Canada's abnormally dry winter is worsening drought conditions across the western provinces, where most of the country's oil, gas, forest products and grain are produced.
Western Canada’s dry winter heralds worsening drought for 2024
Oil and gas, hydro, forestry, sports affected alongside agriculture
Building a better fertilizer from wood waste
Fertilizer from pulp mill byproduct has worked in the forestry industry, but would need research before applying it to ag
Reading Time: 3 minutes A biosolid-based fertilizer that has improved soil and reduced greenhouse gas emissions in the forestry sector could, with research, be useful for agriculture, according to one University of Alberta professor. Scott Chang’s research combined pulp mill waste with conventional fertilizer to support growth of hybrid poplar trees in northern Alberta. The idea was to develop […] Read more
Alberta reorganizes ag portfolio for returning minister
Horner to handle agriculture and irrigation file
Both Alberta and Quebec have re-upped with their incumbent agriculture ministers in cabinet shuffles this week — but incoming Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s shuffle will also streamline that province’s ag portfolio. Chosen by Alberta’s governing United Conservatives (UCP) on Oct. 6 to replace outgoing premier Jason Kenney, Smith on Friday announced Kenney’s incumbent minister of […] Read more
Food, farming, forestry must be transformed to curb global warming, UN says
Earlier draft of panel report called for reduced intake of meat
Reuters — Protecting forests, changing diets, and altering farming methods could contribute around a quarter of the greenhouse gas cuts needed to avert the worst impacts of climate change, according to the United Nations’ climate panel. But the changes are unlikely to happen unless governments act to spur them along, the report from the Intergovernmental […] Read more
B.C. floods may tighten market for real Christmas trees
'We're basically shut down until the water recedes'
Ottawa | Reuters — Finding the perfect real Christmas tree will be harder and more expensive this year. Canada, the world’s top exporter of natural Christmas trees, is grappling with a shortage that will likely be exacerbated by historic flooding in British Columbia, where some tree farms are underwater. A phenomenon known as an atmospheric […] Read more
Brandt to buy Deere dealership chain Cervus
Regina firm to pay $302 million in all-cash deal
The world’s biggest privately-owned chain of Deere construction and forestry equipment dealerships is set to expand its reach into Deere farm equipment in a major way. Brandt Tractor, the equipment sales arm of the Regina-based Brandt Group, on Monday announced an agreement to buy all of publicly-traded Cervus Equipment Corp. for $19.50 a share, valuing […] Read more
Brandt buys GeoShack’s Ontario business
Deal makes equipment firm the exclusive Topcon dealer for Canada
Farm, forestry and construction equipment maker Brandt is about to buy itself a lock on the market for Topcon GPS equipment in Canada. The Regina-based Brandt Group announced Wednesday it has reached a deal to buy the assets of GeoShack Canada Co. and the Canadian assets of Inteq Distributors, both owned by Dallas-based Ultara Holdings. […] Read more
Elm pruning ban over until March
Reading Time: < 1 minute It’s now time “to start taking the dead wood out of your elm trees,” says Janet Feddes-Calpas, executive director, Society to Prevent Dutch Elm Disease (STOPDED). The only time it is legal to prune elms in Alberta is between Oct. 1 and March 31. “This is when the elm bark beetles, responsible for spreading the […] Read more
Timber is a winner for Caroline cattle producer
Custom milling trees from his woodlot pays better than just selling raw logs, says Will Vohs
Reading Time: 4 minutes Cruise the countryside in certain parts of Alberta, and there are bright-yellow signs stapled to power poles advertising that someone is ‘Looking For Wood.’ After reading what Caroline-area farmer Will Vohs has discovered, landowners may want to think twice before signing over their woodlots too quickly. That’s because Vohs says he can manufacture a 12-inch […] Read more
Time to get the dead wood out
Reading Time: < 1 minute The annual elm-pruning ban is over until March 31, so it’s time to remove dead wood that can attract elm bark beetles, says the Society to Prevent Dutch Elm Disease (STOPDED). The beetles breed and overwinter in dead and dying elms but trees can’t be pruned between April 1 and Sept. 30 because the pests […] Read more
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