Reading Time: 5 minutes Alberta cattle producers need better business risk management (BRM) programs and they need them yesterday, says the chair of Alberta Beef Producers. “I believe we are in a crisis,” said Brodie Haugan from his ranch about 80 kilometres south of Medicine Hat. “We’ve seen the compounding effects of drought and severe weather. We’ve seen many […] Read more
Alberta beef producers in dire need of better drought response, says chair
Meanwhile, grain and canola producers managing with crop insurance
Vaccination aims to leave cattle pink eye in the dust
New method promises to battle disease where it lives
Reading Time: 3 minutes Treating pink eye in cattle on pasture can be frustrating, time consuming and only minimally effective. That’s why researchers with the University of Saskatchewan have completed a trial project that may set the stage for more effective treatment. Results from the recent study, started by now-retired researcher Philip Griebel, suggest that dropping an experimental vaccine […] Read more
There goes the sun
Vertical farm takes Mother Nature out of the picture and augments food supply, says CEO
Reading Time: 4 minutes Give Barry Murchie just a few words to describe GoodLeaf Farms’ new Calgary-based farm facility and he’d probably say it’s a completely controlled vertically integrated operation that grows leafy greens, baby greens and microgreens. Give the GoodLeaf president and CEO a few more words and he’ll call it a step forward in Canada’s food sovereignty. […] Read more
Bleak 2024 for Canadian beef sector, says U.S. report
Only two things will save national cow herd, said analyst: feed and moisture
Reading Time: 3 minutes The United States Department of Agriculture has dropped a report painting a grim picture of the Canadian beef industry in 2024. And according to an Alberta market analyst, most of its forecasts check out. The Canada: Livestock and Products Annual report predicts an ongoing contraction of the Canadian cow herd driven by a dwindling heifer […] Read more
Alberta cereals harvest surprisingly resilient
Dryland farmers in the south took a hit, but other regions pulled up the provincial average
Reading Time: 4 minutes Alberta’s cereal crop production wasn’t terrible this year, but only if judging by provincial averages. Alberta Financial Services Corporation publishes the provincial crop report along with field staff at Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation. As harvest unfolds, they’ve seen total yield estimates rise week by week. In its most recent edition, barley yield expectations increased by […] Read more
Research mentorship ‘fills in the gaps’ between science and ag
Industry mentors and mentees learn from each other
Reading Time: 6 minutes Primary producers and agriculture researchers have a shared goal: to find the best and most profitable ways to produce crops and livestock. So why does it often seem the two groups speak different languages? More than ever, science is becoming part of the language of agriculture, but a lot gets lost in translation. Since 2014, […] Read more
Canadian meat lobby says no deal better than bad deal
U.K. wants to have its cake and eat it too, meat lobby groups say
Reading Time: 4 minutes A trio of Canadian meat associations says no deal is better than a bad deal when it comes to trade. They’re protesting in advance of the United Kingdom’s acceptance into the Comprehensive Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. The “Say ‘no’ to a bad deal” campaign implores the federal government to delay approving the U.K.’s acceptance […] Read more
Researchers want producers to plant more peas
Four-year project attempts to eliminate barriers to growing the crop
Reading Time: 3 minutes Peas are a powerhouse. Not only do they sport a low carbon footprint and contain a high amount of protein, they come with their own nitrogen. So why aren’t more producers planting them? The biggest reason is the risk of root rot, a disease of peas that can infect the soil for years. But what […] Read more
The time to attack Canada thistle is now (or soon)
A herbicide application after a hard frost can hit the noxious weed where it lives
Reading Time: 3 minutes Of all the weeds beef producers should focus on, Canada thistle is high on the list. Livestock avoid the prickly plant and it’s said to cost Canadian ag and forestry $7.5 billion in lost revenue annually. Fall control on pasture might be one of the most effective tools in stopping growth of the noxious weed, […] Read more
Alberta women have big plans for $10K windfall
Credit unions give a boost to women in ag
Reading Time: 5 minutes Two Alberta women are $10,000 richer thanks to a first-ever grant awarded by the province’s credit unions. Lynn Dargis of Bonnyville and Laurel Thompson of Vermilion were winners of the Women in Ag grant awarded by the Credit Unions of Alberta and ConnectFirst Credit Union. Stepped up Farming has always been in Lynn Dargis’ blood. […] Read more
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