Reading Time: 3 minutes Maximizing energy efficiency on farms and ranches saves money, and who likes to spend money when they don’t have to? But there are only so many hours in the day and only so many dollars for these sorts of projects. So the real question for many farmers is: Where to start? What are the ‘low-hanging […] Read more
Quick steps to better energy efficiency
Energy expert offers some ‘low-hanging fruit’ that can help producers save money on their power or fuel bill
Province announces funding for ag energy projects
Over the next four years, $81 million will be spent for solar systems, low-pressure irrigation, and energy efficiency upgrades
Reading Time: 2 minutes The details are still being worked out, but federal cash for curbing carbon emissions is beginning to flow. Alberta’s provincial government is directing some of its share of Ottawa’s $1-billion Low Carbon Economy Fund towards the agriculture and agri-food sectors. The province says that over the next four years, $81 million will go towards four […] Read more
Efficiency in sheep production measured in pennies
Reading Time: 3 minutes Some livestock producers think about saving a buck when feeding their animals. But for sheep producers, it comes down to cents. “With sheep, you’ve always got to think about costs,” said Paul Luimes, a livestock nutrition researcher at the University of Guelph. “You’ve got to look for pennies to save because there’s not a lot […] Read more
When the herd is a province away, you need reliable water
Beiseker rancher has solar waterer for 100 cow-calf pairs he grazes across the Saskatchewan border
Reading Time: 2 minutes The phrase ‘remote watering’ takes on a new meaning on Duane Kent’s farm. Kent lives in Beiseker (northeast of Calgary) but also has a four-quarter pasture more than 500 kilometres away in Biggar, Sask. The site has no natural surface water and it would cost $30,000 to bring in electrical power. So he relies on […] Read more
Agricultural biomass in the spotlight
Reading Time: < 1 minute Using agricultural biomass to create fuels, chemicals, and materials will be in the spotlight at an upcoming conference in Edmonton promoting innovation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while advancing the bio-industrial sector. While many of the speakers are from the energy sector, there will be several presentations with an agricultural focus. A trio of professors […] Read more
First-calf heifers need some extra love
Keep a close eye on the conditions of these young females, that require more energy and nutrients than mature cows
Reading Time: 4 minutes Replacement and first-calf heifers need extra management, but producers can take different paths to get to the same destination. Beef producers like Alberta’s Darren Bevans, Tyler Fulton in Manitoba, and Murray Shaw in Ontario know replacement and first-calf heifers need some extra attention heading into winter, but that doesn’t mean over-the-top management. Bevans and Fulton […] Read more
Feed testing now can save you money
Testing is especially important this year as supplies are tight and quality down in many areas of the province
Reading Time: 3 minutes Doing feed tests now, at the start of the feeding season, will allow producers to develop a strategy to ensure all categories of cattle in the herd are fed to their production goals and extra costs are avoided. “Livestock feed supplies are going to be tight in some areas of Alberta, while in other areas, […] Read more
Get advice on renewable energy leases
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Farmers’ Advocate Office has released an updated guide for landowners who have been approached by renewable energy developers to lease land for wind and solar developments. The first version of the guide, called Renewable Energy in Alberta, only came out in February but has been revised following a series of presentations to landowners across […] Read more
Funding sparks boom in small-scale solar projects
Attractive lease rates for ‘micro-gen’ projects have many farmers thinking of doing their own
Reading Time: 2 minutes Although smaller-scale community-organized solar farms have, so far, been left in the lurch, there’s good news for farmers and other rural landowners interested in solar. Growing Forward 2 offers grants of up to $50,000 for ‘micro-gen’ solar projects where the power is used in the production of a primary commodity. That kind of government support […] Read more
Province ups funding for energy efficiency projects on farms
Farm groups welcome additional funding but say ‘work still needs to be done’ to reduce impact of carbon tax
Reading Time: 3 minutes After installing about 100 solar panels on their dairy barn, the Schuurman family has reduced their energy bill by 60 per cent. And they plan to drive it lower still. “My personal conviction is that I want to be sustainable long term — I believe in climate change, and I have an opportunity to change,” […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
