Reading Time: 3 minutes In southern Alberta, seeding of major crops was almost done by early May. And by mid-month, crops were emerging and even potatoes were at “ground-crack,” almost emerging. “It’s a month early, compared to a year ago,” says Hal Reed, production support specialist with Sunrise AG in Taber, who works mostly with potato growers. “There’s a […] Read more
Special crops off to good start in south
Spring seeding looking great across the province
Reading Time: 3 minutes Spring seeding is rolling along about as well as anyone could wish with enough soil moisture to get crops a good start. According to Alberta Agriculture, surface soil moisture conditions are rated good or excellent in over 75 per cent of the farming area. The excess moisture conditions of the last two years are confined […] Read more
Precision ag can’t replace soil testing
TRUE TEST Ross McKenzie says knowing soil types in your fields and regular soil tests are essential in understanding its productive capacity
Reading Time: 4 minutes Precision agriculture promises to boost the bottom line by marrying space-age technology to basic agronomics, but research scientist Ross McKenzie says farmers need to be cautious. That’s because the science behind input prescription maps developed from GPS, remote sensing and related technologies is not fully developed, the agronomy research scientist with Alberta Agriculture told attendees […] Read moreDairy producer switches to farming under glass
High tech Year-round greenhouses recycle water and control temperature, CO2 levels and air flow
Reading Time: 3 minutes Albert Cramer used to get up every morning to milk cows at his dairy farm near Thunder Bay, Ontario. These days he’s tending cucumbers and peppers near Medicine Hat. “I always liked the plant side of farming better than livestock,” he says. “I enjoy managing plants and this is a very hands-on business. And, like […] Read moreBuy local spreads to ornamentals and boosts opportunities
Reading Time: 3 minutes Bedding plant sections are expanding in big-box stores but at the same time, consumers are looking for locally grown, pesticide-free plants for their homes and yards. That’s creating opportunities for people who want to grow ornamental or edible bedding plants, says Mohyuddin Mirza of the Alberta Greenhouse Growers Association. Bedding plants are the specialty crops […] Read more
Year-round vegetables from southern Alberta
Co-op Members can concentrate on production and let Red Hat manage the marketing of products with a short shelf life
Reading Time: 2 minutes “Growing local is the only way that makes sense,” says Albert Cramer, a greenhouse operator from Medicine Hat. “People want to know where their food comes from. We can grow an Alberta product year round, that has to be better business than importing food.” Cramer markets his cucumbers, mini-cukes and peppers through Red Hat Co-op, […] Read moreNo such thing as a simple building
Reading Time: 2 minutes Every building project is unique and needs to be planned and built to match its purpose and its location, say experts. “It doesn’t mean every building needs an engineer to review that specific project,” says Don Carlson, building sales manager of UFA. “You may be able to use a pre-engineered package. A small shop, or […] Read more
A good insurance agent is naturally nosey
Reading Time: 3 minutes As soon as you put up a new building, you need to insure it. That means your insurance agent needs to know all the details of every building on the farm, including what’s in it. “Any time I write up a new policy for a farm, I ask endless questions,” says Jill Wiseman, a broker […] Read more
Officials say rat battle will be won
pests Alberta’s rat-free status doesn’t mean infestations won’t happen, just that they will be dealt with
Reading Time: 3 minutes Despite national media coverage, last month’s discovery of a colony of Norway rats at the Medicine Hat landfill is not that big a deal, says an official with Alberta Agriculture’s Inspection and Investigation Branch. “We’ve found infestations every few years,” said Vaughn Christensen. “This is the first time we’ve had a nest in a landfill, […] Read moreIntegration key to successful bioenergy project
Reading Time: 3 minutes “Beef is becoming a byproduct.” That’s how Mike Kotelko of Highmark Renewables describes the situation at the feedlot-centred business he and his brother Bern have developed on their farm. The Kotelko brothers took over the family mixed farm in the early ’80s. In those days, it was a fairly integrated operation with 120 registered Herefords […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
