“Our honourees have abundant strengths that have served our province well,” Lt.-Gov. Salma Lakhani said of the 2021 inductees. “These include great perseverance, a selfless commitment to giving back, and a steadfast focus on sharing their unique gifts and abilities in a way that enriches us all. I offer my heartfelt thanks to each of them for their remarkable contributions.”

Among the other inductees are veterinary medical researchers Barb and Merle Olson and Greg Powell, an emergency room physician who co-founded and led the Shock Trauma Air Rescue Service (STARS).

Van Raay was one of southern Alberta’s most prominent entrepreneurs who strengthened the agriculture industry and ensured the future of agribusiness through 50 years of innovation. A compassionate philanthropist and community builder, his generosity has improved the lives of countless Albertans.

He and wife Christine began farming in 1964 with 320 acres of land near Iron Springs. Initially, the farm struggled financially, but Van Raay worked in sawmills and oilfields to get through the hard times. In 1972, he began a feeding operation as well as growing beets, potatoes and grain.

Each successive feedlot was an improvement on the last as he implemented best practices and developed unprecedented efficiencies in his operations. The five feedlots he was managing were seen to be some of the best in the world. He diversified his operations to include farm implement dealerships and trucking operations along with beef processing and exporting. His entrepreneurial efforts continue even after he began the succession process for Cor Van Raay Farms, acquiring 35,000 acres in Saskatchewan.

A strong believer in business training he made substantial donations to Lethbridge College and the University of Lethbridge to jointly establish the Cor Van Raay Southern Alberta Agribusiness Program. He also gave to numerous other community and health organizations, including funding of trails, parks and community facilities.

He received many honours and was informed he was to receive the Alberta Order of Excellence but he passed away on July 29 before the induction ceremony.

The medical research conducted by Barb and Merle Olson had far-reaching impacts in many areas, including managing diseases such as cryptosporidiosis and giardiasis and the first commercial vaccine for giardia. Their work on using Meloxicam to reduce pain in livestock, especially for animals undergoing castration or recovering postpartum, has led to significant advances in animal welfare and health.

To improve farm animals’ quality of life, they created Alberta Veterinary Laboratories (AVL) and Solvet Animal Health and began manufacturing veterinary pharmaceuticals. Success followed swiftly, with AVL becoming a household name among Alberta livestock producers for its low-cost, highly effective parasite control treatments and long-lasting pain medication.

As an emergency physician with years of experience, Powell had seen many patients die — despite having survivable medical conditions and trauma — because they hadn’t been able to get to a tertiary care hospital fast enough. It was a financial struggle to get STARS established but Powell firmly believed that purpose, passion and persistence would save the day — and so would the community. Residents of rural areas in the province saw what STARS was doing and stories spread about lives saved with the provision of advanced medical care and the rapid response by a familiar red helicopter.

The full biographies of Van Raay, the Olsons, Powell and other recipients of Alberta Order of Excellence can be found at www.alberta.ca/AOE. The other recipients are Joan Donald of Red Deer, Cyril Kay of Edmonton, Murray McCann of Calgary, and Lena Heavy Shields-Russell (Ikkináínihki) of the Blood Reserve.

The new additions will bring the total membership of the Alberta Order of Excellence to 197.

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“Kelly Smith-Fraser is well known in Alberta’s agriculture industry as a smart, driven leader,” Agriculture Minister Devin Dreeshen said in a news release.

Smith-Fraser has also served on the boards of Results Driven Agriculture Research and the Canadian Maine-Anjou Association. AFSC is administrating the Canada-Alberta Livestock Feed Assistance Initiative, the $340-million drought aid program.

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The clean energy and organic fertilizer facility will be the first in the world to use a technology called BioRefinex thermal hydrolysis. This technology, developed in Alberta, uses high heat, high pressure and water to turn animal and plant waste from agriculture and food processing into organic fertilizer and enough renewable natural gas to heat more than 1,000 homes each year.

The facility will also cut about 40,000 tonnes of emissions each year — the same as taking about 8,500 cars off the road. Enbridge Gas is also contributing $10 million to the project.

The post Innovative biorefinery to be built in Lacombe appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

“We hope even more farms and ranches get involved in this year’s Open Farm Days. The event helps farmers meet new customers, share their story and grow their businesses. It’s also a fun and educational way for Albertans and visitors to take in Alberta’s ag-tourism experiences and learn more about where their food comes from,” said Ricardo Miranda, minister of culture and tourism.

Now entering its seventh year, Alberta Open Farm Days features open houses, culinary events and tours. Last year, 117 farms participated, 16 per cent more than in 2017, and visits were up 17 per cent to 23,543. Farm sales in 2018 reached almost $190,000 over the two days, up 30 per cent from the year before.

Participating hosts can access product development supports such as business coaching, industry learning opportunities and regional networks. The deadline for host applications is May 31. For more information visit albertafarmdays.ca.

Open Farm Days is a collaborative project presented by the Government of Alberta, the Alberta Association of Agricultural Societies, Travel Alberta and participating farms and ranches.

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The new program will support technologies that help them reduce greenhouse gas emissions and facility operating cost, including improving lighting, heating, ventilation and rink/arena equipment.

An estimated 260 agriculture societies that operate facilities will be eligible for the funding to help them with the more than 3,000 community activities they’re involved in each year, such as rodeos, fairs, farmers’ markets, 4-H activities, agriculture and farm safety education, and scholarships.

