Reading Time: 4 minutes [UPDATED: Apr. 11, 2023] Canadian Rockies Hemp Corporation chief executive officer Aaron Barr says products are finally heading out the door of its plant in Bruderheim, Alta. *The company began construction in 2019 and was ready to start processing about eight weeks ago. “We ended up having about five months of extra additions to the […] Read more
More hemp processing is now underway in Alberta
Two companies are supplying a growing market for sustainable products ranging from building materials to cat litter
Bighorn deaths attributed to sheep contacts
Wild Sheep Foundation calls for domestic flocks to be tested and kept separate from wild population
Reading Time: 3 minutes There are calls for more separation between domestic and wild sheep following the death of several Bighorn rams in Bluerock Wildland Provincial Park and Sheep River Provincial Park. The animals were infected with Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae (Movi), a disease common in the airways of domestic sheep and goats. The disease is bacterial and there is no vaccine for […] Read more
Poultry producers brace for return of avian influenza
It’s hoped that monitoring wild birds and good biosecurity can help prevent another season of the disease
Reading Time: 3 minutes Spring may be a time of renewal and anticipation of a new crop, but for many poultry producers, this year it’s a time of uncertainty about a return of avian influenza. “We prepare every year for bird flu, but knowing what we went through last year, I think everyone is a lot more nervous,” said […] Read more
Sparing grassland from the plow — and from housing developments
A landowner-led group has more than 60 conservation easements covering about 40,000 acres of prime native grassland, foothills and riparian areas
Reading Time: 4 minutes A southern Alberta organization is having success with conservation agreements to keep the environment and cattle ranching intact. “The easement is very pro-grazing and ranching,” said Justin Thompson, executive director of the Southern Alberta Land Trust Society (SALTS). “There’s not a lot of restrictions around the actual operation. What we want to avoid is those […] Read more
New chair takes the reins at ABP
Brodie Haugan says important issues include the decline in the cow herd and the long-term health of the cow-calf sector
Reading Time: 3 minutes The youngest-ever chair of Alberta Beef Producers says he’s excited to bring the voice of the next generation to the organization. “To be honest, when I first got involved with ABP, I had no intent of getting to the top position,” said 32-year-old Brodie Hagen, who ranches near Orion. “I just saw the opportunity to […] Read more
Controlling herbicide-resistant kochia requires some different strategies
While tillage in general can harm soil health, a strategic targeted approach can help bury the seed
Reading Time: 3 minutes It’s time for a new mode of action for kochia control, but not one found in a jug of chemical. “We’ve had several years in a row of favourable conditions for kochia growth. That also can contribute to selection pressure for resistance, when herbicides are some of the primary measures that we’re using to manage […] Read more
They’re big but not bad: Bison herd fits with rotational grazing
Reading Time: 3 minutes Dan Sych and his family are doing something a little different — practising rotational grazing with bison. But it’s no big deal, even though his livestock are formidable beasts, says the Hay Lakes producer. “So much of it has to do with what everyone’s interpretation of what rotational grazing means to them,” he said. “We […] Read more
It’s been 25 years of livestock traceability
On the right track: Tracking livestock is now pretty conventional, but it wasn’t always — and still isn’t in some countries
Reading Time: 3 minutes It was groundbreaking in its day, but 25 years later — and well over 100 million ear tags —it’s hard to imagine the days when there was no livestock traceability. “It’s an everyday thing now — resistance is minimal,” said Anne Brunet-Burgess, general manager of the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency. The organization held its first […] Read more
Thinking outside the box prompts ag society to open daycare
Reading Time: 3 minutes They put on fairs and rodeos, host family fun days and large-scale ag shows, build community through a host of events, and share their facilities with organizations of every shape and size. But among the nearly 300 ag societies in the province, the Grovedale Community & Agricultural Society is unique — it’s in the daycare […] Read more
Farmers change focus with holistic management
It’s not just about agronomics but also the finances and family dynamics, say advocates
Reading Time: 4 minutes Using holistic management principles can change lives, and farms. This was the message from five farmers who presented at the recent Western Canadian Holistic Management conference here. “We try to align our decisions with Mother Nature — it’s easier to work with her than to try to work against her,” said John Chuiko, who ranches […] Read more
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