Reading Time: 3 minutes Rice farming tends to conjure images of watered-filled paddies, water buffalo and sunlight breaking through lush south Asian greenery. But a researcher has set out to grow rice in southern Alberta, although “it’s a little early to be excited about it,” said Michele Konschuh, a University of Lethbridge irrigated crop scientist. She is working with […] Read more
Sounds like a long shot but rice could actually be a fit for Alberta
Researchers are trying to grow rice here at the request of a Calgary food ingredient company
Controlled traffic farming is proving its worth, say advocates
The system ‘shines’ during droughts and lets farmers seed and harvest sooner when it’s wet, they say
Reading Time: 4 minutes Controlled traffic farming has yet to catch on in a big way in Alberta, but it proved its worth during last year’s drought for a long-time practitioner. “I grew canola and barley last year and we had 28-bushel canola on four and a half inches of rain and five weeks of smoking hot weather,” said […] Read more
Preventable farm accidents continue to take a grim toll in Alberta
Farm workplaces are dangerous places — thousands suffer injuries every year and some lose their lives
Reading Time: 3 minutes Editor’s note: This story contains graphic content. Farmers and their family members keep getting hurt or killed for the same reasons, so a 14-year veteran of rural medicine is sharing accident stories as a warning during harvest. Dr. Andrew Swinton was one of the foot soldiers on the front line who dealt with serious injuries […] Read more
Alberta Open Farm Days celebrates 10 years of education and fun
“We try to show them as much as we possibly can during their visit.” – Charlotte Wasylik
Reading Time: 4 minutes Educating consumers about where their food comes from can be a daunting task — but not at Alberta Open Farm Days. “I think for a lot of people, farming was something they wanted to get away from,” said Charlotte Wasylik of Chatsworth Farms, a mixed family enterprise in east central Alberta. [PHOTO GALLERY] Open Farm […] Read more
PHOTOS: Open Farm Days: A visit to Chatsworth Farms and Hartell Homestead
Reading Time: < 1 minute Chatsworth Farms and Hartell Homestead were two of 117 farms that welcomed visitors on Open Farm Days. Here’s a closer look at these two enterprises. (Photos courtesy of Chatsworth Farms and Hartell Homestead.)
Third edition of AgSmart attracts big – and curious – crowds
Reading Time: 2 minutes With innovations ranging from drones that recognize and spray weeds on the fly, to the latest in worm dung, AgSmart is securing its reputation as one of Canada’s top agriculture events. Nearly 3,000 people attended the latest event Aug. 9-10 that highlights work being done at Olds College’s Smart Farm. It focused on agriculture technology […] Read more
Vacant office space may be the next frontier in Alberta farming
Company setting up indoor farm in Calgary Tower says vacant office space offers an opportunity
Reading Time: 3 minutes A prominent Calgary landmark will soon be the site of a large indoor aeroponics farming operation. About 65,000 square feet of former second-floor office space at the Calgary Tower Centre is being converted into a vertical farming operation that will grow strawberries, cucumbers, tomatoes, leafy greens and melons. “The produce we’re really interested in growing […] Read more
Olds researchers aim for better brew of malting barley varieties
Breeders aim for a package that keeps both the farmers and the customers happy
Reading Time: 2 minutes Plant breeders have many challenges, but malting barley breeders have an extra one. Customers sometimes like their varieties so much that they’re reluctant to change to ones that are better for farmers. “We are looking at things that are not only going to be good in production and give farmers higher yields and ultimately more […] Read more
Environmental award winners combine faith and hard work
Ribbon Creek Ranch finds benefits from a combined grain and cow-calf operation
Reading Time: 2 minutes The rolling hills around Linden, separated by wild-grassed coulees, tidy farmyards and fence lines running to the horizon, provide the setting for Ribbon Creek Ranch, this year’s winner of the Alberta Beef Producers 2022 Environmental Stewardship Award. It’s the home of Jerry Baerg, his wife, Dawn, and six children. They raise cattle on land purchased […] Read more
A computer program called BETSY could be your next ranch hand
It’s AI, but the other kind — an artificial intelligence system for detecting abnormal activity in animals
Reading Time: 3 minutes It’s arrived: facial recognition and 24/7 video monitoring of every movement. That may sound like a science fiction movie, but don’t worry. It’s not for you. It’s for your cattle. An artificial intelligence system named BETSY has been developed by OneCup AI, an Alberta-based tech startup. The company is offering it to producers willing to […] Read more