Reading Time: 3 minutes This year’s spate of wildfires across the western Prairies were not an anomaly, but rather a “glimpse into the future” for Alberta farmers. “In Canada, our area burned has doubled since the 1970s, and I — and a number of others — attribute this to climate change,” said Mike Flannigan, a professor with the department […] Read more
Climate change equals more grass fires, says expert
Farmers should be aware of this danger and take steps to reduce the risk
Feds announce tax support for cattle producers
Measures will assist those hit by bovine TB outbreak and in areas affected by drought
Reading Time: < 1 minute Alberta and Saskatchewan cattle producers affected by bovine TB outbreak in 2016 and this year will receive additional tax relief. Farmers who received compensation under the Health of Animals Act from livestock destroyed due to the bovine tuberculosis outbreak in 2016 and 2017 in Alberta and Saskatchewan are eligible for livestock tax deferral provisions. These allow them to defer a […] Read more
Fund set up for family of James Hargrave
Reading Time: < 1 minute A GoFundMe account has been set up to help the family of rancher James Hargrave, who died in a vehicle crash while helping to fight wildfires along the Alberta/Saskatchewan border. Hargrave, 34, was chairman of the Alberta Grazing Leaseholders Association and first vice-president of the Western Stock Growers Association. The Walsh-area rancher “was community minded […] Read more
New technology brings new risks to the farm, say experts
Advances — from needleless injectors to auto steer — make farming easier, but also have safety implications
Reading Time: 3 minutes New technology brings many advantages to the farm, but can also result in unintended hazards, both for farmers and animals. This was stressed numerous times during presentations on technology at this year’s Canadian Agricultural Safety Association annual general meeting. Read more: AgSafe Alberta offering free safety programs for farmers “There’s a lot of routine work on […] Read more
AgSafe Alberta offering free safety programs for farmers
New producer-run organization has free advisers who can make visits to help you improve farm safety
Reading Time: 2 minutes Newly formed AgSafe Alberta now has boots on the ground, says extension co-ordinator Donna Trottier. “There are a couple of things that we want farmers out there to know,” she said at the recent Canadian Agricultural Safety Association conference. “We have three advisers who are available to come out to your farm and help introduce […] Read more
Online help for developing an emergency plan
Reading Time: < 1 minute This is a good time of year to develop or review your farm’s emergency plan — and there’s a free online guide for doing that. The Rural Emergency Plan can be used to create a site map; inventory of hazardous goods; location of emergency water supplies, equipment and other supplies; and issues for first responders […] Read more
Do you have an emergency response plan?
Reading Time: < 1 minute Every farm should have an emergency response plan, says an Alberta Agriculture farm safety specialist. That plan needs to include “procedures, training and exercises based on individual farming and ranching needs,” said Blair Takahashi. A chain of command should also be established to minimize confusion and alternate means of communicating. Practice drills will not only […] Read more
The 2017 fire season has begun
Reading Time: < 1 minute The wildfire season begins March 1 and the province is warning Albertans to be extra careful to help prevent wildfires in forested areas. More than 60 per cent of the wildfires last year were caused by human activity. Last year, 1,338 wildfires burned more than 611,000 hectares, including the Horse River wildfire that spread into […] Read more
Association to pay for avalanche training
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Alberta Snowmobile Association will pay for 100 of its members to take Avalanche Skills Training (AST) this winter. “In the wake of several seasons of unstable snowpack in the mountains of Alberta and B.C., the need to have proper avalanche education needs to be reinforced with snowmobilers, and anyone heading into steep terrain,” the […] Read more
Identify fire risks and take steps to protect your farm or ranch
There are a number of things that can — and should — be done to minimize the impact of fire
Reading Time: 3 minutes There are several things you can do to minimize the impact of fire. “In a lot of cases, it’s like a risk management process,” said Brad Andres, director of emergency management services with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry. “Ask yourself about on-farm safety and identify the risks that could really affect your operation.” Being prepared with […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
