As he heads into retirement, Ward Toma says the crop’s future is as bright as it was when he was starting out
Reading Time: 3 minutes As he looks into the rear-view mirror of history, Alberta Canola general manager Ward Toma points to 2003 as a turning point. But not because of what happened in the canola sector, but rather the earthquake that hit the cattle business when BSE was discovered in an Alberta cow. In each of the two years […] Read more
Golden era for canola isn’t over by a long shot, says industry vet
Going the extra mile pays off for 4-H clubs during pandemic
Reading Time: 4 minutes Throughout the past two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, 4-H Alberta had one clear goal: to serve their youth. “We knew they were a vulnerable population that needed this community,” said Kurt Kinnear, the organization’s CEO. “We worked as much as we could to serve our youth through all of this, whether it was virtual […] Read more
Young and passionate: Why these ranchers are taking a seat at the table
It’s about focusing on things that matter now in order to build a better future, say these young leaders
Reading Time: 7 minutes Young producers are coming to the Alberta Beef Producers’ table — and they’re bringing their ideas and passions with them. Kaylee Chizawsky is one of them. The fourth-generation cattle farmer is one of a number of younger people serving as a delegate or board member for the five-decade-old organization. It’s important that her generation “advocate […] Read more
The search is on for the honeybee best suited to Alberta
Do bees born and raised here fare better over winter than their cousins reared in warmer climes?
Reading Time: 4 minutes Are honeybees raised in Alberta best suited to the province’s climate? That’s what researchers would love to find out. “There are increasingly bee breeders who are operating locally and quite innovatively to provide queens where they are needed,” said Olav Rueppell, a University of Alberta professor who is an expert in honeybee biology. “There might […] Read more
Rotational grazing doesn’t make rain, but it helps to keep it, study finds
Five-year, project finds high-intensity grazing boosts water infiltration by up to 30 per cent
Reading Time: 3 minutes Rotational grazing isn’t just good for the soil — it turns out the practice results in a huge bump in soil water infiltration. “What we were finding for water infiltration was that AMP (adaptive multi-paddock) grazing was adding about 30 per cent more water infiltration into the soil,” said Timm Döbert, who was part of […] Read more
Alberta poised to become hemp-processing powerhouse
Two hemp processors aim to open $70-million production plants in 2024
Reading Time: 5 minutes Alberta farmers will be growing a lot more hemp when two new proposed processing facilities open their doors in 2024. One is a $72-million hemp oil-processing operation to be built in a yet-to-be-determined location in southern Alberta while the other is a rare bird in the hemp sector — a facility that will process hemp […] Read more
Alarm bells are finally ringing as wild pig numbers soar
Spread of planet’s ‘worst invasive large mammal’ is prompting action — including a controversial bounty
Reading Time: 6 minutes There’s a growing realization that wild pigs are becoming a major threat to Prairie agriculture — but also concern that a new provincial bounty could worsen the problem. “Wild pigs are the worst invasive large mammal on the planet,” said Ryan Brook, a USask associate professor of animal sciences and the country’s leading expert on […] Read more
Prices are rising, but optimism isn’t for battered cattle sector
Herd numbers have been shrinking for 16 years, and that’s something the sector can’t cope with forever
Reading Time: 5 minutes As producers busy themselves with spring calving, the Canadian cattle herd continues to shrink. “Cattle supplies are getting smaller. They have in Canada for many years, and now the United States is into its third year of liquidation as well,” said Anne Wasko, market analyst for Gateway Livestock Services who also ranches in Saskatchewan. On […] Read more
Former nurse finds joy in her blossoming flower business
Reading Time: 3 minutes Emergency room nurse Sarah Schultz has hung up her scrubs — and picked up a garden apron and a trowel. “About six years ago, I happened across a flower farm on Instagram — I had never seen a dahlia before,” said Schultz, who lives on a grain operation near Strathmore with husband Jay and their […] Read more
Are cover crops a fit for Alberta conditions?
There are producers making it work here but they warn it’s not easy and comes with lots of unknowns
Reading Time: 5 minutes A decade ago, Brady Valgardson knew he had to do something about wind erosion on his farm. Cover cropping was the solution. “As we started doing that, I just read more and more about the benefits to the soil from those same cover crops, how they can hold on to your nutrients and improve water filtration,” […] Read more
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