“Alberta’s agricultural sector wants to do its part to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This one-time investment will allow our agricultural societies to demonstrate environmental leadership, while continuing to enhance the quality of life in communities they serve,” Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Oneil Carlier said in a release.

“Many of Alberta’s agricultural facilities are aging, and this grant will provide an opportunity to update buildings, improve energy efficiency and reduce increasing operating costs in the long term. Our ag societies, and these facilities, are essential to a high quality of life for Albertans, and this support helps relieve some of the rising financial pressure on societies so they can continue to do important work in their communities,” said Tim Carson, CEO, Alberta Association of Agricultural Societies

The program will be paid for through 2018-19 Climate Leadership Plan funds. Eligible initiatives under the grant program include retroactive and future activities that are measurable, increase energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, with results being reportable to the Alberta Climate Change Office.

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The federal government is providing $8.7 million through the National Disaster Mitigation Program for 18 projects. They include new or replacement flood mapping for Drumheller, Medicine Hat, Siksika Nation, Red Deer, and more than 100 kilometres of the North Saskatchewan River, including Edmonton. The province is contributing more than $5 million to the projects as part of a cost-sharing agreement.

The National Disaster Mitigation Program is part of the federal government’s strategy to address the soaring costs of natural disasters. The government funding will also be used to assess the potential for debris floods near Canmore, storm water vulnerabilities in Calgary, and flood risks in communities such as Manning, Stettler, Lacombe, and the Municipal District of Crowsnest Pass. Projects to improve forecasting and warning systems, and improve access and interaction with provincial flood-inundation maps, also received funding.

Alberta has launched 13 river hazard studies since 2015 that will produce new and replacement flood mapping for more than 1,300 kilometres of river through more than 30 communities. Many of these studies are nearing completion. Since 2013, the province has spent more than $700 million in community-level resilience pro­jects, erosion control, upstream storage, flood mapping, flood forecasting and emergency preparedness, and watershed health to improve flood and drought resilience across the province.

For example, a $1.2-million flood mapping project, which began late last summer, will identify river and flood hazards within the Town of Drumheller; Kneehill, Starland, and Wheatland counties; and Special Areas No. 2. The project covers 53 kilometres of the Red Deer River, eight kilometres of Kneehills Creek from the confluence with the Red Deer River, five kilometres of Michichi Creek, 10 kilometres of Rosebud River, and three kilometres of Willow Creek up to the Town of Drumheller boundary.

Another example is a $1.4-million hazard study for the Upper Red Deer River, due to be completed next summer, that includes a flood hazard map along the Red Deer River and Bearberry Creek. Along with identifying areas not suitable for development because of flood risk, the map will help emergency responders decide the best route of evacuation and the best locations for construction of temporary flood control barriers.

The post Mapping projects to aid emergency planning appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

The awards recognize extraordinary Albertans whose volunteer efforts have contributed to the well-being of their community and fellow community members. Two awards are given in three categories: youth, adults, and seniors.

Those receiving the award will have exemplified the spirit of community service; demonstrated exemplary initiative, leadership and creativity in their service to others; served as a role model and inspired others to volunteer; and improved the overall quality of life of fellow Albertans and their community as a whole.

Since its inception in 2000, 115 Alberta volunteers have received awards. Nomination forms and award criteria can be found at the Government of Alberta website.

The nomination deadline is Sept. 21.

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Until now, the only way to report poaching activity, dangerous wildlife or public land abuse was to phone the Report A Poacher hotline. There is now a Report A Poacher website to fill out a form and submit it online. The report goes to fish and wildlife officers so they can follow up and investigate.

“The more public support we receive through the Report A Poacher program, the more effective we can be in combating fish and wildlife crime and public land violations,” said Sgt. Major Adrian Marr of the Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Branch.

“Officers cannot be everywhere at once, and we must rely on the public for their tips so that poachers can be brought to justice.”

“It’s important that we give people more options to report suspicious or illegal activity,” added Ken Kranrod, vice-president of the Alberta Conservation Association. “The message is clear: Hunt and fish responsibly, and don’t be a poacher.”

Emergencies and incidents that need immediate attention should still be reported through the 24-hour Report A Poacher line at 1-800-642-3800. Phoning is still the fastest way to reach an officer, while the new website can be used to report issues that are less urgent. People reporting through either the phone or the web can remain anonymous and could be eligible for a reward, which ranges from $100 to $1,000.

Although not required, providing your contact information is helpful as the investigating officer may have followup questions. Any personal information provided is kept confidential.

In 2016-17, there were 14,894 calls to the Report A Poacher toll-free hotline. Of those, 3,097 were about suspected illegal activity, with $108,600 in rewards paid to individuals whose calls and information led to charges.

In total, there were 9,133 enforcement actions — both charges and written warnings — issued by fish and wildlife officers.

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Newly released data shows there were close to 18,000 visits to the 92 farms and ranches hosting events and activities Aug. 20-21, while 26 culinary events offered farm-to-table experiences during the two days. On-farm sales totalled $134,280 — an increase of 35 per cent over the previous year’s event.

Open Farms Days aims to grow farm-to-fork tourism opportunities and support growth in the local food sectors. The event is put on by the province, Ag for Life, the Alberta Association of Agricultural Societies, Travel Alberta and participating farms, ranches and agricultural societies.

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