Reading Time: 2 minutes Need help identifying a noxious weed? Of course, there’s an app for that. “Most people have a phone with them at any given time,” said Jeff Fleischer, a member of the communications committee for the Association of Alberta Agricultural Fieldmen. “We prepared the app so that people could have a list of all of the […] Read more
Smartphone app helps farmers scout for Alberta’s noxious weeds
App allows farmers to identify noxious weeds and report them to their local municipal fieldmen
Big bales are bottom of the barrel for the horse industry
Alberta’s horse industry buys more forage than any other livestock sector, but it has exacting criteria
Reading Time: 2 minutes Forage producers could tap into a huge domestic market for their hay — if they drop their bale sizes. “The horse industry purchases more forage than any other sector in agriculture,” said Les Burwash, manager of horse programs for Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. “I’m not saying we use more — we buy more. Of […] Read more
Beekeepers bank on biodiversity in pasture lands
Canola is a great source of pollen and nectar — but only for one month of the year
Reading Time: 2 minutes As the Alberta countryside gets eaten up by field crops, pastures are becoming a “safe haven” for field crop pollinators. “Bees spend maybe a month sitting in a canola field, and in that month, they have adequate supplies of pollen and nectar from the canola,” said Adam Ovinge, a beekeeper from Granum. “The problem is […] Read more
They’re nasty little critters — and alfalfa weevils are on the move
Previously deemed a southern Alberta problem, alfalfa weevils have been spotted as far north as Stettler and Provost
Reading Time: 2 minutes Well, it turns out alfalfa weevils can’t read road signs. “We thought it was a southern Alberta problem that doesn’t go beyond Highway 1 — most weevils don’t like it beyond Highway 1 — but lo and behold, we found it all the way through Stettler and Provost,” said Shelley Barkley, insect research technologist with […] Read more
Bale grazing and processing best at battling drought
A Peace Country study found bale grazing and processing is the best way to improve water retention and infiltration
Reading Time: 2 minutes Two up-and-coming grazing systems could help Alberta cattle producers combat drought. In a three-year study conducted by the Peace Country Beef and Forage Association, researchers found bale-grazing and bale-processing sites improve organic matter in the soil and increase the soil’s water-holding capacity more than other types of grazing system. “We’ve seen a lot of drought […] Read more
Agriculture Financial Services Corporation closing nine offices
Reading Time: < 1 minute The province is closing nine offices of the Agriculture Financial Services Corporation as part of its deficit reduction efforts. Sixteen people will lose their jobs, 14 vacant positions won’t be filled, and seven employees have been offered transfers to other branches, said AFSC spokesperson Nikki Booth. As of May 1, eight branches will be closed, […] Read more
Chicken feed doesn’t describe this system
Some broiler breeders gobble more than their fair share of feed, but a new Alberta-designed system has a fix for that
Reading Time: 3 minutes University of Alberta researchers are only halfway through a precision feeding trial for broiler breeders — but the early results are promising. “The system has done a great job at growing birds to the right weight,” said Martin Zuidhof, an associate professor at the University of Alberta. Along with a team of electrical and mechanical […] Read more
Forage growers, get your seed lined up soon
Alberta forage growers can expect limited seed supplies and high prices for almost all forage types this upcoming spring
Reading Time: 2 minutes Bad news for forage growers: Seed is in short supply and prices are “through the roof” heading into spring. “The prices reflect the supply,” said Heather Kerschbaumer of Golden Acre Seeds in Fairview. “We’re advising anybody who’s planning on doing any reseeding to go to your seed supplier and get your orders in early.” Forage […] Read more
Forage seed industry wants Western Canada to be a GM alfalfa-free zone
Seed growers say keeping GM alfalfa out of Western Canada would save current export markets and open the door to additional sales
Reading Time: 3 minutes Alfalfa seed growers in Alberta could stand to gain a huge market advantage over their neighbours to the south — if the industry can keep GM alfalfa out of Western Canada. “We’ve got access to potential market gains by picking up markets that are possibly going to be lost in the States,” said Heather Kerschbaumer, […] Read more
Alfalfa seed: a growing industry
Reading Time: < 1 minute It’s a good time to be an alfalfa seed grower, says the president of the Alfalfa Seed Commission. “It’s been a fantastic industry to be in the last few years, with tremendous growth,” said Darren Nikkel, an Enchant-area seed grower who spoke at the Alberta Forage Industry Network AGM in mid-March. After hitting a low […] Read more
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