Reading Time: 4 minutes The past two years have been challenging for everyone, including Alberta’s agricultural societies. But many are now gearing up for an active summer. “They’re very hopeful that summer will be open and without restrictions,” said Tim Carson, CEO of the Alberta Association of Agricultural Societies. “The mood is quite positive. For the most part, everybody […] Read more
Alberta ag societies aiming to ‘get the summer off the ground’
It’s looking like a bumper crop of cash advances this spring
Cash flow a major issue as drought has left producers with less money while inputs have shot up
Reading Time: 4 minutes Groups administering cash advances are expecting a flood of applications from cash-strapped producers grappling with the sky-high costs of putting a crop in the ground. “We certainly think there is going to be demand because of how nasty last year was,” said Dave Gallant of the Canadian Canola Growers Association. “There’s going to be so […] Read more
Forecasting the future: What crop will be king in the coming year?
Oats is being touted as the profitability champion, but canola’s reign also looks set to continue
Reading Time: 4 minutes Scott Keller is pretty impressed with the latest crop profitability outlook from Manitoba’s Ag Department — but he’s not buying its prediction that oats will be this year’s No. 1 money-maker. Canola is still king and its reign isn’t going to end any time soon, said the grain farmer from New Norway. “Nothing will even […] Read more
Rail service is poor, but better days are on the horizon, says expert
Delivery of hopper cars is a concern, but recovery is expected and long-term outlook is good
Reading Time: 3 minutes Rail service is poor right now, but things will get better — in both the short and longer term, says a leading expert on grain transportation. CN Rail has been particularly poor when it comes to delivering hopper cars requested by grain companies, hitting a low of only 24 per cent during one week in […] Read more
Slammed by a huge jump in costs, pork producers are ‘just hanging on’
It’s not just sky-high feed costs — rising bills for heat, freight, and medication have eaten up a hike in prices
Reading Time: 3 minutes Beleaguered hog farmers are finally getting paid more but the extra cash — and then some — is blowing out the door as costs soar. A year ago, it cost about $140 per month to house and feed a pig, said Mark Wipf, hog and feed manager for Lakeside Colony Farming Company, located east of […] Read more
Despite challenges, Alberta hemp plant nears completion
Canadian Rockies Hemp Corporation says its markets are rapidly expanding
Reading Time: 3 minutes It’s been one thing after another, but production is nearly ready to start at the largest hemp plant in North America. “We’re finally there at the end of the tunnel,” said Aaron Barr, CEO of Canadian Rockies Hemp Corporation. “We are now getting equipment inside and hope to get our first decortication production line ready […] Read more
Watch out for grasshoppers and wheat stem sawfly this year
Some pests do just fine when it’s hot and dry while others suffer, and all try to adapt
Reading Time: 3 minutes Last summer’s drought and brutal heat was a game changer for insect pests across the Prairies. Some got knocked back, others managed just fine and many acted in new ways as they tried to adapt. “Every pest species we deal with could be responding to these hot and dry conditions differently,” said Meghan Vankosky, a […] Read more
Producer finds his way into farming through backyards in the big city
Reading Time: 4 minutes Reclaim Organics is a farm with an unusual trajectory — it’s moved several times and has existed in both the city and the country. Owner Ryan Mason grew up on a broiler breeder and grain farm near Pigeon Lake, but farming wasn’t his career goal when he headed to university. “I had no intention of […] Read more
Floods didn’t hit exports but transport woes are mounting
Exports are way down but grain movement is still slow two months after lines reopened
Reading Time: 3 minutes Although it’s been one crisis after another since last summer, the grain sector is seeing some small positives on the export front. One is that rail disruptions caused by flooding in B.C. in November didn’t have a big impact on servicing our wheat customers, attendees at a recent webinar on new-crop sales were told. The […] Read more
Peace Country group moves a mountain of vegetables to feed the hungry
Reading Time: 3 minutes They’re a small but mighty group based up in the Peace. Last year, the Peace Country Gleaners grew, harvested and dehydrated about 700,000 pounds of vegetables, which were made into a soup mix distributed to organizations feeding the poor both in Canada and abroad. “We had 11 acres of carrots and 11 acres of beets […] Read more
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