Reading Time: 2 minutes Consumer concern about genetically modified food may not be science based, but it’s a natural reaction and farmers have to get used to it, says an agricultural ethicist. Andrew Kernohan pointed to an early (although never commercialized) example of GM food — a tomato modified with a flounder gene in order to give it increased […] Read more
Ethicist says consumers have a right to labelling of GM foods
Despite scientific consensus that genetically modified foods are safe, consumers are understandably concerned
PED has a bright side if virus kept off Canadian farms
Reading Time: 2 minutes Porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) could turn out to be a blessing in disguise for Canadian hog producers who have been hit hard by the U.S. country-of-origin labelling law — if they can keep the disease off their farms. “With the PED situation, there is a temporary reduction in the COOL impact,” said Martin Rice, executive […] Read more
Fears raised by growing bear numbers
A bear safety training program in southwestern Alberta will arm producers with some knowledge about bear behaviour — and their very own can of bear spray
Reading Time: 2 minutes A$10,000 farm safety grant may keep southwestern Alberta producers a little safer from bears. “(Bears have) been a problem that the community has grappled with,” said Jeff Bectell, chair of the Waterton Biosphere Reserve Association in Pincher Creek. “Any time a community is facing issues, it really feels good when they know people understand… and […] Read more
Abuse of temporary foreign worker program could spell trouble for farmers
Alberta’s labour shortage has made hiring temporary foreign workers more attractive for farmers — but visas are harder to get
Reading Time: 2 minutes Producers may have a harder time getting foreign worker visas following recent allegations that McDonald’s is abusing Canada’s temporary foreign worker program. “It’s getting more difficult (to hire foreign labour),” said Al Dooley, agriculture labour recruiter with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. “We’ve seen, from the program’s point of view, some bad news stories, and […] Read more
Cutworms bug off when beneficial insects come calling
It’s a bug-eat-bug world when you’ve got beneficial insects in your field
Reading Time: 2 minutes Producers looking to cut spray costs this year may want to think about a different type of pest control. “(Predatory insects) can be really effective, with cutworms especially,” said Vincent Hervet, PhD candidate at the University of Lethbridge. Cutworms have “cyclic outbreaks” on the Prairies lasting three to four years, and right now Alberta is […] Read more
Province’s decimated cow herd may be on the mend
BSE, low beef prices, and then high feed costs have decimated Alberta’s cow herd, but a turnaround is coming into view
Reading Time: 4 minutes Canadian cattle producers are receiving strong price signals to begin expanding their herds — but will that be enough to reverse the decline in the national herd? Canfax’s research manager Brenna Grant thinks so, but not until next year. “We are anticipating these prices that we’re currently seeing to stabilize, but the price signal for […] Read more
Bison producers need to make the switch to RFID tags as of April 1
Reading Time: < 1 minute Bison that are still sporting dangle tags as of April 1 will need to be retagged with radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags before being moved. “Traceability is always a concern for the livestock industry, so effective April 1, the RFID tag is the only legal tag for bison,” said Terry Kremeniuk, executive director of the Canadian Bison Association. […] Read more
Community pride the true legacy of Hockeyville win
Reporter's Notebook
Reading Time: 2 minutes Well, that doesn’t suck.” With that, Jared Waldo wryly summed up the feelings of more than a thousand screaming Sylvan Lake supporters as they celebrated the town being named 2014’s Kraft Hockeyville. When the roof of the town’s arena collapsed this winter, Waldo and friend Kevin Putnam nominated their hometown for the contest and the […] Read more
The meeting must go on
Reporter's Notebook
Reading Time: < 1 minute Rural folk are pretty resourceful — but never more so than when they want to get out of a meeting on time. When a first-day-of-spring snowfall in Red Deer downed power lines across the city, cutting power at a DuPont corn planter clinic, agronomist Doug Moisey sprang into action. “We’ll go get a generator,” he […] Read more
Alberta bison producers putting out the welcome mat for new entrants
Bison Producers of Alberta says demand outpacing production and newcomers can make a good living with low-maintenance livestock
Reading Time: 3 minutes If you’re looking for low-maintenance livestock, strong profits and a bright future, the Bison Producers of Alberta has a proposition for you. That’s the gist of the association’s enthusiastic new promotional video, but the organization isn’t trying to buffalo anyone — it’s all true, says chair Thomas Ackermann. “We’d like to see if we can […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
