Reading Time: 4 minutes Randy Radau’s philosophy has been to make one or two environmental improvements at his place every year. This approach has proved fruitful for the rancher and grain grower, who runs a mixed farm with wife Sandra and son Luke, the recipients of the 2019 Alberta Beef Producers Environmental Stewardship Award. “We haven’t done anything really […] Read more
Step-by-step stewardship a winner at Coulee Crest Farm
Alberta Beef Producer’s view on Bighorn Country proposals
Cattle group supports conservation of sensitive lands, but the details raise concerns
Reading Time: 3 minutes Editor’s note: This is a condensed version of an ABP briefing note. The full PDF version can be found at the Alberta Beef Producers website. The Bighorn Country proposal by Alberta Environment and Parks consists of four provincial parks, four recreation areas, and two Public Land Use Zones (PLUZs). There are several beef producers who […] Read more
Mapping projects to aid emergency planning
Province and Ottawa funding 18 more projects under the National Disaster Mitigation Program
Reading Time: 2 minutes More Alberta communities are getting new and replacement flood mapping to support emergency response and long-term planning. The federal government is providing $8.7 million through the National Disaster Mitigation Program for 18 projects. They include new or replacement flood mapping for Drumheller, Medicine Hat, Siksika Nation, Red Deer, and more than 100 kilometres of the […] Read more
What happens up north also affects southern Canada
Melting polar ice and a warming north will have an effect on agriculture elsewhere in the country
Reading Time: 3 minutes Canada has the most extensive coastline in the world, and much of that is in the Arctic. That place we know near the North Pole is not however, governed by Canada alone. The Arctic is governed by eight nations: Canada, Russia, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, U.S. and Iceland. This group, known as the Arctic Council, […] Read more
Environmental Farm Plan sees upgrades
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Alberta Environmental Farm Plan is releasing a new version of its online tool. The online platform has already helped more than 1,000 farmers manage environmental risk across the province and will soon have an updated look and functionality. The new version is mobile friendly and a revamped FAQ section matches relevant resources with each […] Read more
Waste not, want not — a different way to treat farm effluent
Chilean biowaste filtering system is an alternative to lagoons in treating liquid waste from dairies
Reading Time: 2 minutes Farmers know that earthworms are good for the soil — now they’re being used to process liquid waste from dairies, hog operations, and slaughterhouses. The process not only provides faster treatment than using lagoons, but also significantly reduces concentrations of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium and therefore the need for as much farmland to dispose of […] Read more
Virtual reality shows real-world implications of land management on flooding
A new computer simulation tool shows how healthier soils can reduce run-off on the landscape
Reading Time: 3 minutes Virtual reality isn’t all fun and games. It’s also helping with flood mitigation. “We’ve built this tool that can characterize the risks around flooding and the influence that good management practices within the agricultural landscape can have on flood resiliency downstream,” said Steven Frey, a senior scientist at Aquanty Inc. The company, a research spinoff […] Read more
Energy grant programs still accepting applications
Reading Time: < 1 minute Two programs designed to help Alberta farms, ranches, and agri-processors with energy efficiency and solar projects continue to accept applications. The Farm Energy and Agri-Processing (FEAP) program shares costs with the agriculture and agri-processing sector on energy efficiency investments. The program is designed to encourage energy management which will result in cost savings, energy conservation, and […] Read more
Researchers aim to get a handle on mysterious soap holes
U of Calgary wants to build a database of the odd little bogs of greasy — and often treacherous — mud
Reading Time: 2 minutes Do you have a soap hole on your property? Researchers from the University of Calgary are asking landowners who have one of these “mysterious occurrences of liquified clays” to contact them so they can record their location. Early settlers of Alberta and Saskatchewan found these odd formations of sand, silt, clay, and water and gave […] Read more
The situation is grim for many ranchers, ABP warns province
Provincial officials will need to quickly roll out assistance programs if drought continues, says Charlie Christie
Reading Time: 2 minutes Alberta’s main cattle group is warning the provincial government to stand ready as a severe feed shortage could soon lead to a major culling of herds. Many ranchers depleted their hay stocks after a cold spring delayed pasture growth, and have seen only meagre production this summer in the face of dry, hot conditions, said […] Read more
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