigation pledge seen flowing mainly to Prairies
Infrastructure plan also includes promised broadband support
Prairie provinces will receive the bulk of Ottawa’s $1.5 billion commitment to support irrigation projects, according to federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday launched a three-year, $10 billion infrastructure plan aimed at five different sectors, including agriculture. The $1.5 billion is expected to result in 700,000 acres of irrigated land. […] Read more
Innovative farmers ‘harvest’ water to boost production
Coen Farm created shallow ditches called swales to capture millions of gallons of snowmelt each spring
Reading Time: 3 minutes This winter, you might want to harvest something a little different on your farm — water. “Our farm harvests 40 years of water in two weeks just from snowmelt,” said Takota Coen, who farms near Ferintosh with his parents. “We live in one of the only places in the world where you can actually increase […] Read more
AgDealer plugs into forex service provider
Listing site to offer currency exchange service on cross-border purchases
Farmers buying used iron internationally by way of AgDealer are getting access to what’s billed as a lower-cost option to handle the currency exchange. AgDealer, Canada’s largest used farm equipment shopper publication and online listing platform, announced a partnership Tuesday with OFX Group, an Australian-based online currency exchange provider. Farmers, distributors and buyers outside of […] Read more
Books and irrigation can go hand-in-hand
Reading Time: < 1 minute It’s not just the face mask that makes this groundbreaking ceremony different. Local officials gathered earlier this month to celebrate a unique venture — construction of a 34,000-square-foot building that will be shared by the Marigold Library System and Western Irrigation District (WID) in Strathmore. In addition to being home to 70 employees from both […] Read more
Soil testing should be a cornerstone of your farm, says agronomist
Develop management zones, consider mobile nutrients, and don’t neglect phosphorus, says Matt Gosling
Reading Time: 4 minutes When you talk to Matt Gosling about soil — even if it’s over the phone — you can picture his eyes getting wider as his voice becomes more animated. He considers soil the cornerstone of crop agriculture: A living organism that is constantly shifting, changing and moving. By that logic, then, soil testing must be […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
