Reading Time: 3 minutes Even animal death in a barn fire is one too many. But at first glance, it would seem Alberta has a reasonably good handle on them. A recent study found that during a five-year period (2015-19), Quebec had 141 barn fires and Ontario 121 — but there were just eight barn fires in Alberta. The […] Read more
Barn fires underreported — and far too common, says humane society
Most provinces, including Alberta, lack accurate stats, and that’s part of the problem, says official
Diesel prices, carbon tax cause headaches for farmers
MarketsFarm — Crude oil prices have been steadily on the rise since last November as oil-producing nations implement production cuts and Canadian farmers already affected by climbing diesel prices will have to dig deeper into their wallets this April. On April 1, the federal government’s carbon levy on diesel will go up from 8.05 cents […] Read more
Farm buildings getting bigger, but also stronger
Diaphragm bracing has been key as farm buildings become larger and larger
Reading Time: 2 minutes One comment Steven Adema often hears is that his company’s building designs are getting heavier. But the engineer with Tacoma Engineers in Guelph, Ontario argues that heaviness is not the culprit — the buildings are simply getting bigger in order to accommodate producer needs and government regulations. “For comparison’s sake we pulled an old Beaver […] Read more
Province taking wait-and-see approach to new farm building code
Farm buildings are generally exempt from the provincial building code, but that’s likely to change in a few years
Reading Time: 2 minutes The growing complexity of farm buildings — not to mention the ongoing threat of fire — has attracted regulatory attention. However, Alberta does not have a specific farm building code nor has it adopted the federal National Farm Building Code. The provincial government is waiting on the results of a new, planned federal code currently […] Read more
A+W tightens standards for broiler suppliers’ barns
Canadian burger and root beer chain A+W has set up additional standards for broiler barns supplying chicken meat to its restaurants. On top of its existing requirements for raising birds on grain-based diets without the use of antibiotics, the company on Friday announced it would require a new maximum stocking density for birds in its […] Read more
Concrete may be coming down in price
Reading Time: < 1 minute Thinking of building? Check out the price of concrete first. “Concrete seems to be more expensive in the Prairie region as compared to British Columbia and Ontario,” said Todd Bergen-Henengouwen, a market analyst with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry. “I found that the price of a 32 MPa (megapascal) concrete in B.C. and Ontario was about […] Read more
Replacing collapsed buildings? Build strong and to code
The collapse of farm buildings last winter showed why it pays to invest in well-built, engineered structures
Reading Time: 3 minutes A spate of farm buildings that collapsed from heavy snow loads this past winter has Alberta farmers looking at replacing structures they never expected to fail. More than a dozen collapsed barns were reported in central Alberta. In one case near Ponoka, more than 30 cattle were reported killed. Other cases saw expensive farm equipment […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
