Reading Time: < 1 minute Spring is a busy time for bumblebee queens. After emerging from hibernation, their to-do list includes making nests, laying eggs, and keeping their larvae warm and fed. It’s physiologically demanding, and the stakes are high: the success of the colony depends on a queen. In a recent study, researchers at the University of California Riverside […] Read more
Environmental threats put bumblebee queens under pressure
Insecticide exposure and declining floral diversity are jeopardizing key pollinator group
New case of equine infectious anemia
Reading Time: < 1 minute A new case of equine infectious anemia has been detected by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency in Ponoka County, the office of the Chief Provincial Veterinarian reported in early July. One case involving one horse in Clearwater County was confirmed in April and another case, also one horse, in Strathcona County in February. Another case […] Read more
Babybel cheesemakers to set up Quebec plant
The makers of those little individual cheese snacks in the red wax shells plan to start producing them at their own new Canadian plant starting in early 2020. France’s Bel Group, whose brands in Canada include The Laughing Cow, Boursin and the aforementioned Mini Babybel, announced Thursday it will put up $87 million to build […] Read more
There were real cows too!
Reading Time: < 1 minute The first Breakfast on the Dairy Farm event of the season drew more than 700 people to the Van der Gun Dairy on June 23. In addition to a free breakfast, there was a bouncy house, face painting, a petting zoo, and barn tours. There are two more Breakfast on the Dairy Farm events this […] Read more
CP’s signal maintainers ratify three-year deal
Signal and communications employees with Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) have voted to accept a tentative three-year deal that helped end a 33-hour work stoppage in late May. CP and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) System Council No. 11, which represents 360 CP signal maintainers, announced Friday the union’s CP members had voted 78 […] Read more
Proposed deal ‘fallen apart’ for Hudson Bay Railway
An acquisition deal-in-principle for northern Manitoba’s Hudson Bay Railway appears to have collapsed and the line’s current owners warn the railway may now be down for yet another shipping season. Hudson Bay Railway (HBR), a subsidiary of Colorado-based shortline operator OnmiTrax, announced Tuesday “it now appears that this transaction has fallen apart.” The proposed sale […] Read more
CP joins CN in rejuvenating grain hopper car fleet
New-generation hopper cars are shorter, carry more grain, and are faster to load and unload
Reading Time: 2 minutes CP Rail says it will spend more than $500 million on new high-capacity grain hopper cars. The company announced last month it has ordered 1,000 new hopper cars and expects to see more than 500 of them in service by the end of the year. “These new rail cars will revitalize our fleet,” said CP […] Read more
Going beyond grass: The case for forage legumes
Alberta producers offer the wisdom of their experience — and their gains — from high legume pastures
Reading Time: 2 minutes If you’re fearful that seeding pasture with legumes will be a waste of time and money, several Alberta producers have some tips for you. A new video from Alberta Agriculture and Forestry features producers offering their advice — some of it hard earned — on topics such as seedbed preparation, nutrients, and weed control. Having […] Read more
Fire shutters Dalhousie ag campus’ main building
The Cox Institute, the main building on Dalhousie University’s agricultural campus, has been closed down by a Wednesday night fire believed to have caused substantial damage. No one was reported to be injured in the fire, the Nova Scotia university said via Twitter. According to local media the fire broke out Wednesday evening in the […] Read more
A+W to launch pulseburger next month
Canada’s second-biggest burger chain plans to roll out a new non-meat burger in the Canadian market starting in July. A+W Food Services of Canada on Thursday announced a July 9 release date for what it’s dubbed the Beyond Meat Burger at all its restaurants across the country, in what CEO Susan Senecal called “the fastest […] Read more