Reading Time: 4 minutes In January, Alberta’s government invested $3.5 million to make the province more drought and flood resistant. Rebecca Schulz, minister of environment and protected areas, said it has never been more important to improve the resiliency of Alberta’s watersheds. “By working with local communities and partners, we are helping mitigate the impact of future floods and […] Read more
Grants designed to combat drought and flooding
Province puts up funds to make watersheds and farmers more resilient
Alberta teen shares passion for agriculture through education
Free “content packs” delve into entomology, agronomy, plant and soil health
Reading Time: 3 minutes An Alberta farm kid is opening up the world of agriculture for other youths by distributing free learning kits. Luke Silinski, 17, grew up and lives on a farm in the Beiseker area. He has a passion for agriculture technology and wants to share it. Since 2021, Silinski has been distributing agricultural boxes that he […] Read more
Rest stops appear to contribute to BRD in calves
Length of trip and origin of cattle may also play a role in disease-causing stress
Reading Time: 3 minutes Just how big a risk is transportation for BRD in calves? It’s not an easy question to answer, because one of the biggest risk factors is stress, according to one Alberta researcher. Karen Schwartzkopf-Genswein, a beef welfare scientist at Agriculture and Agri-food Lethbridge, was one of the lead researchers in a recently completed four-year study […] Read more
Alberta ranch to be largest Canadian conservation project ever
Going big: McIntyre Ranch south of Lethbridge is one of the biggest tracts of privately owned grassland in North America
Reading Time: 4 minutes A historic southern Alberta ranch is set to become the largest-ever conservation project in Canada. The McIntyre Ranch, south of Lethbridge, is a 54,000-acre (22,000-hectare) ranch started in 1894 and is one of the largest private landholdings in Canada. It’s owned by the Thrall family, who are partnering up with Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) and […] Read more
Yarrow Project extends grassland preservation
Area will rely on cattle to replace the ecosystem services of bison, Nature Conservancy of Canada says
Reading Time: 3 minutes Alberta has a new area of preserved natural grassland right outside Waterton Lakes National Park. Dubbed the Yarrow project, it comprises 150,000 acres. “It really is one of the most unique and incredible properties I’ve ever personally been to,” said Jeremy Hogan, director of prairie grassland with the Nature Conservancy of Canada. He said the […] Read more
How to manage a pasture after a fire
What to do after a fire burns through? Treat it like it’s been heavily grazed, experts say
Reading Time: 3 minutes Many pastures have been damaged by this year’s fires. But how long does it take a pasture to recover? What can be done for a burned pasture? “Fire is not new to most grasses and other pasture forage species,” said Barry Irving, former manager of the Roy G. Berg Kinsella ranch. In that role, Irving […] Read more
Farming was always the dream — and then it became the reality
Reading Time: 3 minutes The joke when Dylan Robinson was growing up was that he chose farming as a career even as a newborn. “I was born in late August, so my grandfather couldn’t come to see me because he was swathing,” said the Fort Saskatchewan native. “So the first place I ended up going to was the swather. […] Read more
Precision planting: Good looks and high yields don’t always go together
Precision-planted crops look great at emergence, but lose that edge if timely rains don't come
Reading Time: 3 minutes If your greatest joy in farming is seeing nice, even emergence, you can’t beat a precision planter. “We tried a bunch of pulse crops, including field peas, chickpeas, lentils, faba beans, soybeans, and we also tried it on irrigated durum and hemp,” said Farming Smarter researcher Gurbir Dhillon. “Seedling emergence and stand establishment improved across […] Read more
Historic document protects the role of grazing on Crown lands
Having a clear, solid agreement recognizing ranchers as stewards is very important, say cattle leaders
Reading Time: 3 minutes Leaseholders can breathe a sigh of relief now that the province has formally recognized the role that grazing plays on public lands, say cattle leaders. The new Rangeland Grazing Framework recognizes that the stewardship of ranchers is critical to the health and future of Crown lands, said two signatories to the new agreement. “It helps […] Read more
Open the border to replacement bee packages, say Alberta beekeepers
Producers need ‘a lifeline’ when winter losses soar
Reading Time: 2 minutes It wasn’t the worst winter they’ve seen, but Alberta beekeepers struggling with hive losses say Ottawa should allow imports of American bee replacements. “It’s important for Canadian beekeepers to have that lifeline, in the event that we have catastrophic losses,” said Lorne Prins, vice-president of the Alberta Beekeepers Commission. “In all fairness, most producers will […] Read more
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