Reading Time: < 1 minute The Classroom Agriculture Program (CAP) is currently looking for three new zone co-ordinators in Calgary, and the Flagstaff County and Red Deer areas. “CAP started in 1985, and since that time more than 550,000 students in Alberta have participated in the program,” says Karen Spelay, CAP co-ordinator. “CAP is about the food we eat and […] Read more
Classroom Agriculture Program zone co-ordinators wanted
Consider sainfoin as an option for hay and pasture
Reading Time: 3 minutes Are you thinking about seeding a new hay or pasture field in the next few years? If so, consider trying something new and adding sainfoin into the mix. “Sainfoin is a cool-season, perennial forage legume,” says Stephanie Kosinski, forage specialist with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. “It was introduced to North America from Europe and […] Read more
You can help in the battle against wireworm
Reading Time: 3 minutes Wireworm populations and their damage to crops are increasing and you can help to find a solution for your distinct farming area. Wireworms are the larval stage of click beetles. Lindane (e.g., Vitavax Dual, etc), an organochlorine insecticide, kept wireworm levels low for several decades but this insecticide has been banned since 2004. As wireworm […] Read more
Using banked forage for early-season grazing
Reading Time: 3 minutes With the recent long winter, on some farms and ranches hay supplies are short or completely used up. In some areas of the province, purchasing hay is not an option, so some producers are turning cows out on banked grass that was not grazed last fall because of the early snowfall. “Forage quality in banked […] Read more
Safety when transporting farm equipment on public roads
Danger Fifteen per cent of farm-related fatalities in Alberta from 1990-2009 involved farm machinery and a motor vehicle
Reading Time: 2 minutes The warming signs of spring are in the air and farmers in Alberta are getting ready to pull out the farm machinery. Now that farmers have planned their inputs, it’s time to plan how to get the equipment to the job site safely. “Farmers often have to transport farm machinery and equipment long distances between […] Read more‘I Have a Role’ campaign highlights communication on the farm
Reading Time: < 1 minute Communication between workers and family members is vital to ensure the safety of those working on a farm or ranch. Everyone should be able to identify their role in successful safety communication on the farm. In Alberta, the ‘I Have a Role’ campaign continues to highlight communication on the farm. “This past year, the Alberta […] Read more
Hand signals a good farm safety tool
Print it A poster showing standard signals can be downloaded from the Alberta Agriculture website
Reading Time: 2 minutes Communication is vital to worker safety in any situation, particularly in a fast-paced environment such as on a farm or ranch. Distracting surroundings can prevent important messages from getting through. Distance, noise and distractions from moving livestock, hooking up farm implements or navigating an oversized load, significantly reduce a worker’s ability to hear another worker. […] Read moreLow forage quality could be a cause of downer cows
Mineral losses Test showed feeding with a bale processor on snow can lose 30 per cent of calcium and 25 per cent of magnesium
Reading Time: 3 minutes Forage quality has been an issue this winter because of the weather conditions experienced last summer. Feed test results have shown that protein levels are down 20 to 25 per cent in many hay and silage samples compared to the long-term average. Delayed cutting has also increased the amount of fibre in the harvested forages, […] Read moreCold winter means paying extra attention to thin cows
Hands-on check Thick hair coat may mask the reality that cows are actually in poor condition
Reading Time: 2 minutes There is a combination of factors challenging cattle producers this year. December was considerably colder than normal, and this colder weather has prompted a heavier-than-usual hair coat on many cattle. While cows appear to be in good condition, producers may find, with some hands-on evaluation or condition scoring, that many may actually be thin. “Another […] Read moreCall for horses to lease for equestrian championships
Reading Time: < 1 minute The 2013 Canadian Interprovincial Equestrian Championships (CIEC) will showcase excellence in Alberta horses and riders, and the Alberta Equestrian Federation (AEF) is seeking horses for lease to qualified riders from other provinces for this competition. The AEF is hosting the 2013 CIEC in the Calgary area from September 13 to 15, 2013, with schooling and […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
