Reading Time: 2 minutes When Conny Kappler decided to write a children’s book about how food is produced, she didn’t have to look far for subject material. In fact, 90 per cent of the photos in her new book — Dirt to Dinner — come from the market garden she operates near Rolling Hills, south of Brooks. “I want […] Read more
New Alberta book aims to connect kids with their dinner
Students get hands-on education in sustainable food production
Reading Time: 5 minutes “Words without action are meaningless.” Teacher Steven Schultz couldn’t have predicted the effect those words would have when he said them in class one day 15 years ago. But at least one student took them to heart: She decided she wanted to take École Lacombe Composite High School off the electrical grid. She gathered a […] Read more
New livestock transport rules include grace period for all sectors
Enforcement of new federal rules for livestock transport, due to take effect Feb. 20, will focus on handler education and awareness for the first two years — and across all affected livestock species, not just cattle. The now-amended Humane Transportation of Animals regulations are meant to focus on the time frames during which animals are […] Read more
“Smart” ag school now accepting applications
Reading Time: < 1 minute A new school dedicated to agricultural tech is now open for business and accepting applications from students wanting to specialize in precision ag and other leading-edge technologies. “This is a historic day for Olds College,” said college president Stuart Cullum. “The launch of the Werklund School of Agriculture Technology is a profound statement of our […] Read more
Farm management scholarship available
Application deadline is Sept. 15
Reading Time: < 1 minute Canadian farmers have an opportunity to win the Robert L. Ross Memorial Scholarship to attend the Canadian Total Excellence in Agricultural Management (CTEAM) program. The program offers detailed financial, marketing and human relations management skills for producers, who use their own operation as a case study. It is put on by Agri-Food Management Excellence, the […] Read more
Student-managed farms at Lakeland College work to reflect the industries they serve
No ivory towers when students are running the show
Reading Time: 3 minutes Students are running the show at Lakeland College, and that’s just how they — and their prospective employers — like it. “Our student-led model has really been our big success at the college,” said Geoff Brown, associate dean of agricultural sciences. “On our student-managed farms, we really try to mimic the industries we’re in. We’re […] Read more
Opinion: An open letter to Agriculture Minister Devin Dreeshen
To be effective, farm safety education must be part of the regular curriculum in elementary schools
Reading Time: 3 minutes Following your appointment as Alberta’s agriculture minister, you were praised for being “smart, grounded, and ‘a stand-up guy.’” Let’s hope everything I’ve read about you will prove true. But based on past experience, I am somewhat cynical, as I have asked your predecessors to take action on embedding effective farm safety within the elementary curricula… […] Read more
Canadian Agri-Business Education Foundation scholarships awarded
Reading Time: < 1 minute Emily Gross of Bow Island is one of six recipients of this year’s $2,500 Canadian Agri-Business Education Foundation scholarship. The scholarships are awarded to students entering or currently pursuing an agricultural or agri-food-related program at a Canadian college, university or technical institution. They are awarded based on a combination of leadership attributes, and an essay […] Read more
New program will encourage 4-H’ers to develop STEM skills
Reading Time: < 1 minute A new initiative will give 4-H’ers the opportunity to develop their skills and interest in the area of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics — a group of subjects known as STEM. For the first year of this initiative, 4-H clubs will take part in a science experiment ‘in a box.’ “With this initiative, our goal […] Read more
Educators invited to Ethiopia to learn about global hunger
Reading Time: < 1 minute Applications are being taken for a Canadian Foodgrains Bank’s youth educators’ tour to Ethiopia in August. Anyone who is an educator of youth or young adults is welcome to apply, including, school teachers, 4-H leaders, and church youth leaders. The delegation will learn about food security issues in Ethiopia, visit communities receiving support from the […] Read more