The roof on Ken Munro’s machine shed looked fine when he drove past it on his way to work one morning earlier this month. But a text from his son told a different story. “It had collapsed in the middle of the night,” said Munro, an Innisfail-area grain farmer. Since early December, more than a […] Read more
Record-high snowfalls cause over a dozen barn collapses in central Alta.
Program aims to boost fertilizer efficiency, producers’ bottom line, and environment
Reading Time: 2 minutes Farmers are being offered cash incentives to lower greenhouse gas emissions while getting more bang for their fertilizer buck. “The primary goal (of the project) is to help farmers use their fertilizer and other crop nutrients more efficiently to reduce their losses of nitrous oxide, which is a greenhouse gas,” said Clyde Graham, an official […] Read more
Alberta bird rules the roost at Toronto poultry show
Reading Time: 2 minutes Travelling by wing just wouldn’t do for Champ the chicken on his recent flight to the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto. “He caused quite a sensation in the airport,” said Kathy Stevenson of Bashaw. “People would see the pet carriers and come around to get a good look and jump back startled when they […] Read more
Beef industry leaders urged to unite for common good
The leaders of Canada’s fractured beef sector need to work together and the rest of the industry needs to chip in more dollars for marketing and research, says a new report from a high-level task force. “We need to think as an industry, not just as sector components,” said marketing specialist Kim McConnell, one of […] Read more
Storage and cash reserves key as elevators fill up with grain
Record high yields have plugged Canada’s grain-handling system, and those who need cash to pay their bills will likely suffer the most
Reading Time: 3 minutes The plugged grain transportation system in Western Canada is the result of a “perfect storm,” says one Alberta farmer. “We have excellent yields all across Western Canada this year, and we have produced more grain than probably they were predicting,” said Andy Kirschenman, who grows durum, flax, yellow peas, mustard, fall rye, and canola with […] Read morePotential catastrophe looms as clubroot infestation rates soar
Provincial oilseed specialist Murray Hartman says the number of infested fields jumped by a third this year and will spread exponentially
Reading Time: 3 minutes The number of Alberta fields with clubroot jumped by more than one-third this year and provincial oilseed specialist Murray Hartman says exponential increases are likely unless canola growers lengthen their rotations. “If the conditions are suitable, we expect to be seeing more cases every year,” said Hartman. “This year, we had the largest number of […] Read more
Australia drives domestic and export demand through beef-branding program
Reading Time: 3 minutes A 15-year effort to develop the Chinese market is now paying dividends, with beef sales to the Asian powerhouse driving a sharp increase in cattle slaughter It takes time, but sustained and focused marketing is worth the effort, according to a senior official with Australia’s beef-marketing agency. “We were in China 15 years ago, just […] Read more
They’re at it again — boomers are changing the food marketplace
Beef producers told to focus on quality and health, and put a face behind the product so they win the trust of boomers and millennials
Reading Time: 2 minutes Baby boomers are key to bringing more Canadian beef to grocery store shelves, says a retail grocery industry analyst. “Baby boomers continue to lead the market, particularly the food market,” John Scott said at the recent Canfax Cattle Market Forum. “They’ve got a lot of money, and they’re used to spending it on high-quality products.” […] Read more
Value-added opportunities grow alongside Alberta soybean acres
Reading Time: 3 minutes Soybean acreage hit a record high in Manitoba this past growing season, and at least one Alberta producer sees that same potential for them here. “We’ve been raising them for the last eight years (and) ever since that time, I’ve seen potential for these things in southern Alberta,” said Patrick Fabian, a seed grower who […] Read more
Closure spells the end of an era for renowned Rafter Six Ranch
The owners had high hopes for a plan to expand the well-known guest ranch, but it instead led to its demise
Reading Time: 2 minutes A failed expansion plan has put one of Alberta’s best-known guest ranches out of business. “We’ve always needed more accommodations to look after the economy of scale,” said Stan Cowley, owner of Rafter Six Ranch Resort near Exshaw. “We wanted to expand.” Rafter Six has a long history of growth at its home in Kananaskis […] Read moreCyber-Savvy Farmer
