Reading Time: 3 minutes Managing for a drought should start the day you begin ranching. That was the message from Graeme Finn of Southern Cross Livestock for attendees at a recent field tour put on by the West Central Forage Association. “This year is the wrong year to start thinking about drought management,” said the Aussie native who now […] Read more
Drought management is a very long game, says master grazier
Getting through a year like this one is at the heart of the management system Graeme Finn uses
Ottawa’s farm aid pledge didn’t come with the details
Last-minute announcement committed $500 million but program specifics have to be hashed out
Reading Time: 3 minutes They cut it close, but federal Liberals came through on their pledge to kick in their share of disaster funding for hard-hit livestock producers. However, the last-minute announcement means federal bureaucrats will have to work out the rules and procedures for emergency aid from the AgriRecovery program. Read more: Drought relief payments to start flowing […] Read more
Drought relief payments to start flowing in early September
Producers need an AFSC account and a record of ‘extraordinary' livestock feed expenses
Reading Time: 3 minutes The first drought relief payment of $94 per head should be in the hands of cattle producers early next month. In the meantime, producers need to make sure they have an account with Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (AFSC) and start putting together a record of “extraordinary” feed expenses because of the drought. “We’re working towards […] Read more
What’s the secret sauce for growing Alberta’s food sector?
The province says Made in Alberta labels can drive sales but business owners say that’s not enough
Reading Time: 4 minutes It’s not surprising that cookies and cupcakes were a hit for housebound Albertans during the pandemic. But it wasn’t just the real butter and chocolate chunks that fuelled both delivery orders and e-commerce sales for Confetti Sweets. It was also the fact that the company is located in Sherwood Park. “When they placed an order, […] Read more
Will a third of a billion dollars in drought aid be enough?
Massive emergency rescue plan won’t be enough for many
Reading Time: 5 minutes Emergency money for cattle producers is coming, but now the big questions are: How fast will it arrive? And will it be enough? Although the $340 million pledged for Alberta ranchers under the AgriRecovery program is a big number, the skyrocketing cost of feeding cattle is even bigger. “The total lend is $200 a head. […] Read more
A very small farm at an Alberta school has a very big goal
Reading Time: 4 minutes Irvine School is taking the ag-in-the-classroom concept to the next level — it’s creating an actual farm on its grounds. Construction is well underway on the Agricultural Discovery Centre in a corner of the school’s playground. And although it’s not big (just 200 feet by 200 feet), it will be home to a market garden […] Read more
Drought-battered producers facing another crisis — contract penalties
Deadly combo of crop failures and sky-high prices leave some facing huge penalties on unfulfilled contracts
Reading Time: 5 minutes The drought is squeezing producers from all sides, with many facing another calamity — not having enough crop to fulfil their grain contracts. “There are issues because the drought is so widespread,” said Jason Saunders, vice-chair of Alberta Wheat and a dryland farmer from near Taber. “There was aggressive forward contracting on canola and old-crop […] Read more
Chickens come to roost at seniors’ home
Reading Time: 3 minutes Urban hens have become popular during the pandemic, but four hens in particular are a hot topic at a seniors’ residence in the hamlet of Villeneuve. The story of Lucy, Louise, Jackie and Melvina — the names of the hens — began when Donna Sheehan, the daughter of one of the residents, received a chicken […] Read more
There’s foreign workers in the bug world, too — and they attack weeds
Bringing in weed-attacking pests is a laborious process but it’s often the only option for pastures
Reading Time: 3 minutes There are many ways to control weeds. Rose De Clerck-Floate’s favourite is to reunite them with their longtime enemies from the old country. “All of the weeds here can come from other parts of the world, mostly Europe and some from Asia, and establish here without the organisms that keep them in check in their […] Read more
Cattle groups lay out a four-part drought action plan to government
Livestock tax deferral, AgriRecovery, and quick access to withered crops are all priorities
Reading Time: 3 minutes The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association and provincial cattle organizations have a plan to help drought-stricken beef producers. But quick action is needed, they say. The groups outlined a four-part strategy for immediate relief measures requested from federal and provincial governments during a CCA virtual Town Hall on July 19. All provincial cattle organizations, including Alberta Beef […] Read more
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