Reading Time: 3 minutes Another highly destructive invasive pest has breached the boundary of the eastern Prairies and Albertans are being asked to keep watch — and not unwittingly aid its spread. The emerald ash borer, which attacks and kills all species of ash, was found in Winnipeg this winter. The beetle is on a steady invasive march across […] Read more
Deadly pest marching towards Alberta’s borders
The emerald ash borer has travelled halfway across the continent and has now reached Manitoba
The sun doesn’t always shine on every solar project
It’s a good time to install a solar system, but you need to consider many factors before plunging in
Reading Time: 5 minutes If you’re a producer who has recently decided to install a solar photovoltaic (PV) array on your farm or ranch, your timing is right. Under the Alberta Agriculture and Forestry On-Farm Solar Voltaics Program, the provincial government is offering to cover up to 35 per cent of costs for producers building on-farm, grid-tied solar systems. […] Read more
Eco-services group to capture flood waters on farms and ranches
Reading Time: < 1 minute ALUS Canada has been given a $720,000 grant from Alberta Environment and Parks’ Watershed Resiliency and Restoration Program for flood-prevention work. “We are excited to start putting this funding to good use on the ground in the Modeste subwatershed,” said Lara Ellis, the organization’s director of strategic initiatives. “ALUS will quickly establish new natural infrastructure […] Read more
Latest Alberta wildfire info available at one website
Reading Time: < 1 minute Alberta Agriculture and Forestry has a dedicated website with news and information on wildfires. The Alberta Wildfire website has a Wildfire Status map that is updated throughout the day and provides an overall look at the current wildfire situation across the province. The map also includes links to updates from the province’s 10 forest areas. […] Read more
The rules are still being written for genome editing
Reading Time: < 1 minute Researchers are excited about genomic editing’s potential to develop new crop varieties without the controversial genetically modified label. However, the regulation of genome edited crop varieties is still up for debate. In March, the U.S. agriculture secretary said his officials won’t regulate plants that could otherwise have been developed through traditional breeding techniques. “With this […] Read more
The environmental argument for cattle
Critics who slam the sector over water use and greenhouse gases only give half the story, says Beef Cattle Research Council
Reading Time: 5 minutes Editor’s note: A recent blog from the Beef Cattle Research Council offers its rebuttal to “vilifying headlines and simple, partial arguments” that criticize the beef industry for its water use and environmental impact. The following is a condensed version of the blog, which can be found at the Beef Cattle Research Council website. Make no […] Read more
Alberta’s organic heartland wants to bring more farmers on board
Two-year initiative will assist both existing growers and those wanting to transition to organic production
Reading Time: 2 minutes Being Alberta’s most northerly rural municipality isn’t Mackenzie County’s only claim to fame. “Right now, Mackenzie County has the highest number of organic farmers,” said Jacob Marfo, manager and research director of the Mackenzie Applied Research Association, (MARA). And the region may soon have more. MARA and Organic Alberta, with support from the county and […] Read more
Flood protection offers win-win for irrigators
New reservoir could protect both Calgary from catastrophic flood while increasing supply for irrigation
Reading Time: 3 minutes The 2013 “super flood” that hit southern Alberta was the country’s costliest natural disaster — with the bill for damages and recovery measures topping $6 billion. Now, a new report says there are ways to both prevent a similar disaster and also help mitigate the impact of drought. The Bow River Working Group — composed […] Read more
Website offers climate change forecasts
Reading Time: < 1 minute Developers of a newly launched website say it allows users to see what global warming could mean for their communities or regions in the decades ahead. The Climate Atlas of Canada was developed by the University of Winnipeg’s Prairie Climate Centre. It has data on 2,000 towns, cities, and regions. The centre said the warming […] Read more
Feed additive could be a methane game changer
Feed additive that can halve emissions while boosting feed efficiency is now undergoing a large-scale study
Reading Time: 3 minutes There’s pressure on the beef industry to be more sustainable, and some of that pressure falls on scientists like Karen Beauchemin. The Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada ruminant nutritionist and her team at the Lethbridge research station are looking for ways to reduce enteric methane — gas produced when digesting feed — from beef cattle. One […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
