Reading Time: < 1 minute Alberta Open Farm Days continues to grow and this year has reached triple digits. More than 100 farms, ranches, and other operations with a connection to agriculture will be opening their doors to the public on Aug. 19-20. Visiting farms is free and a complete list can be found at www.albertafarmdays.com. The website also has […] Read more
More choices than ever at Open Farm Days
Open Farm Days runs Aug. 19-20
Agriculture is my teacher — and I never fall asleep in class
Reading Time: 4 minutes Quinten Albrecht, 12, of Holden, was the junior winner in the Alberta Young Speakers for Agriculture competition at the Calgary Stampede. This year’s topic was: Working in agriculture is more than just farming. Harvesting crops, haying, calving out cows, and riding horses. These are just some of the things that fill up my event calendar […] Read more
U.S. bee numbers growing
CNS Canada – Honeybee populations are rising in the United States, turning around a recent trend of declines attributed to a set of factors know as colony collapse disorder. It’s estimated that 84,430 hives were lost to the disorder in the first quarter this year. That’s down 27 per cent from a year earlier. Year-over-year […] Read more
Farm management scholarship available
Application deadline is Sept. 15
Reading Time: < 1 minute Applications are now being accepted for the Robert L. Ross Memorial Scholarship, which gives a Canadian farmer a chance to attend the Canadian Total Excellence in Agricultural Management (CTEAM) program. The program provides farmers the opportunity to learn detailed financial, marketing and human relations management skills, using their own operation as a case study. One […] Read more
French farmers fume as government rejigs EU subsidies
Paris / Reuters – French farm unions cried foul over a government decision on Thursday to use part of European Union direct payments linked to output to finance rural development projects such as fast growing organic farming. The decision comes just days after France launched wide debate on the future of the food sector, aiming to […] Read more
Livestock premises ID participation strengthens Canadian agriculture
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is considering changes to the Health of Animals Regulations for livestock traceability, the agency announced during PremisesIDWeek July 26, a federal release says. The changes would require all Canadian operators of premises where livestock may be loaded or unloaded from a vehicle to have a valid premises identification number for […] Read more
Devil’s trumpet is a potentially deadly invader
Noxious Weeds: Jimsonweed
Reading Time: < 1 minute Although its exact origin is unknown, devil’s trumpet — otherwise known as jimsonweed — is found in many countries around the world in both agricultural and ornamental settings. Introduced to this province as a contaminant of agricultural seed, this smelly weed is under review by the provincial Agriculture Ministry and it has been recommended to […] Read more
Federal government extends food policy discussions
Citing a strong response from across the country, Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Lawrence MacAulay has extended the public consultations on a national food policy until Aug. 31. “Canadians’ responses to our online survey show they truly care about food issues. I encourage everyone to take advantage of the extended comment period, and I look forward […] Read more
Heat wave may have left a toxic legacy
Reading Time: 2 minutes The heat wave from earlier this month could pose a lingering and deadly danger to your children, livestock, or pets — blue-green algae. The algae contains several types of toxins, which can cause organ damage; affect the nervous and respiratory systems; cause paralysis; and, in extreme cases, can kill. While people are not likely to […] Read more
Small hive beetle appears in New Brunswick
An emerging pest in honeybee colonies has made its way into New Brunswick for the first time. The province’s agriculture department last month quarantined 12 beekeepers’ colonies that were in “close proximity” to colonies imported from an Ontario beekeeper to pollinate wild blueberries in the Acadian Peninsula. However, the department said Friday, two beetles have […] Read more
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