Reading Time: 2 minutes Richard and Amber Ozero have never been part of Open Farm Days before — but can’t wait to participate this year. Operators of any sort of farm are being encouraged to sign up for the Aug. 18-19 event, and for the Ozeros, it was an opportunity to introduce their honey business to a new audience. […] Read more
Open Farm Days a sweet deal for everyone, says new participant
Honey producers meet lots of their customers at farmers’ markets but are excited about hosting farm visitors
Alberta’s organic heartland wants to bring more farmers on board
Two-year initiative will assist both existing growers and those wanting to transition to organic production
Reading Time: 2 minutes Being Alberta’s most northerly rural municipality isn’t Mackenzie County’s only claim to fame. “Right now, Mackenzie County has the highest number of organic farmers,” said Jacob Marfo, manager and research director of the Mackenzie Applied Research Association, (MARA). And the region may soon have more. MARA and Organic Alberta, with support from the county and […] Read more
Alberta Wheat decries pending loss of two popular wheat varieties
AC Muchmore and AAC Redwater will suffer from a price drop when they move to the northern red class
Reading Time: 3 minutes Five wheat varieties will be moving out of the Canadian Western Red Spring class, much to the disappointment of Alberta Wheat — and many farmers in the province. “We were surprised when it was announced that these varieties were coming out of the class. We were trying to look at all the farmers’ needs,” said […] Read more
The long decline is over as cow herd finally stabilizes
A lot has changed in the past decade and a half — but what comes next for Alberta’s cattle sector?
Reading Time: 5 minutes The big shrink seems to be over — but Alberta’s cow herd is considerably changed from the pre-BSE era. The latest Census of Agriculture found 1.57 million head in the province in 2016, a very slight increase (of 13,500 animals) compared to five years earlier. The herd is not only much smaller than prior to […] Read more
Rancher donates $2 million to take beef industry where it ‘needs to go’
Cochrane producer John Simpson says sector is doing a good job in caring for cattle but can do better
Reading Time: 3 minutes The cattle sector has made big advances in livestock health and wellness, but needs to do more, says a rancher who donated $2 million for a new research chair to make that happen. “This has nothing to do with bad treatment of animals — it has to do with better treatment, better protocol, better records, […] Read more
Feed additive could be a methane game changer
Feed additive that can halve emissions while boosting feed efficiency is now undergoing a large-scale study
Reading Time: 3 minutes There’s pressure on the beef industry to be more sustainable, and some of that pressure falls on scientists like Karen Beauchemin. The Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada ruminant nutritionist and her team at the Lethbridge research station are looking for ways to reduce enteric methane — gas produced when digesting feed — from beef cattle. One […] Read more
Heritage chicken program at the U of A continues to grow
Program brings heritage genetics into small flocks and supports university’s breeding efforts
Reading Time: 2 minutes The eggs came first, but the chickens are really coming on strong for the University of Alberta’s heritage breed program. The Poultry Research Centre’s ‘Adopt a Hen’ program has been running for many years and is an unqualified hit. Starting with 175 supporters, there are now 504 participants in the Edmonton area, and a waiting […] Read more
VIEW FROM THE NORTH: Small pond, big ripples
There could be some benefits in some areas, but the downsides are many and could seriously disrupt markets
Reading Time: 3 minutes China’s tariffs on American pork and soybeans will have impacts here, although how exactly is an open question. “It affects our producers because our hog prices are set off of the U.S. market,” said provincial pork specialist Ron Gietz after their imposition earlier this month. The tariffs sent American prices plunging, with Canadian prices following […] Read more
McDonald’s raises the bar — but Canada’s beef industry already there
Fast-food giant wants to slash its carbon footprint, and Canada's beef sector is a model
Reading Time: 2 minutes McDonald’s plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions by one-third over the next dozen years is actually good news for Canadian beef producers, says the chair of the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef. “We’re far exceeding their expectations now and even into the future, so even for the 2030 goals, we’re well under it,” said Cherie […] Read more
In a bug-eat-bug world, farmers should help out their insect friends
Beneficial insects are tiny killing machines that can significantly reduce crop pests, says entomologist
Reading Time: 3 minutes Beneficial insects can be an unpaid workforce on your farm by killing pest species. And if you don’t help out the good ones, then you’re favouring those you don’t want, says an entomologist with Manitoba’s Agriculture Department. “Nature does not like a void,” said John Gavloski. “If you had no insects in a field or […] Read more
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