Reading Time: 4 minutes Glacier FarmMedia is dedicated to covering the 2025 federal election with your interests as farmers as our lens. Our team of reporters will be speaking with politicians across Canada during the five-week election campaign. What do YOU want to ask them? Have your say below and we’ll update this page with your responses at bottom. […] Read more
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Choosing forage varieties
Reading Time: < 1 minute Are you looking to reseed a forage stand? Production typically declines as tame pastures get older, but it is not always easy to know what forages or varieties to seed next. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency no longer requires experimental yield, quality or agronomic data before new forage varieties are registered. Often, the only information available is data from the breeder or seed company.
Learn more about blackleg management in canola
Reading Time: < 1 minute Although scouting for blackleg (and assessment of potential damage) usually occurs near the end of the growing season, the most critical stage of infection is actually at the cotyledon stage. Using available videos, graphics and explanations to clarify the key blackleg resistance concepts can help farmers with proactive decision-making for maximum disease management. Browsing a […] Read more
Check your canola seeding rates
Reading Time: < 1 minute Canola seeding rates may require adjusting under certain conditions to optimize plant populations and maximize yields, according to research. Seeding rates may need to be increased when seeding at a later seeding date, when high average temperatures or low precipitation are observed before seeding, or expected after seeding. The Canola Council of Canada recommends targeting […] Read more
Alberta boosts irrigation spending for 2024
Irrigation districts get $5.5M bonus to update infrastructure
Reading Time: 2 minutes Alberta is increasing the amount it spends on irrigation infrastructure in 2024. The provincial government is boosting its portion of the annual irrigation rehabilitation program this year by providing $19 million — an increase of $5.5 million over 2023. It’s meant to help irrigation districts (IDs) update water infrastructure and allow them to do more […] Read more
Keep your openers sharp before seeding
Reading Time: < 1 minute Openers with sharp edges and limited wear work better to cut through residue, achieve consistent seed depth and provide the essential separation between seed and fertilizer. These benefits improve seed survival and crop uniformity, which improve the return on investment for seed. A canola crop with five to eight plants per square foot emerging uniformly […] Read more
Don’t let domestic sheep mix with Bighorns
Reading Time: < 1 minute Domestic sheep and goats can pose a threat to the health of Bighorn sheep. Anne Hubbs, senior wildlife biologist with the Alberta government, says domestic sheep and goats can commonly carry a bacterium that can cause pneumonia and large-scale population die-offs of Bighorn sheep following close contact with an infected animal. “There are no vaccines […] Read more
Feedlot verification program ongoing
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Natural Resources Conservation Board has initiated a program to verify that the livestock population of feedlots is within allotted numbers. The Livestock Population Verification Program is a response to evidence provided by complainants indicating that some operators in Lethbridge County may be exceeding the livestock numbers in their permits. Since reviewing that evidence, the […] Read more
Benchmarking cow-calf producers
Reading Time: < 1 minute A new report presents the multi-year business performance of cow-calf producers who participated in the AgriProfit$ Business Analysis Program. Ian Ryan, senior livestock economist with the Alberta government, says this report has a multi-year summary of the economic, productive and financial performance of Alberta cow-calf producers. Participants received a customized business analysis of their operations […] Read more
Certified seed cost trends
Reading Time: < 1 minute Farmers select seeds based on factors such as quality, yield potential, field conditions, crop rotation, cost implications, market dynamics and environmental conditions. Azam Nikzad, market analyst/coordinating researcher with the Alberta government, says the advantage of using certified seed often justifies the higher upfront cost. “Producers aim to optimize their choices by maximizing productivity and reducing […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
