Reading Time: < 1 minute The Farmers’ Advocate Office (FAO) has welcomed Cal Vance as Farm implement inspector. “I was born and raised on a mixed farm near Madden, Alberta, and attended high school in Airdrie and then SAIT for four years obtaining my mechanics licence with a red seal,” says Vance. “I owned and operated a small repair shop […] Read more
New FAO farm implement inspector
The statistics prove it — winter has arrived in Alberta
Reading Time: 2 minutes From Nov. 13 to 24 at least three major snowstorms swept across the province. The hardest-hit agricultural areas were found in a large band extending from Grande Prairie to Red Deer, with many areas experiencing up to a foot or more of new snow. High mountain areas saw even greater accumulations with some stations recording […] Read more
Alberta shelterbelt program still going strong
Reading Time: 2 minutes Alberta Nurseries has been working in conjunction with the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration (PFRA) for the past 17 years, growing and dispersing tree and shrub seedlings for the establishment of shelterbelts and other agroforestry, conservation and reclamation projects on eligible agricultural lands. Spring 2013, marked the end of an era, as due to budget cuts […] Read more
New calculator assesses financial risk for cattle operations
Reading Time: < 1 minute A new decision support tool to assist cattle producers in calculating their cost of production and risk exposure has been posted to Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development’s website. Rancher’s Risk and Return is an Excel spreadsheet that takes an innovative approach to assessing the price risk for cow-calf and feedlot producers. “The new calculator takes […] Read more
Developing a new agriculture product — and making a profit
Reading Time: 2 minutes Alberta Agriculture offers a business coaching service for those developing new farm products An Alberta Agriculture specialist says that, when developing a new farm product, there is a process that is important to follow to ensure the investment makes money. “No matter what business idea you decide to pursue, thinking through the development process makes […] Read more
Latest AgriProfit$ newsletter for Alberta Cattlemen
Reading Time: < 1 minute The latest AgriProfit$ newsletter for Alberta Cattlemen is now available. “The feature story in this issue is Chris Panter’s annual market fundamentals and outlook article,” says Dale Kaliel, senior production economist, Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development, Edmonton. “Chris reviews some of the short- and intermediate-term signals we’re seeing in the marketplace and how these might […] Read more
Producers urged to test for ergot
Reading Time: 3 minutes Ergot contamination is proving to be an issue of concern as this year, not just wheat, but oats, barley and triticale are testing positive for ergot. And, not just grain, but ergot is a concern in some mature forage crops as well. It is more important than ever to be aware of this problem and […] Read more
Report details emissions from feeding operations
Reading Time: 2 minutes The Air Quality Unit within the Environmental Stewardship Division of Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development is committed to working proactively with the livestock industry, government and non-government partners to address air quality concerns associated with livestock production in Alberta. “Over the past five years, the Air Quality Unit has been involved in the development and […] Read more
Retaining good staff is about more than just money
Reading Time: 2 minutes It would be so simple if “money” was the answer to the questions managers ask about how to retain staff. But, there is more to retaining staff than the wages they receive. Wages and benefits are what get new staff in the door, but it’s not what causes them to stay. If it were, the […] Read more
Farmer co-operators sought for insect survey
Reading Time: < 1 minute Every year, members of the Alberta Insect Pest Monitoring Network survey approximately 300 fields for canola insects, another 300 for wheat insects and 150 for pea leaf weevil. These are in addition to pheromone traps and the grasshopper survey carried out by agriculture fieldmen in each county. In order to improve the quality of these […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
