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
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
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
Halal beef a huge opportunity for Alberta, say market experts
The market for beef and food products produced in compliance with Islamic law is big and getting bigger
Reading Time: 4 minutes More needs to be done to tap into the huge and growing market for halal meat, say experts. “It’s a market that people seem to be a little afraid of or haven’t quite understood,” said Grant Winton, a manager with the International Relations and Marketing Section of Alberta Agriculture and Forestry. The word ‘halal’ simply […] Read more
Peas are a bit of bright spot in a gloomy year for pulses
Market watchers say peas have some support but India’s tariffs will weigh heavily for quite a while
Reading Time: 3 minutes It’s a bad pun, but there is a bit of a case to ‘give peas a chance’ this year. “Peas are looking better than lentils. If I had to bet on one versus the other, I would probably favour peas,” said Chuck Penner of LeftField Commodity Research. “The reason for that is we hear all […] Read more
Orphan wells a growing problem for Alberta farmers
There are thousands of abandoned wells, which not only means lost rents but weed issues and contamination risks
Reading Time: 4 minutes Landowners and farmers could be left holding the bill following the bankruptcy of yet another Alberta energy company. Calgary-based natural gas producer Sequoia Resources Corp. ceased operations last month, abandoning a number of aging oil and gas wells that need to be sealed and cleaned up. “With Sequoia, there are 3,000 wells — 700 abandoned […] Read more
Interest in soil health is growing, but testing still lags
It’s only a minority of producers who are soil sampling and that mystifies a provincial crop specialist
Reading Time: < 1 minute Some producers may be looking at soil health a little differently, but there are still not a lot of them taking soil samples, says a provincial crop specialist. “Soil sampling gives you an evaluation of the nutrient levels in your soil,” said Mark Cutts of Alberta Agriculture and Forestry’s Stettler office. “If you know that […] Read more
Fields with wireworms needed for 2018 research
The beetle larvae can live in the soil for up to five years, and there are no insecticides available to control
Reading Time: 2 minutes Wireworms are a big problem in Alberta fields, and an entomologist is seeking help from farmers to find ways to control them. “We have a lot to learn about wireworms,” said Haley Catton who works at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Lethbridge research station. “We need to do a lot more research to figure out how […] Read more