Reading Time: 2 minutes The University of Calgary has just one message for aspiring veterinarians: There’s plenty of jobs out there — especially in rural Alberta. “We have areas in rural Alberta where I still get a phone call after a class has graduated that they have a job and need a veterinarian,” said Dr. Alistair Cribb, dean of […] Read more
Love rural Alberta and want to be a vet? Call U of Calgary
There’s a huge demand for livestock and equine veterinarians — and vet school wants to train more rural practitioners
There’s no business like show business for Calgary-area rancher
CL Ranch has played host to dozens of movies and TV shows — and it’s made its farm business more sustainable
Reading Time: 3 minutes Rancher Cherie Copithorne-Barnes wasn’t dreaming about being in show business when she got a strange phone call in the early 1990s. “They asked if they could come out and bring us to a spot on our land,” said Copithorne-Barnes, CEO of CL Ranch just west of Calgary. “We stood up on the hill, and they […] Read more
Don’t let this on your rangeland
Reading Time: < 1 minute Spotted knapweed has been reported in many areas of the province, especially ones with lots of vehicle traffic. Calgary, major highways, and border crossings are just a few areas with high densities of this prohibited noxious weed. The plant skeletons get caught in vehicle undercarriages, contributing to its spread. It also thrives in disturbed sites […] Read more
Farm family weathers Mother Nature’s worst through diversification
Bowden farm has branched out from grain, cattle, and seed potatoes into agri-tourism and community-supported agriculture
Reading Time: 3 minutes In a bad year, the Great White Combine does a good chunk of the harvesting in Hailstorm Alley — a little pocket of central Alberta that sees more than its fair share of hail. And there have been more bad years than good in John Mills’ farming career. “I’ve been back on the farm for […] Read more
Police rodeo is a wild and wacky affair
Reading Time: 3 minutes Const. Sean LaBrie just laughs when it’s suggested the Calgary Police Rodeo is arguably the most amateur rodeo in existence. “That would be about right,” said LaBrie, the rodeo association’s vice-president. “It’s pretty strange. For 99 per cent of the guys who are participating, this is the only rodeo stuff they do all year. It’s […] Read more
A highly destructive weed to be feared
Reading Time: < 1 minute Knotweed has been spotted in recent years in Trochu, Sylvan Lake, Leduc, Parkland County, Grande Prairie, Calgary, and Waterton National Park. There has also been a report of visitors to B.C. returning with a clump of roots to transplant into their garden. This prohibited noxious weed is very destructive, and can grow through cracks in […] Read more
New centre to boost profile of Canadian beef
The $3.8-million facility in Calgary aims to ‘bring the brand to life’
Reading Time: < 1 minute A new Centre of Excellence is going to do for beef what Cigi has done for grains and oilseeds, says the president of Canada Beef. “I’ve always been high on Cigi — the folks there have done a tremendous job of ensuring Canadian grains have strong international recognition,” said Rob Meijer. Over the last four […] Read more
It’s not your regular farming, but community-supported agriculture catching on
Most community-supported agriculture operations grow vegetables — lots and lots of them
Reading Time: 2 minutes One size does not fit all when it comes to community-supported agriculture in Alberta, according to a recent Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development study. “We talked to 25 different people, and we got 25 different answers on how you do a (community-supported agriculture program),” said project consultant Brenda Frick of Resilient Solutions Consulting. Community-supported agriculture, or […] Read more
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