Reading Time: 3 minutes The Alberta Environmental Farm Plan has a new component that enables producers to qualify for a sustainability standard recognized by the food sector’s biggest players. “Producers can use this tool to receive credit for the global standard called Farm Sustainability Assessment,” said Lisa Nadeau of the Agricultural Research and Extension Council of Alberta, which operates […] Read more
Alberta EFP links up with global sustainability program
You’ve likely never heard of the SAI Platform but its members are global food and beverage giants
Rotational grazing set to get a boost from climate action plan
Advocates say the system boosts profits and makes ranches more resilient to drought
Reading Time: 4 minutes Many farmers fear the effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is going to cost them money. But a new federal program may assist livestock producers in upgrading to a grazing system that advocates say is more profitable and makes ranches more resilient. The federal government wants more cattle producers to adopt rotational grazing and is […] Read more
Intimate film portrait celebrates everyday life on a small Alberta farm
Reading Time: 3 minutes Returning to her family’s bison farm inspired Anna Kuelken to make a film. And that 17-minute documentary, “Father Like Son,” won her a national art prize and a cheque for $15,000. But more importantly, it gave the young filmmaker a chance to celebrate both her family and the way of life that they, and so […] Read more
Small but mighty student group bridging gap between food banks and farms
Reading Time: 3 minutes When the pandemic struck, Cindy Zhang, a grad student from Calgary, wanted to do something to help those less fortunate. “I thought it would be great to connect farms to food banks, and also to communities in need and to churches as well,” she said. “We started reaching out to greenhouses when we noticed a […] Read more
Alberta looks for feed, Ottawa promises cash for B.C.
Alberta to help with veterinary testing after B.C.'s lab flooded, Alberta ag minister says
Even though supplies are low because of drought, Alberta is looking for feed to send to B.C. livestock producers, while Ottawa will provide emergency financial assistance to farmers dealing with flooding and closed roads in the hard-hit province. “We’ve been working with the B.C. department of agriculture,” Alberta Agriculture Minister Nate Horner said during a […] Read more
Alberta ag minister resigns among allegations of heavy drinking
Admitting he has a problem with alcohol, Devin Dreeshen resigned as Alberta’s minister of agriculture and forestry this morning. He has been replaced by Drumheller-Stettler MLA Nate Horner. “This morning, I offered Premier Jason Kenney my resignation as minister of agriculture and forestry and he has accepted,” Dreeshen said on Twitter on Nov. 5. “I […] Read more
Discovering the healing power of horses
Reading Time: 4 minutes The bond between human and horse can be a great comfort, and The Lethbridge Therapeutic Riding Association has found new ways to strengthen that bond during the pandemic. “COVID-19 forced us to be creative,” said Jason Shriner, executive director of the LTRA, a small 30-year-old non-profit. “There were no visitors to the farm, which was […] Read more
Industry and farm organizations fear fertilizer volume cuts
A made-in-Canada approach using 4R proposed as a means for meeting emissions targets
Reading Time: 4 minutes It was a dramatic claim — if Canadian farmers reduce their fertilizer use by the federal government’s proposed 30 per cent, they could lose $48 billion by 2030. It came last month in a release from Fertilizer Canada, which said that, that would be the loss if Canada followed the European model of cutting fertilizer […] Read more
Pandemic had a silver lining for Canadian bison producers
Bison meat is now more widely available, but drought weighs on sector
Reading Time: 4 minutes There has never been more fresh or frozen Canadian bison meat available at supermarkets. It’s a silver lining that came about because of the chaos caused by COVID-19. “Those folks who are involved in federally inspected plants and slaughtering in the U.S. and bringing the product up here, they have been able to identify opportunities […] Read more
Team Alberta calls for more action from the provincial government
The four major crop commissions say the government’s message is that producers will have to rely only on crop insurance
Reading Time: 3 minutes Representatives of Alberta’s four major crop commissions, known as Team Alberta, want producers to know their precarious situation hasn’t been forgotten. On October 13 Team Alberta issued a memo to producers outlining how it “continues to press the provincial government to acknowledge the ongoing situation and find solutions to protect farmers against the mounting risks […] Read more
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