Reading Time: 3 minutes Peace River farmer Michael Strebchuk is finding success with cover crops.
Cover cropping experiments pay off in yield and soil health for Peace Country farmer
Soil health main topic of Farming Smarter field school
Novel crops like prairie rice sparked discussion among attendees
Reading Time: 3 minutes Soil health was the main focus of this year’s Farming Smarter field school but novel new crops like rice also got some of the spotlight. Despite a cool and wet day in late June, a full house of farmers made their way through the damp fields. While a lot can be learned in a classroom […] Read more
Prairie cover crop survey kicks up some surprising findings
Many cover crops aren’t being grazed and despite challenges, no one yearns for the old ways
Reading Time: 3 minutes The expectations were low but a grad student who surveyed western Canadian farmers who cover cropping hit a home run. “When I started this project, I told (grad student) Callum (Morrison ) if we heard from 50 farmers I would be happy,” said Yvonne Lawley a University of Manitoba assistant professor and expert in cropping […] Read more
Unique year-round grazing method pays major dividends
Constant searching for new grazing ideas has led Dave Sammons to a strategy that works
Reading Time: 3 minutes Cow-calf producer Dave Sammons has come up with a unique and varied grazing strategy that has cut his workload and feed bills while boosting organic matter. His system on his mixed farm near Gleichen includes stubble grazing into early winter, then moving the herd onto cover crops, and then onto corn. “The grazing has helped […] Read more
Farmers change focus with holistic management
It’s not just about agronomics but also the finances and family dynamics, say advocates
Reading Time: 4 minutes Using holistic management principles can change lives, and farms. This was the message from five farmers who presented at the recent Western Canadian Holistic Management conference here. “We try to align our decisions with Mother Nature — it’s easier to work with her than to try to work against her,” said John Chuiko, who ranches […] Read more
Multi-million-dollar fund greenlights soil health projects
Eight projects to push soil health practices will get funding for the next five years
Eight soil health projects across Canada will be getting a multi-million-dollar boost in private funding over the next five years. The Weston Family Foundation — the philanthropic arm of the Weston business empire — has slated $10 million for those eight projects through the organization’s soil health initiative, it was announced Feb. 13. The initiative […] Read more
Boldly going: Potato growers head into unexplored territory
It’s nerve-wracking to be a trailblazer, but Groot family committed to trying something very different on their farm
Reading Time: 5 minutes These days farmers are encouraged to be experimental, and to conduct trials on their own land to see what works best for them. What agronomists may not say is just how nerve-wracking it can be. And that goes double when doing something that has rarely, if ever, been done before. In the case of Gibbons-area […] Read more
Round 2 of climate grants opening
Reading Time: < 1 minute Applications for the second round of grants from the On Farm Climate Action Fund open today. RDAR, the agency delivering most of Alberta’s share of the $200-million federal program, has posted new resources on its website. They include an updated seven-page FAQ document that answers common questions on eligibility, applying, receiving funding, and general program […] Read more
At this sold-out conference, it’s the attendees who are the big draw
Networking is the first order of business for the 500 soil health devotees at the highly popular event
Reading Time: 5 minutes Shorty Fensky first found his passion for soil health when he went to the 2015 Western Canada Conference on Soil Health. Seven years later, he was back – sharing that passion on a producer panel. “At the 2015 conference, the very first presenter was Dr. Yamily Zavala and her presentation was called ‘What is Soil […] Read more
Take time to learn the ins and outs of grazing brassicas
Toxicity can be an issue, and so can fussy eating, but brassicas can benefit the soil and extend the grazing season
Reading Time: 4 minutes With their ability to suppress weeds and break up compacted soil, brassica plants have become widely known as a good cover crop option. Many producers graze their cover crops, but brassicas can also serve as a grazing crop. “The brassicas are super watery and highly digestible,” said Jillian Bainard, a forage research scientist at Ag […] Read more
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