Reading Time: 7 minutes Glacier FarmMedia — It’s hard to know where to begin when telling the story of beavers. One starting point is purely ecological, looking at their singular adaptations and resulting impact on their local environment. Another has more to do with humans and the evolution of Canada itself, which is appropriate for an animal that has […] Read more
Who can build it? The beavers can
Putting the spotlight on Canada's national animal
The interconnections between species are deep and interwoven
COVID-19 has put bats into the spotlight, and research shows how deeply everything is connected
Reading Time: 3 minutes In the last column I introduced the concept of systems change for the benefit of human and animal health. Fortunately, there is an avenue to work with human and animal doctors, scientists and experts towards a healthy world and it is called One Health. One Health is defined as a “collaborative, multi-sectoral and transdisciplinary approach […] Read more
Stop fighting Mother Nature — because you’re going to lose
Most farmers in Alberta still love tractors more than biology and are heading for big trouble, says Dwayne Beck
Reading Time: 3 minutes Like a voice crying in the wilderness, Dwayne Beck has been beating the drum of soil defence as the foundation for a healthier farming system for decades. To some, the longtime research manager of the Dakota Lakes Research Farm is a wise prophet and caretaker. For others, his message is radical and uncomfortable — something […] Read more
Regenerative agriculture: A better way to farm?
Modern version of mixed farming model is attracting producers focused on ‘the long game’
Reading Time: 4 minutes Twelve years ago, Ryan Boyd faced a wreck that changed the way he farms today. “I had big plans,” said Boyd, who farms with his wife and parents north of Brandon, Man. “We had a nice crop coming, and then the weather went against us and the markets dropped. “The long and short of it […] Read more
You can now report poachers online
The 1-800 Report A Poacher hotline is the best option when immediate action is needed
Reading Time: 2 minutes You can now report suspicious hunting or fishing activity online. Until now, the only way to report poaching activity, dangerous wildlife or public land abuse was to phone the Report A Poacher hotline. There is now a Report A Poacher website to fill out a form and submit it online. The report goes to fish […] Read more
Devil’s trumpet is a potentially deadly invader
Noxious Weeds: Jimsonweed
Reading Time: < 1 minute Although its exact origin is unknown, devil’s trumpet — otherwise known as jimsonweed — is found in many countries around the world in both agricultural and ornamental settings. Introduced to this province as a contaminant of agricultural seed, this smelly weed is under review by the provincial Agriculture Ministry and it has been recommended to […] Read more
Stewardship program ‘putting our money where our mouth is’
For producers involved with the ALUS program, ecosystem services become a type of production like any other
Reading Time: 4 minutes The poplars ringing Adrienne Herron’s wetland stopped growing where her cattle and horses were grazing, and just wouldn’t rebound. That was a real wake-up call for the Innisfail-area rancher. “I was concerned by the impact I was having on this ephemeral wetland with the cows and horses keeping the grass down as much as they […] Read more
‘Mystery’ canola attacker stumps scientists
Researchers have been trying to solve this ‘whodunit’ for years but so far, no one has been able to crack the case
Reading Time: 2 minutes It’s a classic ‘whodunit’ — the Case of the Confounding Canola Killer. And Alberta researchers are still scratching their heads over it 15 years later. “Since 2002, we’ve been finding this ‘mystery syndrome,’ and I don’t have a cause for it,” said provincial oilseed specialist Murray Hartman. “We get one nice flower that turns into […] Read more
Program that rewards stewards of the land is taking off in Alberta
More than 100 Alberta farmers have signed up for ALUS, and that number is expected to grow rapidly
Reading Time: 3 minutes The movement to pay farmers for being good stewards of the land is gathering steam, with 10 counties in Alberta now having a local ALUS program. ALUS — short for Alternative Land Use Services and pronounced ‘Alice’ — is expanding across Canada and recently became a national, registered not-for-profit. “This kind of growth and recognition […] Read more
Ecological services program catching fire in Alberta
ALUS grew slowly after arriving in Alberta in 2010, but it’s taken off in the past year and now 10 counties are on board
Reading Time: 4 minutes The notice in the county newsletter about funding for environmental projects immediately caught the attention of Gerry Taillieu. “I thought, ‘This is something I need to look into’ because it was offering financial assistance to do something we were already going to do,” said the manager of Tomahawk Cattle Ranch, a 14,000-acre operation in Parkland […] Read more
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