Reading Time: 3 minutes The growing emphasis on animal welfare and animal rights is part of a societal shift, and the livestock sector needs to embrace it. That’s the view of a philosopher who is also a professor of biomedical sciences and animal sciences at Colorado State University and author of several books on animal rights. “Too many people […] Read more
Don’t write off animal welfare advocates as vegans and ‘crazies,’ says expert
Most consumers now believe animals have rights and livestock producers have to respond to their views, says bioethicist
Two new members on UFA board
Reading Time: < 1 minute Cattle producers Patricia Henderson and Cindy Bjorklund have been elected to the board of UFA. Henderson helped operate her family’s purebred cattle operation in central Alberta and had a small cow herd near Cochrane with her husband. Bjorklund is a lifelong cattle producer and has been a small business owner. Jim Laverick and James Bettcher […] Read more
Get up to $25,000 for worthy projects in your community
Application deadline is April 17
Reading Time: < 1 minute Farm Credit Canada is now accepting applications from rural community groups for its AgriSpirit Fund, which will award $1.5 million in funding this year to celebrate Canada’s 150th anniversary. For the past 14 years, FCC has awarded registered charities and non-profit organizations in rural Canada between $5,000 and $25,000 for various community improvement initiatives. Past projects […] Read more
Bashaw agri-retailer to share the wealth
Reading Time: < 1 minute Bashaw Crop Services is one of four Canadian agri-retailers to be given $15,000 to donate to worthy causes. It was chosen in a contest put on by ADAMA Canada, which encouraged people to vote for agri-retailers that have made an outstanding contribution to their community. Fifty-two businesses were nominated in the #ThankARetailer contest and more […] Read more
Online help for developing an emergency plan
Reading Time: < 1 minute This is a good time of year to develop or review your farm’s emergency plan — and there’s a free online guide for doing that. The Rural Emergency Plan can be used to create a site map; inventory of hazardous goods; location of emergency water supplies, equipment and other supplies; and issues for first responders […] Read more
New First Aid and Safety on the Farm program launched
Reading Time: < 1 minute St. John Ambulance and Ag for Life have launched a joint training initiative to help families who live and work on farms prepare and respond to emergencies. Each year in Alberta, there are over 18 agricultural-related deaths and hundreds of injuries. Machinery, rollovers, and animal-related events are the predominant causes. Quick use of first aid […] Read more
Springtime can be the ‘right time’ for really big snowstorms
When a buildup of warm, moist air from the south collides with cold arctic air, your snowblower can get a real workout
Reading Time: 3 minutes With spring officially here, the last thing most people want to hear about is snow. But the way this winter and spring have been going, who knows? Springtime across the Prairies tends to bring some of the biggest snowfalls of the year. Several years ago I dug into this topic, but I figured it was time […] Read more
Eastern Prairies brace for April melt
CNS – It looks to be a soggy month of April for most farmers across the eastern portion of the Prairies. The three-month forecast, starting in April, for southern Saskatchewan calls for above-normal precipitation while the area around Winnipeg is expected to see a number of systems moving through the early part of the month. […] Read more
Herbicide resistance becoming the new reality in Alberta, says weed expert
Researchers in Lacombe are investigating mechanical ways to deal with resistant weeds, but there’s no ‘silver bullet’
Reading Time: 3 minutes Some Alberta farmers are in denial about weed resistance — and they’re in for a rude awakening, says a federal weed scientist. “We spend over $12 an acre on average, and about $500 million a year on wild oat control alone (on the Canadian Prairies),” said Neil Harker. “That’s the weed we put the most […] Read more
Manitoba announces new appointments to its disaster assistance appeal board
The Manitoba government has appointed two new members to the Disaster Assistance Appeal Board (DAAB). “The Disaster Assistance Appeal Board plays an important role for Manitobans, providing an independent, non-judicial review of disputed claims,” said , Infrastructure Minister Blaine Pedersen in a release. “The two new members’ leadership skills, volunteer experience and history serving on […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
