Water is crucial to everyone in the South Saskatchewan River Basin.

Project to help water users improve watershed planning

Irrigation projects will be among the proposals evaluated using the new model

Reading Time: 2 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – The organization that represents Alberta’s irrigation districts is spearheading a project that will better allow stakeholders in the South Saskatchewan River Basin to improved watershed planning. The project will use the South Saskatchewan River Operational Model (SSROM) to determine how to best develop infrastructure to benefit Albertans, said Margo Jarvis Redelback, executive […] Read more

According to the Government of Alberta website, the province has the largest irrigated area in Canada with nearly 680,000 hectares of irrigated land.

Alberta forms drought advisory committee

Reading Time: < 1 minute Glacier FarmMedia – Alberta has struck a new drought advisory committee as some provincial rivers reach record low levels, reservoirs remain below capacity and mountain snowpacks continue to be under historical averages. The province says at least parts of the province are facing risks of severe drought conditions in part due to warm and dry […] Read more


Officials say southern Alberta will be in good shape even if precipitation and runoff capture on the Oldman and St. Mary rivers are at median levels, but low levels could lead to a worst-case scenario.

Prairie water users watch mountain snowpack

Alberta officials say the region’s moisture shortage remains dire but stress the situation could easily turn itself around

Reading Time: 4 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – The best greeting for farmers attending the recent Irrigation Production Conference was the dump of snow outside the Agri-Food Hub and Trade Centre in Lethbridge. Inside, the need for that type of precipitation was laid bare in order to avoid a water shortage this year. The numbers tell the tale as to […] Read more

Record pasture insurance paid out in 2023

Record pasture insurance paid out in 2023

Agriculture Financial Services Corp. paid out more than $325 million through the Moisture Deficiency Insurance program

Reading Time: 2 minutes [UPDATED: Feb. 12, 2024] Glacier FarmMedia – Last year had the highest ever payout for pasture insurance in Alberta, surpassing that of 2021, according to data from Agriculture Financial Services Corp. More than $325 million was paid through AFSC’s Moisture Deficiency Insurance program, nearly three times the amount provided two years ago. “We went through […] Read more


Cattle sector awaits details on methane plan

Cattle sector awaits details on methane plan

Early thinking is that federal incentives to help producers reduce cattle emissions could fit with industry targets

Reading Time: 2 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – Canada’s draft policy that would provide financial incentives to livestock producers to reduce methane from cattle aligns with the beef sector’s target to see those emissions reduced by one-third by 2030. The beef industry will have to see how well federal government proposals merge with its own efforts, which have already resulted in Canadian […] Read more

A new report says Canada has low emissions for pork and beef production.

Report showcases animal agriculture

Livestock contributes to the overall health of the country, says institute

Reading Time: 2 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – A new report for the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute seeks to educate policymakers about the impact of animal agriculture on economic, social and environmental levels. The Forces Impacting Animal Agriculture In Canada: A Synthesis report delves into the issues surrounding cattle, dairy and poultry production in the country and how they are […] Read more


A pasture and corral south of Medicine Hat, Alta., is indicative of the conditions faced by cattle producers in Western Canada’s Palliser Triangle as the region continues to see little precipitation going into winter.

Winter brings no break for drought management

Herd culling and feeding strategies will be top of mind for cattle producers as drought aftermath drags into winter

Reading Time: 3 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – Even by the standards of her drought-prone region, the past year has been the worst for moisture since 1949 on Jesse Williams’s ranch in Alberta’s Special Area No. 2. “It wasn’t a fun year,” said the Whiskey Creek Ranch owner. “Of the worst 10 droughts in history for my township, I’ve been […] Read more

Ducks Unlimited Canada’s Kristine Tapley says the focus is on unproductive cropland.

Farmers urged to use marginal land for forage

Ducks Unlimited Canada, Farm Credit Canada lauch program to turn uneconomical farmland into perennial forage

Reading Time: 2 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – A new program sponsored by Ducks Unlimited Canada and supported by Farm Credit Canada hopes to spur producers to turn uneconomical farmland into perennial forage. The Marginal Areas Program on the Prairies is open to producers in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, with DUC providing financial support to convert unproductive cropland to forage […] Read more


File photo of cattle on pasture northeast of Calgary. (James_Gabbert/iStock/Getty Images)

Report aims to show animal agriculture’s interconnections

CAPI hopes to broaden policymakers' perspective

A new report for the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute seeks to educate policymakers about the impact of animal agriculture on economic, social and environmental levels. The report, titled Forces Impacting Animal Agriculture In Canada: A Synthesis, delves into the issues surrounding cattle, dairy and poultry production in the country and how it is interconnected within […] Read more

Alberta cattle producers need better business risk management programs that are more timely, says the chair of ABP.

Feed assistance welcome but ‘won’t be enough’

AgriRecovery program comes too late for cattle producers who have already made the tough decisions

Reading Time: 5 minutes Alberta’s cattle industry is in a crisis due to another year of drought, and while the latest AgriRecovery program will help the situation, more is needed to maintain the stability of the sector, according to the vice-chair of Alberta Beef Producers. “It won’t be enough, guaranteed, and for some it’s too late and they won’t […] Read more