Reading Time: 6 minutes Graham Collier’s grandfather used to time his seeding by the frogs. Once the frogs started singing in the spring, he knew the ground was thawed and it was time to get out into the field. Now, Collier is working on a less esoteric but still uncommon way to time wheat seeding — based on soil […] Read more
Strong wheat yields possible in ultra-early seeding system
Study finds producers in some parts of the province may be able to seed their wheat as early as mid-February
(Genetic) resistance is futile for new clubroot pathotypes
Over half of the unique clubroot pathotypes in Alberta able to overcome first-generation resistance
Reading Time: 4 minutes New clubroot pathotypes are emerging in canola fields across the Prairies — and clubroot-resistant varieties might not be enough to stop the spread. “The most worrisome part about this is the fact that a lot of these new pathotypes are able to overcome traditional first-generation resistance,” said Keisha Hollman, who led the study at the […] Read more
Next-gen DNA sequencing aims to find the best beneficial bugs
U of A researchers using advanced tech to find what’s on the menu of your insect allies
Reading Time: 3 minutes It’s like a scene out of the movie “Jaws.” The intrepid scientist reaches his hand into the gut of a shark and pulls out what it had for dinner — a different fish or maybe, in the case of sharks, a tin can. He knows, just by examining those contents, what this predator likes to […] Read more
The impossible dream: Buying land not an option for most new farmers
There’s no shortage of young people who want to farm, but prices are simply out of reach
Reading Time: 6 minutes Blake Hall used to joke that he was about as close to being a nomadic herdsman as a person could be in the 21st century. “All I owned was the cattle,” the Forshee-area rancher said with a laugh. “In the beginning, we moved between five farms in five years, which is expensive, labour-intensive, and stressful […] Read more
Even in Regina, biodiesel refinery will benefit Alberta canola growers
Proposed facility would be a huge user of canola and boost demand for crop, say canola leaders
Reading Time: 3 minutes A supersized new biodiesel plant will be good news for Alberta canola growers — even if it’s not actually located in Alberta. “It would have been great if it had been close to home for me personally, but there’s a bigger picture,” said Sylvan Lake producer Mike Ammeter, a director for Alberta Canola. “Even if […] Read more
Plant processing advocate gets the axe
Ag minister praises Plant Protein Alliance of Alberta but then its funding gets pulled
Reading Time: 4 minutes Blindsided. That’s how Allison Ammeter felt after the province first confirmed — and then cancelled — funding for an agency set up to help attract plant-protein processing to Alberta. And the move comes just weeks after the provincial ag minister held up the Plant Protein Alliance of Alberta as a leading example of his government’s […] Read more
‘Go west’ is paying off for British maker of plant-based ingredients
Its Calgary division plans to source — and eventually process — its yellow peas locally
Reading Time: 4 minutes Plant-protein processing is slowly but surely making its way to Alberta with the recent launch of Lovingly Made Ingredients in Calgary. The ingredient manufacturing arm of the British company Meatless Farm began production in its 33,000-square-foot facility in March. And so far, Alberta is proving to be the right location for the rapidly growing startup. […] Read more
Indigenous communities eye opportunities in agriculture
Farming has largely become a lost skill but there’s a keen interest in both production and value adding
Reading Time: 3 minutes Costly land. Labour shortages. Knowledge gaps. Expensive equipment. New farmers in Canada face plenty of hurdles — but for a growing number of Indigenous producers, those barriers are even bigger. “We see a tremendous amount of interest in all forms of agriculture,” said Shaun Soonias, director of Indigenous relations for Farm Credit Canada. “But a […] Read more
No light at the end of the tunnel for rural vet shortage
The number of vet school grads willing to work in a rural practice barely keeps up with retirements
Reading Time: 6 minutes Veterinarian Pat Burrage tried to retire back in 2018. But so far, he hasn’t had much luck. There just aren’t enough new vets out there to take up the mantle. “The veterinary shortage is the reason a geriatric like me has a job,” he said with a laugh. “Currently in Alberta, we’re producing graduate veterinarians […] Read more
On its way: Seeding canola with corn planter slowly gaining converts
The cost and learning curve are both high, but better results with less seed is a huge draw
Reading Time: 6 minutes Seeding their canola with a corn planter has meant a whole lot of work and a little bit of luck for the Olson family — but they hope this will be the year their work pays off. “This year, we’re doing all of our canola with the corn planter, where we’ve just done a couple […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
