Reading Time: 3 minutes New key biodiversity area designations have been given to a number of areas in southwestern Saskatchewan and southeastern Alberta as part of an international effort to identify and contribute to protecting natural resources.
New biodiversity areas identified for western grasslands
Initiatives in Alberta, Saskatchewan recognize some of the country’s most extensive and unique remaining prairie ecosystems
Biodiversity tool maps ecosystem services
New tool from Ducks Unlimited Canada could inform farm management decisions
Reading Time: 2 minutes New biodiversity mapping tool from Ducks Unlimited Canada could inform farm management decisions on the Prairies.
Nakamura brothers win major potato award
Family's commitment to sustainability, efficient packaging gives them an edge in a crowded marketplace
Reading Time: 4 minutes At Nakamura Farms, potatoes are what they do best. In fact, it’s what the family has always done. Now that dedication has been recognized with a major award from Hostess-Frito Lay. The southern Alberta farm is in its fourth generation, operated by brothers Ryland and Lyndon Nakamura. As they head into the growing season, they’re […] Read more
Turning back the clock with grazing
Cattle can help fill the biodiversity void left from the loss of bison
Reading Time: 5 minutes Cattle are often maligned for their contributions to greenhouse gas levels, but Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Tim McAllister says that’s wrongheaded. “We hear about people advocating for the need to eliminate livestock from agriculture production, basically without really understanding the negative connotations that would have,” the researcher said during a recent webinar. “We really need […] Read more
Feds lift ‘pause’ on increases in crop chemical MRLs
New set of rules also calls for 'cosmetic' pesticide use to be banned on federal lands
Proposals to increase a crop chemical’s maximum residue limits (MRLs) on foods and food crops in Canada can again seek federal approval, after being put on temporary hold two years ago. Among several other changes, a planned new package of federal regulatory amendments will put a gradual end to a “pause” imposed in August 2021 […] Read more
Eyes in the skies to boost effort to reward eco-system services
Reading Time: < 1 minute A “carbon quantification” project that uses remote sensing to measure biomass and soil carbon on conservation projects on marginal farmland is getting a $1.5 million boost from the charitable arm of the country’s largest bank. ALUS (originally an acronym for Alternative Land Use Services) is a charitable organization that assists producers in 38 communities, nearly […] Read more
Feds open up consultations for sustainable ag strategy
Producer groups to have reps on advisory committee
The federal government has enlisted farm groups on the ground floor of consultations toward development of a long-term strategy to “amplify” the adoption and use of sustainable practices in agriculture over the next year. Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau on Dec. 12 announced the launch of public consultations on strategy development, running from now through March […] Read more
One-third of China’s land protected under ecological ‘red line’ scheme
Authorities crack down on farm encroachment
Shanghai | Reuters — Nearly a third of China’s land is now off-limits to development under a scheme known as the “ecological protection red line,” a senior official said at a news briefing on Monday, bringing the country in accord with global biodiversity targets. China first proposed its “red line” scheme in 2011 to put […] Read more
Crop expert offers tips for a successful hunt for new varieties
Yield gets all the attention but bigger may not be better when it comes to your farm
Reading Time: 2 minutes New crop varieties and variety tables are now available, so how do you pick ones best suited to your land? The first step is to analyze all the information in the variety tables, said provincial crop specialist Harry Brook. “The tables are structured with yield potential as the main criteria,” said Brook. “It takes into […] Read more
New Alberta portal offers detailed species and mapping info
Website profiles show where species are likely to be found and how they respond to human activity
Reading Time: 2 minutes Detailed information on hundreds of Alberta plant and animal species is now available online. The Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute — a global leader in biodiversity monitoring — has created the Data & Analytics Portal to provide easy access to the institute’s extensive biodiversity-related data, reports, and maps. A key part of the portal is the […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
