Reading Time: 3 minutes I figured I would begin our look back at 2015’s weather from a global perspective and then zoom into North America, Canada, and Western Canada in particular, in an upcoming article. I have to pretty much agree with the top two 2015 global weather stories that nearly every website has come up with — 2015 […] Read more
The global weather stories of the year? Mine are heat and hurricanes
El Niño combined with ongoing global warming to set yet another temperature record and also fuelled major hurricanes and typhoons
Scientists say it’s a new era: the Anthropocene
Researchers say the term — which means the human period — recognizes the extent of human-caused change to the planet over the last 60 years
Reading Time: 2 minutes Characterized by the mantra “better living through chemistry,” the time immediately following the Second World War was steeped in a euphoric state of consumption of mass-manufactured materials. Now a new paper argues that this time should be formally recognized as the beginning of a new epoch by calling it the Anthropocene — or human period. […] Read more
Fall is a good time to empty a catch basin
But take care not to overapply liquids on fields and cause run-off
Reading Time: < 1 minute Fall is an excellent time to empty a catch basin. “Maintaining an empty catch basin will help to reduce the risk of overflow next spring,” said Cody Metheral, a provincial extension specialist in confined feeding operations. “During pump-out, it is important to remember that overapplication of catch basin contents could result in run-off from the […] Read more
Preventing conflicts with bears before they start
Reading Time: 2 minutes It doesn’t matter where you are in the province — Alberta is bear country. Bears prefer to be left alone, but tragedies do happen. It was the death of a woman attacked by a grizzly bear in Canmore in 2005 that led to the creation of the Bearsmart program. The voluntary program is a partnership […] Read more
Database for gauging soils available
Reading Time: < 1 minute Alberta Agriculture and Forestry’s Soil Information Viewer can help with an understanding of soils in the province. “The viewer accesses soil information stored in database tables called the Agricultural Regions of Alberta Soil Inventory Database,” said David Speiss, geographical information systems engineer. The online tool looks at the ability of Alberta soils to grow grains […] Read more
Cows that burp less could also save you money
Reducing methane from cattle means a reduction in greenhouse gases – and the key to that is feed efficiency
Reading Time: 2 minutes Cows that burp less are also more feed efficient. That’s the initial results of a study conducted by Thomas Flesch, a meteorologist from the University of Alberta and John Basarab, a University of Alberta professor and beef research scientist at the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Lacombe research station. The two scientists are using lasers to […] Read more
Auger accidents happen in a flash
The safety rules are simple, but talking about the dangers and having a buddy system are key
Reading Time: < 1 minute Augers are hazardous, and that’s why safety protocols and talking about the dangers with co-workers are critical. When using an auger, one person should be designated as being in charge of the task, and the equipment should be periodically inspected during operation. While the auger is running: Observe work area restrictions; Keep all safety shields […] Read more
Stewardship program expecting a flood of new applicants
About 8,000 producers have completed an Environmental Farm Plan — but that number is about to grow by 5,000 a year
Reading Time: 3 minutes Jason Bradley thought he was a pretty good steward of the land — but doing an Environmental Farm Plan helped him become a better one. “If it wasn’t for the Environmental Farm Plan, this would not have come to fruition,” said the manager of Red Deer River Ranches, indicating the fenced-in riparian areas and the […] Read more
Study aims to show beef is sustainable
Analysis will create a baseline for things like water use and carbon sequestration
Reading Time: 2 minutes Consumers have been asking for it, and now the Canadian beef industry is one step closer to proving its sustainability. “We’re trying to find the impacts — both positive and negative — that come from beef production, from when an animal is born on the ground to when it becomes a kilogram of beef on […] Read more
Call it a win-win: Curbing pollution with chicken manure
Scientists have found a type of micro-algae that gobbles up greenhouse gas emissions — and it has a taste for nutrient-rich chicken manure, too
Reading Time: 3 minutes Poultry manure and that annoying green slime which grows in our lakes each summer could hold the key to helping the province’s oilsands mining companies and coal-fired power plants clean up their act, while producing a valuable commodity in the process. Researchers have discovered a strain of naturally occurring micro-algae that can scrub 100 per […] Read more
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