Reading Time: 3 minutes Drones may seem like a fun toy — but on the farm, these fancy fliers mean business. “At the end of the day, you want better information to make better decisions, and that’s what they give you,” said Steve Myshak, owner of Ventus Geospatial in Lethbridge. “That’s the bottom line on why you want to […] Read more
Small farm ‘toys’ pack a mighty punch
Drones are getting off the ground in Alberta, in no small part thanks to their practical applications on livestock and grain farms
Looking for a lesson in farm safety? Head to the city — Safety City, that is
Reading Time: 2 minutes Farm kids learn by doing — and that’s how farm safety is taught at Safety City. “Every program starts with a lesson in the classroom,” said executive director Judy Douglas, who manages the non-profit organization in Red Deer. “And in every program they move on to do some activity. They always practise what they learned.” […] Read more
Don’t expect diesel, fertilizer, and chemicals to match oil’s steep decline
Experts say it’s a mixed bag when it comes to input costs
Reading Time: 4 minutes Falling oil prices are bad news for energy producers, but that should be good news for farmers and other big users of fuel and energy-intensive products. “We’re paying 30 or 40 cents a litre less for gas today than we were three or four months ago,” said Michael Burt, director of industrial economic trends with […] Read more
Photo: Hungry elk herd
Reading Time: < 1 minute No, this is not an elk farm. This herd was just passing through the pasture fields, on a ranch between Okotoks and Turner Valley. Wildlife damage usually increases in late winter as hunger makes wildlife more bold, said Charity Wallace of Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development. Limiting access to food sources, like bales and […] Read more
Consumers are richer, but their diets likely won’t be
Consumers will have more cash to spend, but very little will go towards bumping up their food spending
Reading Time: < 1 minute Consumers are starting the year with a little more jingle in their jeans thanks to the drop in oil prices. “About six or seven per cent of people’s spending in a year is just on gasoline,” said Michael Burt, director of industrial economic trends with the Conference Board of Canada. “If you’re suddenly giving people […] Read more
Farm group calls for more research dollars
The Alberta Federation of Agriculture wants the province to reinstate the cancelled Agriculture and Food Innovation Endowment fund
Reading Time: 2 minutes Plummeting oil revenues are blowing a big hole in the provincial budget, but the Alberta Federation of Agriculture says that’s all the more reason to increase funding for ag research. Attendees at the group’s annual general meeting last month passed a resolution calling on the province to increase, rather than cut, ag research funding, and […] Read more
Alberta Federation of Agriculture aims to offer ‘unified voice’ for farmers
Focus is on issues that can impact the day to day of a farmer’s operation
Reading Time: 2 minutes Nose to the grindstone’ is a good way to describe how the folks at the Alberta Federation of Agriculture have been working since the group’s rebrand in the summer of 2013. “We’re involved in agriculture in all of its different aspects,” said board chair Lynn Jacobson, who farms near Enchant. “We’re trying to give another […] Read more
Distillers grains are good for livestock gut health
The yeast in distillers grains feeds bacteria called prebiotics, and they may promote health and improve feed efficiency
Reading Time: 2 minutes Bingeing on baked goods and beer may actually be a boon for your belly, suggests a study recently completed by a team of international researchers. “Yeast, which has become a component of the human diet, is degraded by bacteria that live in the intestines of humans,” said Wade Abbott, a research scientist with Agriculture and […] Read more
Oilpatch’s pain could be agriculture’s gain as layoffs mount
Thousands of energy and construction workers will be looking for jobs, but agricultural employers need to attract them
Reading Time: 4 minutes The layoffs have already started in Alberta’s energy sector — but many more are on the way, say experts. “We’re estimating somewhere in the range of $12 billion less investment taking place,” said Michael Burt, director of industrial economic trends with the Conference Board of Canada. “That’s going to translate into thousands of fewer jobs […] Read more
How the plunge in oil prices and the loonie affects you
From inputs and labour to the complex ramifications for the beef industry, the drop in oil prices and the dollar is changing the farm landscape
Reading Time: 2 minutes A plunging loonie and free-falling oil prices will create winners and losers — and farmers will clearly be in the winners’ circle, according to one of Alberta’s top economists. “Agriculture, forestry and tourism will all do well,” said Todd Hirsch, senior economist with ATB Financial. “It’s really a big benefit to agriculture that we are […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
