Reading Time: 5 minutes Falling number tests are becoming a key factor in the price you get for your wheat. But farmers are on their own when it comes to negotiating with grain companies, says the general manager of Alberta Wheat. “The grain companies say, ‘No, this is an anomaly, we won’t have wet years like this every year,’ […] Read more
Falling number fallout creating new pricing regime for wheat
It’s not an official grading factor, but falling number is increasingly determining what you get paid
Program gives dairy industry hopefuls a foot in the door
Alberta Milk is accepting applications for the New Entrant Assistance Program until March 31
Reading Time: 3 minutes Peggy and Harmen Hondebrink didn’t see a way to start dairy farming on their own before Alberta Milk introduced its New Entrant program nine years ago. “It’s not something you can just start out of nothing,” said Peggy Hondebrink, who now operates a dairy farm with husband Harmen east of Rocky Mountain House. “To buy […] Read more
What’s the future of agricultural research in Alberta?
The province wants a farmer-led ag research model but what that looks like is the big question
Reading Time: 5 minutes The shape of agriculture research in Alberta is changing — and what that change should look like is now up for debate. The provincial government held a series of “engagement” sessions with farmers this month (as well as an online survey) as a first step to creating a farmer-led research model. Alberta farmers seem to […] Read more
The Big Squeeze: Alberta cattle sector struggling to get ahead
In this tight-margin business, a host of smaller factors pull down profitability
Reading Time: 5 minutes Alberta’s cattle industry may not be facing another near-fatal blow like BSE, but it’s hemorrhaging all the same. And this time, it’s a death by a thousand cuts, says a new study. Government regulations. Global trade wars. Rising land prices and ever-higher costs. Drought. Feed shortages. Head taxes and exclusion zones. There’s not one single […] Read more
Students get hands-on education in sustainable food production
Reading Time: 5 minutes “Words without action are meaningless.” Teacher Steven Schultz couldn’t have predicted the effect those words would have when he said them in class one day 15 years ago. But at least one student took them to heart: She decided she wanted to take École Lacombe Composite High School off the electrical grid. She gathered a […] Read more
Are you prepared to deal with tougher times on your farm?
Know your current ratio, honestly estimate your gross revenue, and be ready to talk to your lender, says adviser
Reading Time: 3 minutes Managing your financial risk is a little like skinny-dipping — you’ve got to protect your assets, and that’s hard to do when you’re not covered. “When the tide goes out, everybody can see who’s swimming naked,” said MNP agricultural tax specialist Rob Strilchuk (quoting Warren Buffett). “We had a lot of good years, but when […] Read more
Mycotoxin risk likely to be high in some Alberta feed grains
Last year’s growing conditions created a perfect breeding ground for some dangerous mycotoxins, including DON
Reading Time: 3 minutes Variable weather conditions across the Prairies could cause problems with mycotoxins in feed this winter. “The No. 1 most influencing factor in mycotoxins is weather,” said Max Hawkins of Alltech’s mycotoxin management team. “Weather determines which moulds we’re going to have, the amount of those moulds, and those moulds determine the variety of mycotoxin.” Mycotoxins […] Read more
Cannabis 2.0: Could craft cannabis be southern Alberta’s newest cash crop?
A new 60-acre business incubator in Taber aims to create a complete supply chain for craft cannabis and hemp products
Reading Time: 6 minutes Cannabis 2.0 is coming soon to Canada — and one Alberta business hopes to be on the ground floor of this growing industry. “We’re trying to reduce the risk and eliminate the barriers of entry that many people are having trying to get into the cannabis business,” said Lindsay Blackett, CEO of the Grasslands Taber […] Read more
A year with more ups than downs, say these cattle producers
It wasn’t without its challenges, but 2019 worked out better than many had feared
Reading Time: 5 minutes This past year may have been a better year for Alberta’s cattle producers than 2018 was, but you’d be hard pressed to find many who would call it good. Between uncertain feed supplies, whiplash-inducing weather conditions, and variable cattle markets, producers across the province had to dig into their reserves, find a degree of patience, […] Read more
The Year That Was: China punishes Prairie farmers
For crop growers, China’s canola seed ban was the big news story of 2019
Reading Time: 2 minutes China’s near-total ban on Canadian canola seed dominated the news cycle in the past year. “The biggest challenge we faced through 2019 was the blockage of canola seed shipments to China,” said Jim Everson, president of Canola Council of Canada. “China is, of course, a very significant market for canola seed, oil, and meal, but […] Read more
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