Reading Time: 3 minutes Every year, Canada thistle takes a big bite out of the productivity of Alberta forage and grasslands. But an increasing number of producers is biting back — in a wholly natural way. In late August, the West-Central Forage Association will once again import hundreds of cartons of little black bugs from an insectary in Montana. […] Read more
Canada thistle: Meet your worst nightmare
Every rancher hates this hard-to-control weed, but stem mining weevils just eat them up (from the inside)
How to establish a fair price for standing hay
Buyers should pay by the ton, not the acre, and there should be 10 to 30 per cent allowance for weather risk
Reading Time: 2 minutes Determining a fair price for standing hay isn’t an exact science, says a provincial farm business management specialist. “Hay prices are difficult to establish as they are affected by a combination of factors such as spring inventory carry-over, pasture conditions, feed competitors, cutting date, quality, yield, and location,” said Dean Dyck. “As we saw in […] Read more
Sugar is sweet for increasing cattle gain
Reading Time: < 1 minute Cattle that consume forages with higher sugar content have higher rates of gain, improved performance, and better rumen health. In a Beef Cattle Research Council webinar, two forage experts give tips for increasing sugar content in forage, such as cutting forages in late afternoon as sugar content peaks 11 to 13 hours after sunrise and why […] Read more
Coexistence plan for GM alfalfa won’t eliminate risk
Expert says stopping the spread of the glyphosate-tolerant trait is virtually impossible, but levels can be kept ‘very, very low’
Reading Time: 3 minutes The recently released “coexistence plan” for genetically modified alfalfa in Western Canada doesn’t offer any guarantees that conventional and organic crops won’t be contaminated, says an expert on gene transfer. “It really depends on what you’re trying to achieve,” said Rene Van Acker, a professor of plant science at the University of Guelph. “If it’s […] Read more
Prairie forage crops perk up with precipitation
CNS Canada — It’s been a slow start for forage crops growing across the Prairies, but the much-needed precipitation is better late than never. “The rain has been a huge help,” said Karin Lindquist, forage specialist with Alberta’s Ag-Info Centre in Stettler. “There are still some areas that could use a bit more, but so […] Read more
Three resources to read before buying land
The high cost of farmland doesn’t leave room for emotion — or miscalculation
Reading Time: 2 minutes Farm auction sale season has begun, and a provincial farm financial specialist says a lot of retiring farmers are choosing to sell their land by public auction. “With interest rates remaining low and the majority of Alberta farms continuing to have a strong balance sheet, the demand for farmland purchase in Alberta remains robust,” said […] Read more
Keep score when it comes to your soil health
The Visual Soil Assessment scorecard can help producers identify whether their soils are degrading
Reading Time: 2 minutes An upcoming Foothills Forage and Grazing workshop on June 24 will feature a soil health expert from Down Under talking about what’s going on down underground. “The workshop is an introduction to the role of soil health and microbiology in building forage quality and pasture quality,” said Nicole Masters, director of Integrity Soils in New Zealand. […] Read more
Grasslands a carbon-capture colossus
Do the math: Take Alberta $15-per-tonne carbon tax and then look at how much carbon is stored in grasslands
Reading Time: 3 minutes If the Alberta government really wants to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the province, it should start with an incentive for farmers to reduce annual cropping, says a rangeland management expert. “There’s a pretty compelling case about why there should be a direct economic incentive for producers to maintain or even increase the amount of […] Read more
There can be a steep price for early grazing
The choices aren’t great, but a forage expert warns that early grazing can cost you dearly down the line
Reading Time: 2 minutes With the early spring, some farmers, ranchers, and acreage owners are turning out livestock four to six weeks earlier than usual. “Some of the turnouts are due to a lack of feed, and for others it is necessary to get the cows out of the corrals,” said provincial beef and forage specialist Barry Yaremcio. Under […] Read more
Farm groups say even limited sale of GM alfalfa seed poses too high a risk
Farm groups say the release will begin a ‘spiral of uncertainty’ for producers and their customers
Reading Time: 2 minutes Fifteen Canadian farm groups have called on the federal agriculture minister to stop the sale of genetically modified alfalfa seed in this country. In a letter to Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay, the groups state they also want variety registration removed for all GM alfalfa until a full economic impact assessment is conducted. They are also […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
