Reading Time: 3 minutes COVID-19 has created shockwaves across the agricultural marketplace over the past six months — but has it affected farmland prices? “So far, we’re pretty confident to say no,” said J.P. Gervais, chief agricultural economist for Farm Credit Canada. “Right now, given the data that we have, we see very little impact of the pandemic on […] Read more
They ain’t making more: In land we trust — even during a pandemic
Alberta’s farmland values increased at a pace of 8.5 per cent over the past year
Stewardship projects getting ‘ticked off the to-do list’
ALUS Canada has seen a jump in interest in its conservation programs during the pandemic
Reading Time: 2 minutes The pandemic hasn’t just prompted more housebound urbanites to undertake property improvements — more farmers are also looking at conservation projects. ALUS Canada — which helps fund projects such as fencing riparian areas or protecting wildlife habitat — has seen more applications since COVID-19 struck, said Christine Campbell, ALUS Canada’s western hub manager. “We’ve actually […] Read more
Innovative farmers ‘harvest’ water to boost production
Coen Farm created shallow ditches called swales to capture millions of gallons of snowmelt each spring
Reading Time: 3 minutes This winter, you might want to harvest something a little different on your farm — water. “Our farm harvests 40 years of water in two weeks just from snowmelt,” said Takota Coen, who farms near Ferintosh with his parents. “We live in one of the only places in the world where you can actually increase […] Read more
Lots of applications on orphan wells, but few boots on the ground
Abandoned well program inundated with applications but approvals slow in coming
Reading Time: 5 minutes Progress has been slow, but Alberta farmers should soon see work being done to remove abandoned oil and gas wells. In May, Ottawa put up $1.72 billion to clean up orphan or inactive oil and gas wells, pipelines and facilities in Alberta, Saskatchewan and B.C., with Alberta using its $1-billion share to create the Site […] Read more
Pilot project to convert old oil and gas wells gets green light
Reusing roads and power lines from abandoned wells could make Alberta a renewable energy leader
Reading Time: 2 minutes A pilot project to convert abandoned oil and gas sites in southern Alberta to renewable power generation has been given the green light and more than $4 million in funding to make it happen. “So far, nobody has actually used abandoned oil and gas infrastructure for solar deployment,” said Keith Hirsche, who is heading up […] Read more
Making rotational grazing the norm would be a ‘win win,’ says study
If all of Alberta’s grasslands were rotational grazed, 1.2 million tonnes of carbon could be sequestered every year
Reading Time: 4 minutes Grazing your cattle just a little differently could be a win win for your operation and the environment, says a new study from the University of Alberta. “The idea is to evaluate alternative grazing systems to see which ones are best and which ones maximize the sequestration and storage of carbon,” said ecology professor, Mark […] Read more
Fusarium removal from pest act sparks protest
Farmers in north fear the regulatory change will open the doors to fusarium — and make cereal crops unprofitable
Reading Time: 7 minutes The removal of fusarium head blight from Alberta’s Agricultural Pests Act has sparked protests from farmers in the as-yet-uninfected northern parts of the province. “My biggest concern is that we’re opening the gates to infect thus far uninfected areas of the province,” said Janice Reyda, who farms in the Peace Country near Brownvale. “Fusarium is […] Read more
Seed growers reject merger with other industry groups
Four other organizations may still merge, and even critics say change needed
Reading Time: 4 minutes Seed growers have rejected a proposed merger with four industry groups to create a single organization representing the seed sector. There were 751 votes by members of the Canadian Seed Growers’ Association — with 414 voting against the merger and 337 voting in favour — even though the board of that organization as well as […] Read more
Battered pork sector proposes ‘simple solution’ to trigger aid
Upping the payout from AgriStability would throw a lifeline to hog producers facing ruin, says pork council
Reading Time: 3 minutes With pork producers fighting to stay afloat but government unwilling to step in, industry leaders have come up with a new pitch: Instead of making it easier to get assistance, have AgriStability pay out more when things are really bad. In a recent letter to the country’s ag ministers, Canadian Pork Council chair Rick Bergmann […] Read more
Canola remains the golden crop that keeps on giving
There are many factors at play, but the bottom line is prices are good and the outlook is, too
Reading Time: 5 minutes Canola has come through again. Despite more lows than highs over the past year, prices are strong and could get better, market watchers say. “We’re seeing better pricing opportunities right now for canola, and there’s a possibility that prices will move higher,” said Bruce Burnett, director of MarketsFarm (a division of Glacier FarmMedia, which owns […] Read more
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