Prairie beef farmers were forced to find new feed sources, learn new processes and make difficult decisions in managing their feed inventories in the past few years.
Beef experts share lessons learned from three years of drought
Prairie drought conditions improve in June: AAFC
Above-normal precipitation and cooler temperatures helped drought conditions improve across most of the Canadian Prairies in June, according to the latest drought monitor report from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada showing conditions as of June 30.
Canadian drought conditions improve: AAFC
Shifting weather patterns helped drought conditions significantly improve across much of Canada in May, with the most significant improvements seen through the southern Prairies where an upper-level low provided cooler and unsettled conditions bringing well above-normal precipitation, according to the latest drought monitor report from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada showing conditions as of May 31. […] Read more
Don’t fear FITFIR, says Alberta water expert
Rights holders likely to negotiate in times of water shortage
Reading Time: 5 minutes Alberta river and reservoir levels remain lower than normal and water availability continues to worry irrigators. Will there be enough water to go around? What happens if there isn’t? Answers can be found in the province’s current Water Act, passed in 1999, which contains the same “first in time, first in right” (FITFIR) system that […] Read more
Better weather winds for 2024 grazing season
Prairie provinces received vital rains in April and May
Reading Time: 4 minutes The grazing season has had some memorably bad starts in recent years, but 2024 promises to break the cycle across much of the Prairies. “This is the best start we’ve had for a year for a long time,” said Graeme Finn, founder of Union Forage and rancher near Crossfield, Alta. “These pastures now are looking […] Read more
Viking turns on the taps of new water initiative
Farmers around Viking to enjoy raw filtered watering system
Reading Time: 3 minutes The town of Viking in central Alberta is ready if Mother Nature turns off the tap again in 2024. This time, if drought rears its ugly head, local farmers can use a new raw water pumping station built within the town’s existing infrastructure. Viking celebrated its new layer of drought protection during a grand opening […] Read more
Alberta to study snowpack with more accuracy
LiDAR employed to provide more spatially precise data
Reading Time: 2 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – The Government of Alberta is working with a research team at the University of Lethbridge to measure the snowpack in southern Alberta more accurately, according to a news release. The measurements will help guide water management policies and practices as the province works to better manage its water resources. For seven months […] Read more
The slow slide into drought
The current Prairie moisture situation is the result of years of ongoing precipitation deficits
Reading Time: 2 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – We had a fairly major storm system on the Prairies in late April, but it was not strong enough to warrant major attention. Manitoba received the most moisture from this system, with widespread 20 to 30 millimetres of rain mixed with snow. The northern half of agricultural Saskatchewan, along with the far […] Read more
Recent precipitation welcome, but more needed
Northern Alberta is particularly dry this spring, but even areas that are receiving rain have low soil moisture reserves
Reading Time: 3 minutes Even though all three Prairie provinces had snow or rain last winter and this spring, moving out of drought conditions is not necessarily a given. “We’ve seen near normal precipitation throughout most of Saskatchewan and well as southern Alberta and much of Manitoba,” said Trevor Hadwen, agroclimate specialist with Agriculture Canada. This precipitation occurred Sept. […] Read more
Large southern Alberta water users agree to reduce water use in severe drought
Users include participating irrigation districts, municipalities and industries
Reading Time: 2 minutes Thirty-eight of the largest and oldest water licensees in southern Alberta – including irrigation districts – have agreed to reduce their water use if severe drought conditions develop this spring or summer. Described by the Province of Alberta as “the largest water-sharing initiative in Alberta’s history,” these agreements are intended to ensure Albertans get the […] Read more