Reading Time: 4 minutes Many farmers and Albertans support the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, but few have seen the impact that their donations make. Keith and Jacilyn Goutbeck have — and won’t soon forget what they encountered on a learning tour to Ethiopia at the end of January. The siblings visited individual families in communities that had received Foodgrains Bank […] Read more
Trip to Ethiopia eye opening for Fort Saskatchewan siblings
A new day dawns and hope blossoms for Prairie grain farmers
The proof will be in the pudding, but farm leaders and grain companies agree the ‘building blocks’ are there
Reading Time: 4 minutes It’s a battle that took more than a decade to wage — but producers should see the benefits of the new grain transportation law this fall, says a pair of Alberta farm leaders. “I expect we’ll see advantages right away,” said Alberta Wheat chair Kevin Bender. “When the previous government brought in previous legislation after […] Read more
Is your farm prepared for a disease emergency?
New booklets lay out the threats to dairy, hog, and cattle operations and offer a blueprint for being ready
Reading Time: 3 minutes The first thing the Canadian Animal Health Coalition did after receiving a grant to better prepare for animal disease emergencies was to see if producer organizations had a crisis plan. The results weren’t encouraging. “We surveyed 130 organizations, all industry associations at different national and provincial levels across the country,” said Matt Taylor, one of […] Read more
Safeguard wheat midge tolerance or lose it, growers warned
A single gene that protects wheat from this costly pest could quickly be lost if there’s no refuge in fields
Reading Time: 2 minutes Planting saved soft white spring wheat that’s tolerant to wheat midge comes with a multimillion-dollar risk. If tolerance is lost, it could cost growers $60 million annually and up to $36 per acre, said Mike Espeseth, co-chair of the communications committee of the Midge Tolerant Wheat Stewardship Team. A single gene, called Sm1, provides midge […] Read more
More than bragging rights at stake in Alberta Wheat’s yield contest
The goal isn’t just getting growers to go big on a few acres, but to share their agronomic practices
Reading Time: 2 minutes Interested in growing a nice big crop of bragging rights? Alberta Wheat is making it easier for the second edition of its Wheat Yield Challenge. “We have tweaked the rules a bit this year, said Brian Kennedy, the crop commission’s grower relations and extension manager. “This year, we are going to compare what the grower […] 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
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
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