Reading Time: 4 minutes It was a response to a crisis that threatened to overwhelm Alberta’s cattle sector — but seven months later the cattle set-aside program has come to an end. And it’s clear it’s been a success, says the chair of the Alberta Cattle Feeders Association. “I think the program did its job,” said Greg Schmidt, an […] Read more
Disaster averted: Cattle set-aside does its job
'It could have been worse, a lot worse,’ says feeder association chair
A tough year could usher in a brighter future for the bison sector
The pandemic was a big hit for bison producers but it’s also opened up new opportunities
Reading Time: 3 minutes It’s been a tough 10 months, but there are promising new opportunities ahead for bison producers, says the organization that represents them. “There are stormy waters at the present time, but the long-term future for the bison industry is very bright,” said Terry Kremeniuk, executive director of the Canadian Bison Association. “The pandemic and a […] Read more
Opportunities await in the post-pandemic world
Interest in local food, pent-up consumer demand, and Canada’s reputation are strong pluses
Reading Time: 3 minutes Things may seem bleak now, but there are silver linings in those dark clouds, says Farm Credit Canada’s chief ag economist. “In a lot of ways, things are different than they were 12 months ago,” said J.P. Gervais. One is that consumers are more interested in local and specialty foods, and knowing where those foods […] Read more
Going green could be golden for canola growers
Ottawa’s new ‘clean fuel’ rules could quadruple the amount of canola processed into biodiesel
Reading Time: 4 minutes Ottawa’s new “clean fuel” rules aren’t in place yet — much less new biodiesel plants — but going green will be a big win for canola growers, say industry officials. “We are excited about the opportunity because what drives the demand for feedstock is the ability of that feedstock to lower the carbon emissions of […] Read more
COVID-19 pandemic produces a bumper crop of novice gardeners
Whether it was growing their own food or beautifying the yard, gardening was hot in 2020
Reading Time: 4 minutes Greenhouses, garden centres and nurseries experienced a year like no other in 2020 as first-time gardeners took up trowels and hoes in unprecedented numbers. “Even if people had never planted before, they wanted to grow a garden,” said Tammy Meinecke, manager of Dunvegan Gardens in Grande Prairie. “Everybody was out planting seeds and trying to […] Read more
As clubroot grows in strength, counties boost their defences
Six municipalities have banded together to boost surveillance and encourage farmers to be proactive
Reading Time: 4 minutes Six partnering municipalities in the northeast region have stepped up their clubroot monitoring and are running an enhanced clubroot surveillance program. “There’s a lot of presence of clubroot in the Edmonton region. There’s a lot more traffic in that area. That’s where it was first discovered and is prevalent,” said Hannah Musterer, agricultural services technician […] Read more
What’s on your radar for the coming year?
Three agronomists share some lessons learned from 2020
Reading Time: 5 minutes It’s impossible to know what you might have learned if you had been able to go on farm tours or visit fellow producers last year. So getting crop intel heading into this year’s growing season will require tapping into your networks and asking others what’s on their radar. In that spirit, we asked three agronomists […] Read more
Cereal groups’ amalgamation talks slowed by pandemic
Alberta Barley and Alberta Wheat aiming to wrap up review of merger proposal in coming year
Reading Time: 3 minutes There’s no marriage proposal yet, but Alberta Barley and Alberta Wheat want to get moving on what has become a longer-than-expected process on whether to amalgamate or not. “We’re just in the beginning stage of where it will go, and the timeline and how to communicate,” Dave Bishop, immediate past chair of the Alberta Barley […] Read more
Soil scientists turned children’s authors win acclaim
Reading Time: 3 minutes Benjamin Ellert and Katelyn Lutes know a lot about soil, but knew nothing about writing children’s books. Until they wrote one. And now the two federal soil scientists can add ‘prize-winning children’s author’ to their resumés. The duo from Ag Canada’s Lethbridge research station recently won second prize in an international book contest run by […] Read more
There’s a payoff ahead for the cattle sector, say industry leaders
There are fewer cows and ranchers than 10 years ago, but that may change in the coming decade
Reading Time: 4 minutes After a decade in “cow politics” — and a lifetime in the cattle sector — Bob Lowe has a pretty straightforward wish for what he’d like to see in the coming decade. “I’d like to see Canada’s beef industry get bigger,” said the Nanton rancher and feedlot operator, who is also president of the Canadian […] Read more
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