Farm to Table

From farmer to award-winning distiller

Rolling Hills farmer’s succession plan includes producing award-winning whisky while pursing passion

Reading Time: 4 minutes Pivot Spirits showcases transition from farmer to distiller with provincial award-winning results in Alberta for Lars Hirch






Photo: Jun Zhang/Getty Images Plus

Prairie forecast: Looks like summer weather

Highlights: We appear to be in a fairly predictable weather pattern as the overall weather picture has been pretty good. We saw upper-level ridging last week bring average to above average temperatures across the Prairies. The forecasted area of low pressure over the eastern Prairies materialized as forecasted. As often typical with upper-level lows, the […] Read more




A dog checks out the bundle of baler twine collected and baled at the Mountainview Waste Management commission in Olds. The commission is one of the few across the prairies to accept a range of recyclable products including waste from surrounding farms in the Olds area. They recently started an agriculture plastics program where the material is collected and baled for shipment to recyclers.

Alberta looks for ag plastic management input

Survey intended to help shape future policy for agriculture plastics management in the province

Reading Time: 2 minutes Alberta provincial government giving agriculture industry a say through survey in shaping future plastics management.


Sheep under solar panels on Sun Cycle Farms. Photo: Submitted by Jason Bradley

Solar and sheep provide valuable farm diversification

Thousands of acres of solar panels across Canada can actually enhance agricultural production

Reading Time: 6 minutes Agrivoltaics - the system of grazing sheep or conducting other agricultural activity under arrays of solar panels - can provide farmers with diversification options for their operations.

Cattle on John Ross's 60,000 acre ranch benefit from a new water well and storage tank located away from the Milk River. Multisar paid for well drilling and materials to protect species habitat along the Milk River. With water nearby, cattle now graze areas of the ranch that they didn't use before. The grazing also creates habitat for endangered burrowing owls, which do not thrive in thick grass.

Conservation groups enter grazing lease debate

Five Alberta groups ask for halt of proposed project to convert native grasslands to irrigation

Reading Time: 3 minutes The Municipal District of Taber in southern Alberta remains at a political crossroads, weighing the interests of generating revenue for public services with conserving native grasslands.