Reading Time: < 1 minute Del Bonita producer Sheila Hillmer has been appointed vice-chair of Alberta Beef Producers following the resignation of Jason Hale, the province’s new deputy minister of agriculture. Hillmer became an ABP delegate four years ago and has been on the board since then. She is also one of the organization’s representatives on the board of the Canadian […] Read more
Hillmer appointed vice-chair of Alberta Beef Producers
Hay yields up, prices still high
Reading Time: < 1 minute Hay quality is high and yields are back to normal, says provincial market analyst Ryan Furtas. Yields for first cut dryland hay (which accounts for 90 per cent of production) were estimated at 1.6 tons an acre, which is above the five-year average of 1.4 tons an acre. Nearly 75 per cent was rated as […] Read more
Program targets worker shortage, promotes careers in ag
Reading Time: < 1 minute The province and Ottawa are giving $2.5 million to Ag for Life so the non-profit can promote ag careers and help companies with recruitment and worker retention. Best known for its classroom education program, Ag for Life will distribute two types of grants aimed at helping reduce a labour shortage in the ag and food […] Read more
Last separate elections for cereal groups
Reading Time: < 1 minute In their last go-round before a full merger, Alberta Wheat and Alberta Barley have largely filled director spots but still need a number of regional reps. Three directors were acclaimed to the board of Alberta Wheat: Dean Hubbard of Claresholm in Region 1 along with Greg Sears of Sexsmith and David Bartlett of Fairview in […] Read more
The old guard in malt barley is starting to give way
Two up-and-comers top the recommended list from the Canadian Malting Barley Technical Centre
Reading Time: 3 minutes The short list of recommended malt barley varieties is even shorter this year and a familiar name is missing. There are only four on this year’s list of varieties recommended by the Canadian Malting Barley Technical Centre. “At the top of the list this year are two of Canada’s newer varieties, AAC Connect and CDC […] Read more
Avian flu outbreak worst ever
Reading Time: < 1 minute Avian flu has wiped out more than 50 million chickens, turkeys and other poultry in the U.S. this year, making it the worst animal-health disaster to date and topping losses in the 2015 avian flu outbreak. It might have been worse had not producers increased biosecurity after the outbreak seven years ago. In 2015, about […] Read more
New MacDonald’s farm will need robots and other tech
Reading Time: < 1 minute Calgary high school students will get a chance to learn about agriculture – but not the Old MacDonald stereotype. “We are looking for students who are interested in robotics, technology, business and problem solving,” said Jay Steeves, dean of the Werklund School of Agriculture Technology at Olds College, which is partnering with the Calgary Board […] Read more
Grain movement stats are a window into the market
Weekly numbers from the grain commission give near real-time data on deliveries and exports
Reading Time: 2 minutes Keep an eye on the weekly numbers for producer deliveries and grain exports, says a provincial crops market analyst. “Weekly updates from the Canadian Grain Commission provide useful crop market movement and demand information,” said Neil Blue. The grain commission data covers grain and oilseeds moved in bulk (it doesn’t include container shipments) and it […] Read more
The door is opening for UHF livestock tags
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Canadian Cattle Identification Agency has launched an initiative that links non-approved Ultra High Frequency (UHF) secondary tags to agency approved tags in the Canadian Livestock Tracking System database. “This is a positive step forward in supporting UHF currently being used for management purposes and in some cases, it will facilitate cattle exports and provide […] Read more
Cattle producers ‘aligned’ with climate goals
Reading Time: < 1 minute The benefits from well-managed livestock systems got some recognition at the recent COP27 in Egypt, says Alberta cattle producer Bob Lowe, who attended the UN’s annual climate conference as an official observer. “Beef producers experience climate-related events firsthand and we work every day to continuously improve our working landscapes for generations to come,” Lowe said […] Read more
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