Bad year 2012 was just one of those years when Mother Nature gave a free pass to aster yellows, but the rise in blackleg was man made
Reading Time: 4 minutes Hope for a cold winter to knock back aster yellows, loosen up your canola rotations to avoid blackleg, and pick your pulse cultivars with disease resistance in mind. Those were three key pieces of advice offered by Alberta Agriculture pathologist Michael Harding at the recent Alberta Pulse Growers meeting. Aster yellows have been stealing yield […] Read moreYou can blame aster yellows on bad luck, but not blackleg
Expert urges producers to become advocates and dispel myths about animal agriculture
CLOSE WATCH The YouTube era means farmers “shouldn’t have anything on your operation that you wouldn’t like to have on YouTube or the six o’clock news”
Reading Time: 3 minutes Farming is under the spotlight, and producers need to act accordingly, says the head of an Ontario farm group that tracks media coverage of agriculture. “I always say that you shouldn’t have anything on your operation that you wouldn’t like to have on YouTube or the six o’clock news,” said Crystal Mackay, executive director of […] Read moreHemp promoters see possibility for a value chain
Reading Time: 2 minutes Russ Crawford likes to compare hemp with canola 40 years ago — small acreage, and uncertain markets. “Hemp provides a unique opportunity because it has been a marginalized and an unrealized crop. There’s tremendous potential to capture,” said Russ Crawford, vice-president of the Canadian Hemp Trade Alliance. “Because it’s so small, it’s hard to get […] Read more
Right agronomics are key to hemp growing
Reading Time: 3 minutes Know your varieties, talk with other growers, do your research and use your best land. Those are hemp agronomy tips from Kevin Friesen, seed production manager with Hemp Oil Canada and a partner with Hemp Genetics International. Friesen, who spoke at the Canadian Hemp Trade Alliance conference has been in the industry since 2001 as […] Read more
Evaluating hemp performance is a work in progress: Specialist
Trials Hemp was tested in several locations last year, but more site years are needed for recommendations
Reading Time: 2 minutes Manitoba has been conducting hemp agronomy trials at research stations across the province for several years, and thanks to a grant of $70,000 from the Canadian Hemp Trade Alliance, this year trials were expanded to other provinces. “If you get enough site years, then the data starts to mean something,” said Keith Watson, a diversification […] Read moreEast-central Alta. watershed group takes aim at water quality issues
Water quality affects everyone, and that’s especially true in the Battle River watershed. "Unlike many other watersheds in Alberta that have headwaters in mountain regions, the Battle River watershed is Prairie fed and our headwaters are near 60 per cent of our population," said Sarah Skinner, watershed planning co-ordinator for the Battle River Watershed Alliance. […] Read more
Group aims to improve water quality in Battle River watershed
PLAN Run-off from the Battle River watershed can travel as far as Hudson Bay, and it typically has very high levels of phosphorus and nitrogen
Reading Time: 2 minutes Water quality affects everyone, and that’s especially true in the Battle River watershed. “Unlike many other watersheds in Alberta that have headwaters in mountain regions, the Battle River watershed is Prairie fed and our headwaters are near 60 per cent of our population,” said Sarah Skinner, watershed planning co-ordinator for the Battle River Watershed Alliance. […] Read moreGoat producers urged to provide input into a new national ID program
MANY ISSUES Some dairy goat producers want leg bands instead of ear tags and there are different methods for reporting and recording of animal movement, and retiring tags
Reading Time: 2 minutes A traceability program for goats is coming, and now is the time for producers to give their input on how the system should operate, says the general manager of the Canadian National Goat Federation. “Traceability and animal identification are almost non-negotiable right now,” Jennifer MacTavish said at the recent Alberta Goat Breeders Association conference. “Our […] Read moreResearcher offers advice on dealing with “hidden” rural poverty
TEAM APPROACH Laura Ryser says banding together at a regional level is key to making the most effective use of scarce resources
Reading Time: 2 minutes Rural poverty is often “hidden” and longer lasting than its urban counterpart, and many low-income residents don’t appreciate that higher education is their best hope of escaping their situation, says a researcher from the University of Northern British Columbia “Unfortunately due to the small-town environment, people work really hard to hide their dire financial situations,” […] Read moreFarmfair becoming a venue for high-end genetics sales
Reading Time: 2 minutes Edmonton’s annual celebration of western heritage, rodeo and agriculture returns this week. Farmfair International and the Canadian Finals Rodeo are the two feature events of the River City Round Up Festival, held throughout Edmonton from Nov. 4 to 11. “It continues to be one of Canada’s top agricultural shows. We expect to have 93,000 guests […] Read more